Vacation

The Fashion Smoothie will be back in about 3 weeks.

Berlin FW: Arrondissement Aq1 / Schumacher / 30paarhaende

Arrondissement Aq1



When the Arrondissement Aq1 show started I knew from the first look that it would be one of my favorites. The entire collection was pure but yet edgy and unsetting. The designer Christina Arend used mainly colors like grey, nude, black and anthrazit. I also fell in love with the accessories: Bold wedges in black and cream and statement necklaces. Some models also wore plastic beaks on their heads which reminded me a lot of the spiked Givenchy crown.

Schumacher



Schumacher was the show I was most excited about. As exspected the collection was to die for. A great color palette which ranged from pastel pink to burgundy and an amazing mix of high-class materials. And then the footwear and this leather satchel...I wanted to grab everything from the runway and sneak away. Eventually I left the show with my goody-bag (it contained a stylish and useful coffe-to-go-mug) and the insight that Milla Jovovich looks even fresher in real.

30paarhaende



Actually 30paarhaende ("30 pairs of hands" in English) is not a real label, it's a studying project of Berlin's school FHTW. To be honest, my exspectations weren't that high. I thought the creations would be totally crazy but in the end the students presented a bunch of trendy, fresh and mostly wearable looks that I totally adored. My conclusion: The team of the FHTW can definately compete with "real" designers. Besides Schumacher and Arrondissement Aq1 it was one of my favorite shows.

photo credits: all runway pictures via Mercedes-Benz

Berlin FW: Christina Duxa Couture / Dimitri / Anja Gockel

Saturday night I came back from Berlin FW. It was my first time to attend a fashion week and even if it was not Paris or New York, it was a great experience and a chance to get a closer look into the fashion business. I learned a lot in the four days in and around the white tent at the Bebelplatz. And even if I'm still super tired and absolutely exhausted, I had a lot of fun and an unforgetable time. It's such a pity that there was not enough time to discover Berlin. The city's huge compared to the "village" I live in and has a lot to offer. Besides six shows I managed to see at the main location and a competition for young fashion designern off-site called "Start your fashion business", I also did some shopping - of course. Sigh, Berlin is a real shopping paradies.
But now back to the fashion. Here's the first part of my show recap:


Christina Duxa Couture



Christina Duxa Couture was the first fashion show I ever saw. Aftre some organisation problems at the beginning, the lights finally turned off and a great sound was turned on. The first few looks were absolutely not my taste. They reminded me a lot of the clothes you find in big department stores. But than after a rusty start, the clothes grew on me. The silhouettes and cuts became fancier and the use decent colors like cream, nude or grey added an elegant touch that fitted perfectly to the collection's theme Côte d'Azur. My favorite combination was definately the one with the satin cycle shorts (left). Eventually I'd say that Christina Duxa Couture was a nice offbeat for the FW respectively for my personal one.

.Dimitri by Dimitri Panagiotopoulos

The collection of Dimitri reminded of a stroll on a oriental bazaar: Embroidered dresses in bright colors, ethno elements and details inspired by bellydancing. The designer converted modern, very flattering cuts with his personal roots, that's what I loved about his collection. The three looks above wear absolutely stunning, especially the maxi-dress. I would wear them right away from the runway. Superb, Mr. Panagiotopoulos!

Anja Gockel



The Anja Gockel fashion show already started at 10 am so I had to get up very early, too early if you ask me. I exspected a classy and feminine collection and my suspicion was confirmed. The first looks were nearly boring. It seemed like the designer's audience were women over 30 that try to balance between job and family life. The colors and patterns were too painted in my opinion. But in the end there were also some fresher, younger looks that met my taste at least a bit. Surprisingly I aslo liked the combination of the purple pants with colorful jacket (left), which reminded a bit of a tableau. If Anja Gockel sticks more to those racy, inventive cuts and adapts patterns and colors in a less striking manner, her next collection might be a hit.

photo credits: all runway pictures via Mercedes-Benz