NEWS: Berlin Fashion Week Opening: the industry met for the Fireside Dinner

At the invitation of Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, and the Fashion Council Germany, the start of Berlin Fashion Week was celebrated on Monday evening as part of the "Fireside Dinner". The 250 invited guests came together in the newly opened restaurant BEAST Berlin, in the former press café on Alexanderplatz, for a seated dinner. The evening invited the industry to exchange ideas, including actors and decision-makers from politics, fashion, media and the extended cultural and creative industries. The designers and their new collections, which will be presented this season as part of Berlin Fashion Week, were particularly appreciated.

Berlin Fashion Week will take place from 01 to 04 July 2024 and, with its Spring-Summer 2025 Edition, once again combines outstanding design achievements of established and up-and-coming fashion labels in Berlin. A special highlight this season will once again be the shows of the "Berlin Contemporary" designers. The presentations of the brands will be implemented at iconic and historic locations in the capital, such as the Gropius Bau, Tempelhof Airport, the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Bode Museum or the Tempodrom. As a result, Berlin as the "Powerhouse of Talents" with its diversity is moving further into the focus of the international trade audience, which this season also consists of more buyers.

The evening was opened by Christiane Arp, Chairwoman of the FCG and Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises. With regard to the special cohesion in the industry, both the Senator and Christiane Arp praised the noticeable change and increasing success of Berlin Fashion Week. Berlin lives through freedom, the diversity of culture and its subcultures and leaves room for personal development.

Christiane Arp emphasised: "I am looking forward to a season that promises many creative highlights and innovative designs. The high quality of the presentations and shows is reflected in the increasing interest of international buyers and press representatives and shows that Berlin continues to gain importance as a fashion location. The change that Berlin Fashion Week has undergone in recent seasons is due to the outstanding achievements of the designers."

Franziska Giffey highlighted: "Berlin and its Fashion Week stand for freedom, diversity and innovation. Our city is increasingly becoming a centre of attraction for the creative minds and hands of the fashion industry. This is good for our economy. With funding of 4.8 million euros per year from funds from the state of Berlin, we are investing specifically in this development and positioning Berlin as a fashion metropolis that consistently plays a pioneering role in sustainability. The cooperation with Copenhagen Fashion Week and the successive implementation of its sustainability standards is a further step with which we want to set standards for a resource-saving fashion industry. What is important to me: At Fashion Week Berlin, young talents are given a special stage and we consciously support that. This year, we are also opening our Berlin salon to promising young designers from the leading German fashion schools. In doing so, we want to send a clear signal: Berlin is the right place to shape the future of fashion."

The historic location of the former press café, on the first floor of which the restaurant BEAST Berlin opened at the same time as Fashion Week, was one of the iconic venues of the week. Among the guests were Chris Fisher (Browns), Claudia Skoda, Edward Buchanan (Perfect Magazine), Jale Richert and Michele Beil (both Richert Beil), Julian Daynov, Kerstin Schneider (Harper's Bazaar), Kerstin Weng (VOGUE Germany), Kirsty McGregor (Vogue Business), Mumi Haiati (Reference Studios), Michael Biel (Berlin State Secretary for Economic Affairs), Otto Drögsler and Jörg Ehrlich (both Odeeh), Rianna Kounou and Nina Knaudt (Rianna + Nina), Serhat Işık and Benjamin Alexander Huseby (both GmbH), Sara Maino (Fondazione Sozzani), Stavros Karelis (Machine-A), Tanja Vojkic (eBay Germany) and William Fan.

The dinner was rounded off by drinks from Don Julio and 1664 Blanc.