The sixth edition of Neo.Fashion took place in the Reinbeckhallen as part of Berlin Fashion Week. Over 80 graduates presented their fashion creations.
Paul Kadjo, one of the Aspiring Designers, creates looks that show: clothing has no gender.Neo.Fashion/Gerome Defrance
If you want to know what the fashion of tomorrow could look like, you should take a look at the work of Germany’s fashion schools. The Neo.Fashion project provided insights into the fashion world of young people in showrooms and runway shows at Berlin Fashion Week, and vice versa, they were able to present their creations in front of an audience. The three-day event in the Reinbeckhallen offered a full program: 15 shows over three days with over 900 looks.
Eleven German universities sent the best of their year to the capital, with a total of over 80 graduates on site. Founder and organizer, Jens Zander, says that the event gives young designers a goal to work towards: presenting their collections at Berlin Fashion Week with the hope of winning one of the coveted awards at the end to take home.
Six Ukrainian designers from the Ukrainian Fashion Week from the “Look into the Future” project also presented their work at Neo.Fashion. The “Aspiring Designers” showroom, which exhibited the work of 15 up-and-coming fashion designers, is also making its debut. On the last day, they showed their looks in two community shows.
Always accompanied by beats and basses, the models carried collection after collection down the catwalk in slots of 30 minutes. The Neo.Fashion shows combined several artistic genres, so some showcases were accompanied by videos or recorded with a voiceover from the off. Instead of walking rigidly, the models in some shows also interacted with the audience or with each other. Among the diverse selection of models, there were also well-known faces such as Sarah Posch, “Germany’s Next Top Model” winner 2020.
Break with convention and gender norm in the program
The fashion of the young designers shows what moves this generation: self-discovery, expression of emotions, a conscious approach to the environment. The break with classic conventions and gender norms was particularly striking. The art academy Burg Giebichstein from Halle is already renowned for its young talents at the Fashion Week. A highlight of the show was the deconstructed look of a bridal couple, which was designed by Nanyi Li: the bride and groom wore a classic veil and jacket, but the usual tradition says goodbye below: the wedding dress is in tatters, the groom wears a long one dark blue skirt. Nanyi Li received one of three Neo.Fashion Awards in the Sustainability category.
Award winner Nanyi Li’s wedding look was one of the highlights of the Neo.Fashion shows.Neo.Fashion/Gerome Defrance
The prize for Best Design went to HAW Hamburg graduate Max Tautorus. His “KINSHIP” collection deals with the animal-human relationship in the Anthropocene, a new geochronological epoch. His outfits, each representing an animal, are intended to allow the adult wearer to slip into his inner child and re-explore his relationship to nature and the animal world.
Max Tautorus lets the models slip into animal roles in his “KINSHIP” collection.Neo.Fashion/Gerome Defrance
Antonia Dannenberg from the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences received the Neo.Fashion Award in the innovation category. In her “MELT DOWN” collection, she expresses her connection to nature and the mountains. The collection features sophisticated yet stylish outdoor clothing. With her outfits she also presented futuristic designs as well as new combinations of different styles, fabrics and colours. The awards were presented by an independent jury consisting of various representatives from the fashion world: Claudia Hofmann, Leyla Piedayesch, Timo Wolf, Sebastian Warschow, Nessie Degerli, Carina Bischof and Florian Müller.
“MELT DOWN” by Antonia Dannenberg shows sophisticated outdoor fashion.Neo.Fashion/Gerome Defrance
In addition to the Neo.Fashion Awards, the established European Fashion Award FASH was presented for the first time. Viola Schmidt from Reutlingen University received first prize in the student category. In the Bachelor category, Idan Yoav took first place, followed by Lihi Mendel. Both award winners are fashion students here from Berlin – the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee.
European Fashion Award winner Idan Yoav’s vibrant runway.Neo.Fashion/Gerome Defrance
Hussein Chalayan puts on a special show
What all the guests were probably waiting for on Wednesday evening was the show by the Berlin University of Economics and Technology. 14 graduates of the fashion design course were able to present their collections in the HTW graduate show. The fact that the show was curated by Professor Hussein Chalayan gives an idea of the very special looks. The British fashion designer is known for his special creations.
His fashion is characterized by intellectual demands with a penchant for the avant-garde. The designer’s hallmarks are provocative shows – which is why he demands a great deal of risk-taking from his students. The first highlight was seen here by Sophia Heins, who presented her “SMYW – See my world” collection. In this she addresses clothing for physically handicapped people. Including clothes that are not immediately recognizable as such. The focus of the collection is seeing or not seeing, which is why models, some of whom are fully covered, are led down the catwalk.
A highlight of the HTW Berlin Graduate Show: Sophia Heins’ collection “SMYW – See my world”.Neo.Fashion/Gerome Defrance
Another highlight of the show was Kristin Amendt’s PSYCH-O-PATH collection. Chalayan’s influences can also be seen here. The collection shows all emotions, whether positive or negative, as the designer feels about them. One of the six looks was performed by the model, dressed in a black leather suit, being rolled down the runway in a silver steel box.
An outfit from Kristin Amendt’s “PSYCH-O-PATH” collection, which aims to represent all emotions in extremes.Neo.Fashion/Gerome Defrance
A panel talk on the topic “Metaverse – a curse or a blessing?” was also part of Neo.Fashion 2022. The future of the profession of fashion designer was discussed with various players in the fashion scene behind the background of the production of digital fashion items. The fact that Neo.Fashion raises awareness of current events and a glimpse into the future was proven not least by the realization of a digital graduate show at the University of Kyiv.
3 days, 11 universities, 80 graduates, 900 looks have left a lasting impression: the multi-faceted works of the young talents make you want to see the responsible fashion of tomorrow and arouse anticipation for the next one, Neo.Fashion.