Berlin Fashion Week S/S 09

It's hard not to be inspired by Berlin. A grand city with a turbulent not-so-distant history and still under repair even now from the ravages of WWII, Berlin offers fertile ground for the young artists and designers making their mark on the wider world. Berlin Fashion Week, now in its third year, is very much in the same condition as the city - in process of reestablishing itself on the international scene, with a buzz in the air.

Part of the excitement of a new fashion week is the chance to see less established labels take over the big runways. Apart from Vivienne Westwood and Hugo Boss, most of the featured designers here are better known among the fashion-obsessed than the general style-conscious public: Smeilinener, known for outrageous colors and a rebellion against ordinary; Scherer González displaying amazing structured gowns that pay homage to the curvy female figure; Basso & Brooke with a retrospective show that had everyone talking; and local favorite c. neoon, who did a beautiful show at the entrance of  Kunstweber Museum where - in a modernist landscape, the perfect setting for the futuristic street wear label - the wind scooped the delicate, yet boldly printed fabrics in the air.

As if the runways didn't have enough going on, the surrounding events showcased even more talented designers. Projekt Galerie Showrooms (pGs), for instance, were dotted around Mitte. It was great to wander around the pGs, as they were often located in maze-like galleries and had a very art-punk vibe about them. Finding a collection that really inspired was like finding a piece of hidden treasure, as many of the designers were relatively new and somewhat undiscovered, like the delightful Pristine Smut, a Central Saint Martins graduate knitwear/fine jewel duo. Meanwhile Liria Pristine and Rosie Kent's unusual wire knits and jeweled innuendos lived up to their Jazz Age inspirations.

Wedding Dress #3, located in the old working-class district of Wedding, hosted a flea market-style festival that integrated the old neighborhood vibe. While it included designers like Marcel Ostertag, winner of the Karstadt New Generation Award, and Martina Rogy's sexy fringed pencil skirts, the outdoor market also portrayed a mixed bag of goodies extending from vintage wears, to printed T-shirts and marked-down independent labels. It was certainly a good place to hit if you were out shopping, especially since at the end of the market conveniently stood Styelserver's analog boutique, specially for fashion week.

The best finds are those that are unexpected. Just a stone's throw from the main festivities at the Bebelplatz, a small exhibition displayed graduates' work from FHTW Berlin. Shown in the modernist building of the Collegium Hungarium, the students exhibited their design in a beautiful setting. In true student form, many pieces were unconcerned with practicality, with unusual mirrored caplets, complex wood beading, a skirt made of marbles or beautiful painted silk smocks. While the quality was still on a student level, it was deliciously easy to appreciate their artful approaches.

Berlin Fashion Week was truly inspired, even though it's not like the major fashion capitals like London, New York, Paris and Milan and it probably won't ever be. To wonder if Berlin fashion would ever become mainstream would be missing the point of this inherently irreverent city.