Patrick Mohr and the Freedom of work hard to be mohr

Patrick Mohr and the Freedom of work hard to be mohr

Avant-garde fashion has to lead away from commercial and aesthetic boundaries, create new ways of perceptions or conceptualize society throughout the medium of garment, which is rather difficult if not impossible sometimes. Therefore designers tend to create statements less through the products of their creativity itself but furthermore with the presentation. Munich-based designer Patrick Mohr was often criticized for displaying unprovocative fashion in a provocative manner. Presenting rather simple outfits on homeless people, body-builders or albino models his fashion shows were always a reason for the news to project scandals.

In the last two seasons Mohr sticks to working with unconventional presentations and unique models, but also impressing with his designs. Last season’s collection called Human and this season called work hard and be mohr brought his aesthetics to a new level. The entire collection is made of a strong electric blue that created a nearly magical energy in the room. Using only black models Patrick Mohr wanted to criticize the predominance of white models throughout all the fashion industry. The models where standing in little triangle shaped pillars. Labels on the top of the pillars read in bold German words “Freiheit beschreibt die Fähigkeit des Menschen, willentlich zu handeln!” (Freedom is the ability of mankind to act deliberately).

Even if this sounds very socially conscious, I wonder how Mohr defines his freedom as an avant-garde designer. Because even if you don’t have to create fashion for the mass markets, you are still depending on sponsors or on other economic suppliers that have influence on your work in one way or another. I think that even if Patrick can work hard to be mohr as much as he wants, he can never be deliberately free in his designs. Nontheless he presented one of my favourite collections during the Berlin Fashion week, which you can admire in the fantastic backstage-shootings from our talented photographer Olga Khristolyubova after the jump.

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A Kaufhaus for Patrick Mohr

A Kaufhaus for Patrick Mohr

Patrick Mohr is probably not the type of label that you would get in a Kaufhaus. Nonetheless the excentric designer from Munich chose a former department store as the venue for his latest fashion presentation. I must say, I am so glad that after a few seasons of buying into the whole “I need to be commercial and boring to be successful in Germany” myth Patrick has return to his crazy, experimental and crafty roots creating fashion that is interesting and complex with presentations that are thought-provoking and entertaining. This time he once again showed his designs on the bodies of the types of models that would normally not set foot onto a runway of Fashion Week: Body builders, disabled people, and other types that don’t fit the typical beauty standards of our society. This time it felt even less like a shock effect but more like a statement and we salut to that: Everyone is beautiful in their own way. The impressions of a great show after the jump.

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Pitchtuner in Concert in Berlin & Gif-Fashion Editorial

Pitchtuner in Concert in Berlin & Gif-Fashion Editorial

Last year I had a really exciting project I would love to tell you more about. For the album release of the band Pitchtuner fashion photographer Marlen Stalhuth and I created an animated Gif-Fashion Story. Pitchtuner, that is Japanese Miki Yoshimura und Johannes Marx from Germany. The two Berliners-of-choice released their fourth album “Ready to go”  via  RAR, marketed by Motor Entertainment. Pitchtuner is a unique combination of Indie-Pop and DIY-Dance-Electronic.This combo mixes the eccentricity of Japan and the German inventiveness. If you want to experience their unique concerts (we had them as main act to our 7 years anniversary party) I have good news for you. They will be playing on Friday the 23 here in Berlin together with the Dj -Team JeansTeam. Enjoy the fashion story inspired by the street styles of Tokyo featuring young designers from Germany and Japan and check out the concerts infos here.

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Nag Nag Nag – The Avant-Garde Outlet

Nag Nag Nag – The Avant-Garde Outlet

Darklands, Berlin’s number one concept store for high-end avant-garde labels, is currently hosting another one of their temporary pop-up sale shops in Mitte. At the second edition of the Nag Nag Nag shop you will be able to get pieces by designers such as Rick Owens, Ann Demeulemeester, Boris Bidjan Saberi, Damir Doma, Rad Hourani, Obscure, Raf Simons, Henrik Vibskov, Patrick Mohr, Ute Ploier and many more for up to 80% off the original price. Now if that’s not a convincing argument to head over there I don’t know what it is. The sale shop is only open in May 2014 so be quick and don’t miss the incredible avant-garde bargains. The details after the jump.

