“The founding of Fashion Council Germany was not a spontaneous idea – it was a strategic necessity,” says Anita Tillmann. “We knew that a lot would have to change,” adds Marie-Louise Berg. In this interview, the two FCG founding members look back on the origins of Fashion Council Germany – and share their hopes for its future.

Interview by Manuel Almeida Vergara

You still remember the exact moment when the idea to found Fashion Council Germany first came up? 

Anita Tillmann: By the time of its founding in 2015, several major fashion fairs and design formats had already been established in Germany. For example, I had persuaded IMG and Mercedes-Benz to launch Fashion Week Berlin back in 2007. This meant that German fashion had already gained visibility — but there was still no institutional framework to represent it politically and economically. While organisations such as the Council of Fashion Designers of America, founded in 1962, and the British Fashion Council, founded in 1983, had long existed, Germany only had associations focused on industry and commerce. In addition to the strong presentation platforms already in place, we needed an institution to provide strategic and political representation. So, the founding of Fashion Council Germany was not a spontaneous idea — it was a strategic necessity.

Marie-Louise Berg: For me, the real spark came from a meeting with Mandie Bienek and Claudia Hofmann, who are also part of the Council’s founding team. At the time, I was deeply frustrated with how Berlin Fashion Week — once the focal point of the industry — was developing. After the first few years, when it took place in a large tent at such symbolic and prestigious locations as Bebelplatz or right next to the Brandenburg Gate, it was moved in 2014 to the Erika-Heß Ice Stadium, which was then almost entirely surrounded by the massive construction site of the new BND headquarters. Yet Berlin was meant to position itself as a fashion capital. We knew it would not be Paris, Milan or London, but it had to create its own signature identity while joining the international fashion circle.

So, what happened next after that initial idea?

Marie-Louise Berg: The concrete founding phase actually began, at least in part, at my private dinner table — until Anita generously provided us with our first office space, which we were able to use rent-free. From there, we began working on the legal framework needed to establish such an association, searched for a name that wasn’t yet trademarked, and organized basic funding and staffing.

Anita Tillmann: At that time, we also identified the key personalities and institutions we needed to bring on board to ensure true credibility and impact. We deliberately approached potential founding members who could strengthen the Council’s foundation and help establish its relevance right from the very beginning.

Were there any hurdles in this early phase that you hadn’t expected?

Anita Tillmann: We had anticipated many external challenges — but perhaps underestimated the complexity of the internal work within such a diverse team. Alongside Marie-Louise, who contributed an important cultural perspective and strong connections to ministries and sponsors, and myself, representing the business side with experience in trade fairs, platforms, and brand development, the founding team also included experts from areas such as design and media. Each of us brought our own priorities and perspectives to the table.

But that diversity within the team must also have been enriching for the development of such an association, right?

Anita Tillmann: In theory, it was absolutely essential — but in practice, it could also naturally create friction, yet it’s precisely those tensions that drive progress. So yes, I would say without hesitation that Fashion Council Germany would not be where it is today if it hadn’t been so diverse right from the very beginning.

So, in the end, all of you agreed on a shared goal?

Marie-Louise Berg: I’d rather say — on several shared goals! We wanted fashion to be recognised — both socially and politically — as a valuable cultural asset and an important economic sector, just as it has long been acknowledged in countries such as France, Italy, and the UK. To that end, we quickly identified the promotion of young talent and emerging designers in Germany as one of our core missions.

Anita Tillmann: We had identified a gap that needed to be filled — the institutional representation of the fashion industry, which simply hadn’t existed before. For me, the economic dimension was the decisive one: if you look at the monitoring report of the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy on the cultural and creative industries — which includes fashion in Germany — you’ll see that the sector secured two million jobs in 2024 and generated a total turnover of 204.5 billion euros in 2023. That’s a record figure, and a considerable share of it can be attributed to fashion. Our goal was to bring together the brands, designers, and producers responsible for these impressive results under one united voice — and that remains our mission today.

Were you able to gain strong partners right from the start to give that voice weight?

Marie-Louise Berg: For me personally, it was clear from the outset that we first needed to build strong political relationships. Strategically, I reached out early on to Dr. Christian Ehler, a Member of the European Parliament in Brussels and a good friend. After a year of EU compliance checks, it was confirmed that he could join our Advisory Board — a position he still holds today. From the very beginning, Christian Ehler believed in the idea and the founding team of the Council and continues to support us with great commitment. He’s a key advocate for the cultural and creative industries — particularly for fashion — and an invaluable advisor in strategy and political relations.

The Berlin Senate had always shown an openness to dialogue with us as well, and over the past few years we have worked especially closely and trustfully together. What about on a federal level?

Marie-Louise Berg: In 2018, we succeeded in organizing a meeting at the Federal Chancellery, where we discussed our goals with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. About 100 representatives of the fashion industry attended — it was the very first time in the history of the Federal Republic that fashion had been received at such a level and in such a way. We were able to show Angela Merkel that fashion is valued very differently in other countries, and that it would be both meaningful and important for the German economy if the same recognition were given here. The Chancellor then asked us to present a comprehensive picture of the industry. This led to the report Status Deutscher Mode, commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and produced in collaboration with Oxford Economics — which we presented for the second time in 2024. That report opened many more doors for us, also internationally.

Anita Tillmann: For me, that meeting at the Chancellery — access to which we largely owe to Marie-Louise — was a defining moment in the Council’s history. The founding of our association had already sparked considerable interest, but through our efforts, politics, media, and industry began to recognize that fashion is not merely a matter of lifestyle — it’s a driver of economic strength and an important factor in location policy. That meeting with Angela Merkel captured this shift perfectly. It was a crucial moment, because the credibility of an association grows with its results. Since then, Fashion Council Germany has continued to strengthen its professional standing and to demonstrate its impact through concrete achievements — even though certain parts of politics and business still tend to regard fashion as a “soft” topic.

Marie-Louise Berg: That’s also why I would name another initiative as equally important — both for the Council and for the German fashion industry as a whole. In 2021, together with stakeholders and associations from twelve other cultural and creative sectors, we founded k3d – Koalition Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft in Deutschland.

Finally, if we don’t look ten years back but ten years ahead — what do you wish for Fashion Council Germany in 2035?

Anita Tillmann: I hope that by 2035, Fashion Council Germany will be recognised as an equal player — on par with the major business associations — with genuine influence on political and economic decision-making, and with a visible impact on building a sustainable, globally connected fashion industry in Germany.

Marie-Louise Berg: I would put it the same way: I hope the Council will have further consolidated and expanded its role as the key partner for the social and political recognition — and strengthening — of fashion in Germany. I wish for it to be perceived internationally as Germany’s leading fashion authority and as a driving force behind a truly sustainable yet globally competitive fashion industry. And I hope it will continue to bring even more talent and their innovative creativity and skills in craftsmanship to light — symbolising diversity and unity across disciplines.

This interview is an excerpt from our 10-year Fashion Council Germany booklet, in which we reflect on a decade of shaping and advancing German fashion. Discover the full booklet and explore all the stories and highlights HERE.