One of the main events held at Berlin Fashion Week was the conferring of Karstadt New Generation Award. Four young Berlin based labels: Pulver, Mongrels In Common, Miroike and QED presented their collections to a large audience together with established designers.
The Karstadt New Generation Award went to QED, a menswear label established in 2006, which will have the opportunity to design an exclusive collection for the notorious retailer. I will focus, though, on the other nominees who brought out fresh, modern women's wear designs.
Mongrels in Common was founded in May 2006 by two Esmod Berlin graduates: Livia Ximénez-Carrillo and Christine Pluess. Designing both menswear and women's wear, they put a strong emphasize on high-quality fabrics and manufacturing. They work mainly with premium wool and two-fold cotton, finest silk, nappa leather and denim, the result being an exclusive, elegant look which is very hip as well.
Mongrels In Common Fall 2008
"Mongrelism" is the label's philosophy meaning a constantly aim for a break of style by combining masculine and feminine elements, mixing avant-garde design with a casual, classical style, and subdued shades with flashy colors.
The Berlin fashion label MIROÏKE was founded by Ulrike Seidel and Ramiro Calderón Alvarado in 2004. Both designers are graduates of Berlin University of Arts, where they developed a unique design aesthetic while studying fashion under Vivienne Westwood.
Miroïke at Berlin Fashion Week
The duo's clothing and accessories capture the rebellious sophistication seen in the French New Wave cinema of the late 1950s. In that spirit MIROÏKE's design philosophy is a constantly "fight" against fashion's cliché and monotony, the result being couture-worthy clothing, accessories and shoes. The label's signature style is best described by architecturally inspired cuts and craftsmanship techniques, along with the use of high quality natural fabrics such as silk, cashmere, linen, cotton and supple leather.
Miroïke fall 2008
Check MIROÏKE's ss08 collection at www.miroike.com
Photo credit www.berlinista.com
