For the upcoming AW26 season of Berlin Fashion Week, the BFW concept competition will once again take place in the categories Berlin Contemporary (fashion presentation concepts) and STUDIO2RETAIL ( B2C event concepts) . Applications can be submitted HERE until September 22, 2025. An international jury of industry experts will then select the winning concepts for the January/February 2026 edition. This jury also forms the show committee, which decides which shows and presentations will be included in the official BFW calendar.

This year's jury members are:

Berlin Contemporary:

Blake Abbie (Editor in Chief, A Magazine Curated by), Bosse Myhr (Director Menswear, Womenswear and Childreswear Buying, Selfridges & Co.), Christiane Arp (CEO, Fashion Council Germany), Herbert Hofmann (Creative & Buying Director, Highsnobiety), Johanna Dramé (Fashion Business Consultant, SenWEB), Ola-Oluwa Ebiti (Contributing Editor, Another Man), Patrick Pendiuk (Fashion Features Director, Vogue Germany), Stavros Karelis (Founder & Buying Director, MACHINE-A), Sara Sozzani Maino (Creative Director, Fondazione Sozzani).

Studio2Retail:

Dries Vriesacker (Stylist / Co-Founder & Creative Director, ENFNTS TERRIBLES Magazine), Johanna Dramé (SenWEB Fashion Industry Consultant), Norma Quinto (Managing Director, Quinto), Grit Thoennissen (Fashion & Society Editor, Der Tagesspiegel), Kerstin Geffert (Founder & Managing Partner, Silk Relations), Scott Lipinski (CEO, Fashion Council Germany).

The Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises / Project Future will again provide prize money in the coming season to support creative concepts from brick-and-mortar retailers, emerging fashion labels and talented designers (preferably from Berlin) in the two categories.

As part of STUDIO2RETAIL, the six best event concepts that make the BFW (Berlin Trade Fair) tangible for end consumers will each be awarded €5,000. The sixth prize money is once again being provided by Berliner Sparkasse this season.

The Berlin Contemporary category recognizes promising designers and fashion labels (primarily from Berlin and Germany) and their fashion shows and presentations, which will take place during Berlin Fashion Week in February 2025. The 19 most creative and sustainable concepts will each receive €25,000. After opening the competition to a global audience last season, the AW26 season is expected to see five international labels recognized, including at least one brand from an African country.

The next Berlin Fashion Week will take place from January 30th to February 2nd, 2026.

Calendar registration will be open from the end of September 2025.