Black-and-white, sepia, and later colourful images from Claudia Skoda’s life flicker across the walls of the Berlin Tempodrom, where concerts are usually held. On Monday, the opening day of Berlin Fashion Week, the “Manege” is dedicated to the knitwear designer born in 1943 and her fashion show. As models parade through the Tempodrom wearing extravagant knit designs, Skoda, dressed in red knitted trousers and a pink sweater with red pom-poms, watches the slideshow with a satisfied expression. The icon of Berlin’s underground scene founded her knitwear label in 1975. Her shows have been attended by music legends such as Iggy Pop and David Bowie. Following Bowie’s advice, Skoda opened a store in Soho, New York, in the 1980s. Celebrities like Cate Blanchett and Milla Jovovich remain her clients to this day—Skoda has every reason to look back on her life with satisfaction.
In Berlin, there are big shoes to fill. The creative duo Julia Ballardt and Nico Verhaegen, who also presented their label “Milk of Lime” on Monday in Berlin, prefer to do things their way. After studying and working at Givenchy, Ballardt and Verhaegen left Paris behind, moved to Neustadt an der Weinstraße, and now produce their garments locally with a focus on craftsmanship. Their pieces are designed to be durable and timeless, worn for their sustainability and beauty. The label Marke, founded in 2021 and named after an acronym of designer Mario Keine, also places a high value on local production. Their show will take place on Monday evening at the Berlin Kulturforum.
On Tuesday, the atmosphere will likely be colourful at Rianna + Nina, who will present their “Folklore” collection at the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic. While black is foreign to designers Nina Knaudt and Rianna Kounou, the label Haderlump, showcasing its designs predominantly in black and white at Tempelhof Airport on Tuesday, targets a different audience. Designer Johann Ehrhardt founded Haderlump at the young age of 27, with a creed of high fashion from fabric scraps—”inspired, designed, and made in Berlin-Neukölln.” Among the young talents, Marc Cain will also present a show on Tuesday, inviting guests to Schloss Sanssouci in Potsdam.
