BERLIN FASHION WEEK

In the organizer's words:

Berlin Fashion Week: The responsible movement of freedom, inclusion, and creativity.

Dates 2024

• February 5 to 8, 2024
• July 1 to 4, 2024

Berlin stands for progressive (sub)cultural movements and trends that unite fashion, art, design as well as the club and music scene like no other metropolis. Berlin Fashion Week reflects these cross-connections and focuses on relevant topics such as sustainability, inclusion, innovation and talent development.

Founded in 2007, Berlin Fashion Week takes place twice a year and has established itself as a strong economic driver and constant source of inspiration. Each season, the BFW calendar represents the bold narrative of Berlin fashion and attracts an international, renowned audience consisting of press, buyers, industry experts and creatives with a mix of runway shows, presentations and interactive side events.

Berlin Fashion Week offers designers and organizers a platform and is characterized by the diversity and individuality of its independent supporters. Since its foundation, the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises has been actively involved and supports a variety of different formats of Berlin Fashion Week. Special attention is paid to the promotion of up-and-coming talent.

"The up-and-coming talents at Berlin Fashion Week embody an impressive level of innovation paired with outstanding craftsmanship. The fashion industry is an important factor for the creative spirit and economic strength in Berlin. Designers find a dynamic and internationally recognized creative location here. We support their artistic development and offer them a stage so that their businesses can flourish and establish themselves in the long term. These young visionaries help to consolidate Berlin as a powerhouse of talent that stands for sustainable fashion in particular. Sustainability is our trademark. Here in Berlin, a bold fashion future is being created that has global appeal." Michael Biel, State Secretary, Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises

Berlin Fashion Week sees itself as a movement for creativity, sustainability and innovation and acts as a stage for self-realization, freedom and inclusion.

In its basic understanding, Berlin Fashion Week acts as a platform on which designers can freely develop not only their creative works, but also their individual convictions. This freedom extends beyond fashion and also includes personal aspects such as sexual orientation, religion and political views. A guiding principle is openness to all - regardless of background, belief or point of view. The values at the heart of this are freedom, tolerance and a firm "no" to any form of discrimination. Berlin Fashion Week therefore not only focuses on aesthetic innovation, but also on an inclusive space that celebrates and actively promotes diversity.

Berlin Fashion Week attaches great importance to acting responsibly and has already introduced various criteria and instruments to ensure that this is done transparently and by all those involved. Sustainability is a fundamental element of the concept competitions "Berlin Contemporary" and "Studio2Retail", and greenwashing checks have also been carried out regularly in recent seasons. These checks have shown that many of the presenting labels and organized events in Berlin already act responsibly and integrate sustainability as a central element of their work. The initiators and co-organizers are striving to act as sustainably as possible as quickly as possible. A concrete program to achieve and measurably implement this goal is currently being developed and is expected to be implemented by 2025.

Berlin Fashion Week is supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises (SenWEB). Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH implements the location marketing on its behalf. The Fashion Council Germany (FCG), in cooperation with the agencies Press Factory GmbH (communication and media relations) and Uhura Digital (digital and SoMe marketing) - who are responsible for the overall coordination and organization - are currently commissioned by Berlin Partner and responsible for the implementation.

In addition to individually organized shows, events, conferences and trade fairs, SenWEB also supports other formats and platforms. These form the cornerstone of Berlin Fashion Week, which is supplemented by other events from Berlin's international creative scene and summarized in the official BFW calendar. The focus of SenWEB's financial support is always on promoting talent and young talent.

Berlin Fashion Week concept competition:

The competition initiated on behalf of SenWEB and the FCG consists of two categories: The talent promotion BERLIN CONTEMPORARY and the B2C concept STUDIO2RETAIL. The aim of both initiatives is to strengthen Berlin's international relevance as a fashion location and to provide a stage for talented designers and their collections.

BERLIN CONTEMPORARY: Powerhouse of Talents

The creative heart of the BFW program is the BERLIN CONTEMPORARY competition, which selects 18 established and up-and-coming labels that are convincing in terms of style, craftsmanship and concept with international commercial potential. They will each receive prize money of €25,000 for the fashion shows. The jury, consisting of seven internationally experienced experts from the press, social media, sustainability and business development, will evaluate the labels and their concepts based on design performance, marketability, media impact and the innovation factor. In addition to the prize money, the winners also receive support in the areas of communication and show design as well as valuable network connections and sales and PR contacts. Further information: https://fashionweek.berlin/blog/single-news/the-jury-of-the-bfw-concept-competition-1.html

The BERLIN CONTEMPORARY winners for Berlin Fashion Week in February 2024 are Avenir, Dennis Chuene, Kitschy Couture, Lou de Bètoly, Lueder, Malaikaraiss, Marke, Namilia, Olivia Ballard, Rianna + Nina, Richert Beil, SF1OG, Sia Arnika and William Fan from Germany as well as the Ukrainian labels Bobkova, DZHUS, Glück Clothes and PLNGNS.

STUDIO2RETAIL: BFW for all fashion enthusiasts

STUDIO2RETAIL is the B2C initiative of Berlin Fashion Week, which aims to make fashion accessible to everyone. The STUDIO2RETAIL competition supports stationary retail, events and other designers from Germany in Berlin and brings the special vibe of BFW to the streets of the city - and the best way to understand it is to meet the creative talents and designers who shape it. The competition therefore honors event concepts aimed at end consumers that focus on their key themes of sustainability, inclusion, education and community. The five most convincing will each receive a grant of €5,000. Thanks to STUDIO2RETAIL, anyone can become part of Berlin Fashion Week, regardless of whether they work in the fashion industry - or are simply passionate about fashion. Access is provided by a network of studios, pop-ups and stores that open their doors during Berlin Fashion Week and offer specials, as well as an event calendar that lists all events that even fashion enthusiasts without a professional background can take part in. This also includes the winning concepts in the competition. Further information can be found at studio2retail.berlin.