Europe's alternative fashion capital

In the world of fashion, a natural rule of order prevails. Milan, Paris, New York, Tokyo and London are the leading cities in an industry that is innovative, creative and always shifting towards another trend. In the last 20 years however, the German capital of Berlin has developed to the point where it is closing in on these heavy hitters. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent clashing of cultures, a hugely artistic city has developed.



More than 800 young, hungry and creative designers and fashion labels currently reside in Berlin. Noted names such as Wolfgang Joop (JOOP!) and Michael Michalsky (formerly of Adidas) have also set up thriving businesses in the once divided city. Add to this the city’s eight fashion schools educating a new generation of exciting designers and you’re looking at a Berlin ready to launch itself onto the A list.

Twenty-one-year-old Jasmin Heiderich, from Hildesheim, a small town in the north of Germany, is a member of this new wave of designers studying in the ESMOD (l'Ecole Supérieure des Arts et techniques de la Mode) fashion school in Berlin. A world-renowned establishment, ESMOD was initially set up in 1841, and now boasts fashion schools in 15 cities across the world.

“When I first came to the school, I had no idea about fashion; I didn’t even know how to sew,” explained Heiderich, who says her work has developed a great deal since then. “When you start, you are thrown in [the deep end] immediately … we learn how it feels to work a 90 hour week.”


Tricks of the fashion trade

While accumulating as many fashion industry skills as she could, Heiderich also picked up what she describes as “real life experience.” Needless to say, if the opportunity comes up to work at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, then you don’t turn it down!

“[The fashion world] can be very cruel at times, it’s not very nice sometimes, especially if you are not doing things right or not giving your best.”

“At events like the fashion shows you see how the stars work, how they talk to people, how shows work, and you’re working hard, and through all these things you learn.”

Stirring the cultural juices

Berlin has changed, changed completely in the 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Just over 3.4 million people now live in the city, among them citizens from over 180 countries.

The many and varied cultures and influences that have become part of Berlin since the fall of the Wall can be seen in the city’s creative output.

A prime example of this is graffiti. These pieces of street art give the city a cool, creative feel and the many fashion designers and fashion students that live and work in Berlin take their cue from it.

As a result of these influences, and because of the creative freedom enjoyed by designers in Berlin, there have been murmurs that the city is ready to take on the mantle of the alternative fashion capital of the world.

But Jasmin Heiderich believes it’s still early days: “Berlin is a great place to study, but it isn’t developing into a big fashion capital.”

But she does believe it is a great place to start the learning process, adding, “I considered America, but there were more opportunities in Berlin … The ESMOD fashion school has great connections, and those connections weren’t there anywhere else.”

Making up their own rules

Thanks to Berlin’s relaxed atmosphere, the art and fashion that is produced there is in a similar vein. And rules, well, they were made to be broken.

“[The designers] make what they want when they want, they don’t care for seasons,” explained Heiderich.

“Berlin is not stuck up. There are always new things, always experimentation going on, always trying to do something crazy.”

So what’s happening right now?

Well, none other than Michael Michalsky – one of Germany’s finest designers and the man responsible for restructuring Adidas back in 2000 – opened his own label in Berlin last year. And labels such as Yackfou and Wunderkid are also found in the city.

Even though Berlin does tend to favor small labels and streetwear – and whether it will ever make it to the ranks of Milan or Paris is still very much up for debate – it’s proving to be a vibrant training ground for future fashion designers.