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The Perfection of Augustin Teboul

The Perfection of Augustin Teboul

photos: Dunja Antic

When visiting or speaking about Berlin Fashion Week you will hear a lot of bitching and nagging how Berlin is so not cool, totally can’t measure up with other cities, is trying to hard and doesn’t have any interesting designers here. Even though I do agree that this season seemed a bit unexciting when I first saw the schedule, I have to admit that I saw some really outstanding collections last week. Among them the ones from Patrick Mohr, Esther Perbandt, Julian Zigerli, Mads Dinesen, and Marina Hoermanseder, to name only a few. I totally disagree with the criticism of Berlin Fashion Week. We very well have interesting designers here, and even if they are not so many, the few are all the better. And as we all know it’s the quality that counts, not the quantity.

Augustin Teboul belong to the exquisit circle of designers that stand out and can absolutely measure up with internationally renowned labels. There collections are always great, but this one was exceptional I think. Maybe because for the first time they also used nude colors instead of all black. But also the pieces themselves and the styling was stunning. Enjoy some shots of the Fall/Winter 2014/15 show titled Equinoxe by Dunja Antic after the jump.

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Two Pop-Up Shops for Darklands

Two Pop-Up Shops for Darklands

Obscur

Darklands is one of Europes leading boutiques for high-end avant-garde fashion. In their massive space at Heidestrasse they sell international avant-garde stars such as Boris Bidjan Saberi, Rick Owns, Ann Demeulemeester, Cedric Jacquemyn and many more. The store as well as the selection of designs is stunning, the trip out to the gallery quarter at Heidestraße is absolutely worth it, not only if you’re a fan of this style of avant-garde design.

This Friday on August 2nd Darklands will open a pop-shop of their online designer sale Nag Nag Nag together with Komakino here in Mitte at Steinstraße. They will offer up to 80% reduced archive and second season pieces by the above mentioned designers as well as labels Obscur, Raf Simons, Unconditional, Rad Hourani, Damir Doma, Henrik Vibskov, Patrick Mohr, Ute Ploier and many more. It’s avant-garde madness, so to say.

Earlier this month Darklands also opened the first ever design pop-up store by Italian leather goods label Guidi inside their own store at Heidestraße. Have a look at this including all the details of both pop-ups after the jump.

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The Fruit Salad – Episode 3 – Runway

The Fruit Salad – Episode 3 – Runway

If fashion week is war, runway is the battlefield. And I did a good portion of fights last week to go to each event and make sure that everybody noticed that I was there. Is this egomanic? I do’t think so. To see all my adventures at Berlin Fashion Week and to see the shows I visited and enjoyed the most (Patrick Mohr, Moga e Mago, The Shit, Lena Hoschek, Mark Stone and the best of them all Charlie Le Mindu) please have a look at the third episode called Runway after the jump.

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The Fruit Salad – Is The Shit the real Shit?

The Fruit Salad – Is The Shit the real Shit?

photos: Devid Gualandris

After spending the whole day in the Fashion  Week tent on Tuesday watching tiny skeleton girls running down the catwalk I was quite happy to go to The Shit Shop fashion show of Bonnie Strange and her girls Lena and Laura. It will not surprise you that I don’t like skinny girls on the catwalk very much. Not because I think all models are anorexic or having an eating disorder. I just don’t understand why there is only one type of body on the catwalk. Actually, it simply bores me to see 30 long skinny girls one after another. In my opinion I would appreciate the creativity of a designer much more if he would be able to show his design on different types of people. Some designers did this during fashion week like Patrick Mohr (which I will write about soon) and Bonnie Strange. It felt like a fresh stormy breath. What I think about Bonnie’s collection comes after the jump.

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The Berlin Fashion Week Event & Party Guide

The Berlin Fashion Week Event & Party Guide

Tom van de Borght

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO WEAR!!! Seriously, I have no idea what I am gonna wear next week. Not a single outfit. Somehow I have neglected to go shopping in the past few months. My wallet is grateful, but I am in horror of those moments I need to get dressed to leave the house for the coming week.

My mundane problems aside, once again we have selected the most interesting – and most importantly: public – events, shows and parties of the upcoming Berlin Fashion Week. We also added a couple of events that are closed, but that we are raffling off tickets for in our big Berlin Fashion Week Ticket Packages. Have a look at the best of Berlin Fashion Week after the jump. And don’t forget to get your outfits sorted…

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