Berlin Fashion Week, Day One: Androgyny Rules the Runways
Berlin fashion week kicked off today with a daring show by one of the city’s most notable menswear labels, Sopopular. Designer Daniel Blechman took his opening slot in the schedule to heart, casting actor-model RJ Mitte of Breaking Bad fame to walk his runway and bringing a little buzz to the European capital.
As for Blechman’s Spring 2016 collection, it came in three colors—black, off-white, and olive—that appeared not only on the monochromatic clothing, but also smeared on the models’ faces courtesy of some smudgedly applied makeup. Whether it evoked war paint, grease, sweat, or mud, the face paint seemed like a tongue-in-cheek retort to the designer’s take on the tropes of masculinity. Can macho man also pull off androgyny? The answer Blechman came up with seemed to be yes. (And may our record show that men in fringe have rarely looked more strapping.) In addition to thigh-length fraying tops, Blechman showed blazers with cutout shoulders, mesh knits, and shorts worn over shin-length leggings. A transparent hard plastic vest with side zippers might not have been made for Berlin’s summer heat, but it did provide the collection with a certain Kraftwerk-style man-meets-machine touch.
Translucent looks also set the tone at sportswear-based, unisex label Vektor. Designers Kristina Puljan and Martin Eichler stayed true to their streetwear-driven aesthetic, mixing their collection’s diaphanous whites and pastels with open-hem denim pieces. Airy tops for him or her were worn in combination with roomy pants, while tunics came in darker tones covered in enough pockets to store everything you need for a busy day of errands and a busier night of clubbing. Functionality is key at Vektor, but it never comes at the cost of bold statement.
The show closed with an all-white ensemble—a long perforated coat worn over a tunic—worn by both a male and by a female model. A somewhat obvious gesture since it would be easy to imagine most of the brand’s boxy looks on anyone, male or female. The only essential here is some street cred and a little swagger.
