Tag: starstyling

Berlin Prenzlauerberg – East is a feast!

Berlin wasn’t highest on my shortlist of places to visit, but I was pleasantly surprised once I was there. And that had probably something to do with the fact that I was staying in the more creative Eastern part of the city, (leaving the Kadewe and the touristic marks in the West side of town aside) and that I wasn’t staying in a hotel, but in an apartment located on the Schönnhauser Allee, in the Prenzlauerberg-district.

Interesting about this area, are the small boutiques, unconventional shops (often pop-ups or concept stores), vintage selling points (some sell by the kilo), and art galleries. Mulackstrasse and Torstrasse should be on your planning. This is where I discovered brands like Lala Berlin, Bless or Starstyling Berlin and got inspired by the (often small) creative initiatives.

The wine&dine department  also left me a happy camper; Monsieur Vuong for sophisticated Asian food, the best currywurst in town at Konnopke (Schönnhauser Allee 44b), and feeling at home at Café Wohnzimmer. The best way to explore the surroundings is ofcourse by foot. And because the Schönnhauser Allee is one of Prenzlauerberg´s busiest shopping streets, everything is in an approximate distance.

Tip: Become ‘ein Berliner’ during your stay. You can find appartments on appartmentsappart.com  or via Wimdu.

16 x INTERNATIONAL

I recently introduced the 4 Dutch designers taking part at the international platform of Next & Cutting Edge. This Saturday, 12 more designers fly & drive to Amsterdam to participate at the talent and avant-garde designer stage at Modefabriek. Tomorrow we will all meet up for the fitting of the show presentation Modefabriek presents Next & Cutting Edge, scheduled on Monday 18th around noon. From Sunday, they are already present for meeting & greeting, an introduction to their label and the showcase of their newest collections.

To start off with Patrick Mohr. The German avant-garde designer creates designs that are architectural, sometimes draped in flowing, and a tension between elegance and sportiness, avantgarde and streetwear. After having seen his collection SS 2012 collection „I Want Mohr“ at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin last week, I indeed want mohr. And yes, we are presenting a good selection of Mr. Mohr’s collection next Monday on the Next & Cutting Edge catwalk.

Meet Katja Schlegel and Kai Seifried. They are the designers behind Starstyling. The label created a self-made universe, filled with brain damage and exploratory techniques, and is on something like a voyage through a world of urban pattern-making. Starstyling takes you along on their next journey with their ss 2012 ‘Stripes for your right right to party’. As this name already suggests.. it’s all about stripes. In the form of sporty style, comfortable summer clothing.

Also German-based, but Danish designer Julie Eilenberger, always starts her work from an emotion which then translates into clothing and visuals. She draws her drawing inspiration from her own childhood and is fascinated by the eccentric and delicate worlds that the elderly live in. Eilenberger found it was a natural topic for her to combine the extremely similar characteristics of these two demographics and translate it to her collection.

The label SADAK by Serbian designer Sasa Kovacevic maintains strong ethnographic ties to Serbian traditional attire and is generally inspired by culture and history. SADAK often reinterprets traditional and/or historical clothing with a fashion-forward flair, blending tribal symbolism, local beliefs and, for example, sci-fi cinema.

Danish brand uncommon creatures was founded by Jens Kold-Christensen and Christina Højris Ottosen with their debut A/W10 collection. Jens studied brand design, marketing and communication, while Christina attended a course in fashion design at TEKO. Their ways crossed in 2008: they met accidentally in a bar and got along at once.
Uncommon creatures’s main concept encapsulates aesthetic motifs of different ethnic communities. This results in daring collections, at times showing through a dark mood, that focuses on perfect wearability, in combination of pure, raw designs, age-old traditions and contemporary trends. This, topped with charm and mystery.

Hailing from Spain is the design duo of young El Colmillo de Morsa. Catalan Jordi Espino and Elisabet Vallecillo both graduated from ESDi Design University. Directly after, they decided to create their own brand. Their s/s 2012 collection “El Triángulo de las Bermudas” (Bermuda Triangle), lets us embark into the unknown, into mystery of old legends and myths told by those explorers who embark on a journey of no return.

Just across the border, Antwerp-based designer Belgian Angelo van Mol shows us his signature design in the collection SHRPST. A collection with male elegance, sportswear and formal wear. As graduate from the Royal academy of fine arts he wins the acclaimed “motivation award from Ann Demeulemeester & Ann Chapelle”.

US, New York based Raun LaRose is graduate of the Art Institute of New York. In 2009, he interned at Zac Posen in Paris. A year later, young LaRose had launched his own independent menswear label. LaRose is considering to furthering his education at Central Saint Martin’s in London but already he’s a designer to watch.

Folk themed designers twenty(2)too from Romania and German label Thu Thu give us colorful prints, knitwear and clean lining. More knitwear will be presented by Lithuanian born Laura Theiss. This fresh and talented Central Saint Martins graduate continues her exploration of traditional hand knitting and croched techniques in her SS 2012 collection. The collection is inspired by the mood of the zeitgeist, she brings her signature style of unusual colour and texture combination with a futuristic, feminine injection.