The Fashion Council Germany (FCG) officially opened the current edition of Berlin Fashion Week with a dinner on Friday evening. Together with Franziska Giffey, Berlin's Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises, the FCG invited more than 200 guests from the fashion and media, politics and business sectors to the opening event at the Borchardt restaurant.

The official opening dinner also marked the end of the first day of Fashion Week, which is particularly diverse this season: Until Monday, more than 40 brands will be hosting fashion shows and presentations throughout the city – 19 of them as part of the "Berlin Contemporary" concept competition, organized by the FCG and funded by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises. In addition, there are numerous side events, six of which are also made possible through funding from the "STUDIO2RETAIL" competition.

“Berlin Fashion Week has not only established itself as the central stage for the fashion scene in Germany – it is also attracting increasing international attention. This is good for Berlin's creatives, who can present their work to a top-class professional audience from all over the world in the coming days – and it is good for our city, which proves itself as an important economic location and cultural center through Berlin Fashion Week,” said Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey.

Since the Fashion Council Germany took over the overall organization of Berlin Fashion Week in 2023 on behalf of the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, the event has developed into a format of international standing. It not only showcases outstanding collections from designers both in Germany and abroad, but also addresses socially relevant issues that concern the global fashion industry – such as sustainability and fairness, diversity and inclusion – which will be discussed at Berlin Fashion Week in the coming days. These discussions will take place, for example, at the multi-day conference "METAMORPHOSIS – dialogues about change," which the FCG is organizing together with its official partner, eBay.

FCG Chairwoman Christiane Arp also emphasizes: “Berlin Fashion Week has established itself as a place where young talents are promoted and showcased, a place for genuine dialogue about promising fashion. In addition to shows and presentations, there are many talks and networking events where guests exchange ideas on the topics that are currently and will continue to be important to the international industry.”

The official opening dinner was characterized by an intensive exchange among industry guests, including Gitta Connemann (Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy), Michael Biel (State Secretary, Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises), Frank Fischer (Head of Unit for Cultural and Creative Industries, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy), Dirk Schönberger (Chief Brand Officer, MCM), Roel de Coomann (VP Global Sales, haebmau.ATELIER), Tim Blanks (Editor-at-Large, Business of Fashion), Kozue Akimoto (Model), Declan Chan (Content Creator), Sara Sozzani Maino (Creative Director, Fondazione Sozzani), Edward Buchanan (Fashion Director Milan, Perfect Magazine), Mumi Haiati (CEO, Reference Studios), Patrick Pendiuk (Fashion Features Director, Vogue Germany), Herbert Hofmann (Creative Director, Highsnobiety), Kerstin Schneider (Editor-in-Chief, Harper's Bazaar Germany), and Maliha Shoaib. (Senior Reporter, Vogue Business), Susie Lau (Content Creator), Carlo Bellmann (Strategic Partnership Lead DE Fashion, eBay), William Fan (Designer), Anne Bernecker (Designer), Ferry Hansen (CEO, Ferry Hansen Perfumes), Stavros Karelis (Creative Director, MACHINE-A) and Serhat Işık (Designer, GmbH).