NEWS: Fashion Council Germany and Berliner Sparkasse invite you to a closing cocktail party – FCG/VOGUE Fashion Fund finalists announced
Finalists of the FCG/VOGUE Fashion Fund announced
Fashion Council Germany
Berlin, February 3, 2026: Four intense days full of fashion shows, creative presentations, and inspiring encounters are behind us – on Monday evening, the latest edition of Berlin Fashion Week culminated in a stylish closing cocktail party. The official closing event of the week, hosted by the Fashion Council Germany (FCG) together with Berliner Sparkasse , brought together designers, international guests, media representatives – in short, numerous voices from the industry – to celebrate the week's highlights in a stylish atmosphere.
Christiane Arp, Chairwoman of the Board of FCG, drew a positive conclusion: “ Young talents need stages – and they need time. We give them both with Berlin Fashion Week: The designers who present their work here grow with each season, with each fashion show. That's why I'm particularly pleased that the guests keep coming back – that they remain curious about what's happening here. Berlin Fashion Week is becoming an international community.”
A particular highlight of the evening was the announcement of the finalists of the FCG/VOGUE Fashion Fund , a joint initiative of the Fashion Council Germany and Vogue Germany. From a large number of applications, seven brands were selected that impressed with their creative vision and craftsmanship: Balletshofer , Gerrit Jacob GmbH , Haderlump Atelier Berlin , Kitschy Couture , Laura Gerte , and Lou de Bètoly . The winning label will be chosen in March 2026 and will subsequently present its new collection in the summer at Berlin Fashion Week as part of its own fashion show.
The finalists were selected by a high-caliber jury: Christiane Arp (Chairwoman of the Board, Fashion Council Germany), Mumi Haiati (CEO & Founder, Reference Studios), Scott Lipinski (CEO, Fashion Council Germany), Katrin Schneider (Marketing Director DE/CH, KIKO Milano), Kerstin Weng (Head of Editorial Content, Vogue Germany) and Patrick Pendiuk (Fashion Features Director, Vogue Germany).
Scott Lipinski emphasized: “The selection of finalists reflects the great diversity and innovative strength that Germany has to offer. Each brand brings its own signature style, its own ideas and very different approaches. It is inspiring to see how these talents are shaping our fashion scene.”
“ We quickly reached a consensus on the selection of the seven finalists. We were particularly impressed by the wide stylistic range and the exceptional quality of the seven labels. They reflect how well and diversely fashion is developing in Germany. This, of course, pleases us as the jury especially,” added Kerstin Weng.
The fund was launched in 2024 by the Fashion Council Germany and Vogue Germany to specifically support promising fashion designers and labels in Germany. The focus is primarily on designers who pursue particularly innovative approaches. The first recipient of the award in 2025 was Berlin-based designer Kasia Kucharska. Fashion designers and labels based in Germany that have been in business for at least two and no more than 15 years are eligible to participate in the FCG/VOGUE Fashion Fund competition. Partners of the initiative include the beauty brand KIKO Milano, which contributes the €50,000 prize money and acts as the makeup partner for the winner's show, and the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, which supports the winning label's fashion show.