Berlin Fashion Week: Romanian Designers - A Fashion Tale

Designer: Andreea Musat

Before we dive into the Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris, I've prepared something very special for you this morning! It's the first time that I have a guest writer on this blog! She's going to give us detailed comments on the Romanian Designers fashion show she attended to at the Berlin Fashion Week. Welcome Tana!

Another journey took me to Berlin, where the fashion week made room for the creative crowd between January the 19th and 22nd. One of the last shows on the first day, a very promising one and well visited, was a show called Romanian Designers.

Backstage at the Romanian Designers fashion show

Local celebrities

Can a designer stand out with his name and own craft within such a setting, or is he or she over-branded by the name of the show? What the public is to judge, remains to be seen. The fact is that the collections of the four designers could not have shown more variety.

Let’s have a look:

Irina Schrotter showed a sophisticated look. Elegant and grown-up. It’s what women wear, not girlies. The color range features black, beige or nude. Leather complemented with big fur-jackets and scarves. A lot of dresses and hence a very feminine collection. Irina herself isn’t a newcomer. The well-established designer founded her business around 20 years ago and launches several lines under her own brand name.

Designer: Irina Schrotter

Designer: Irina Schrotter

Designer: Irina Schrotter

Designer: Irina Schrotter

A graphic collection, seemingly inspired by the 1960s was shown by Alina Botea. Combining and contrasting materials like silk with felt or pailletes. Pastelly colors and vivid prints completed the look dominated by clear shapes and forms. The designer herself speaks of winterly landscapes, of snowflakes dancing in the light. Indeed, the lightness of her designs is what stands out. And I’d love one of those easygoing shorts with snowflake-prints!!

Designer: Alina Botea

Designer: Alina Botea

Designer: Alina Botea

Designer: Alina Botea

But there was still more to come. Andreea Musat showed a lot of feminine must-haves. It fits perfectly into the so often praised jet set of the 1970s-look which inevitably will become le dernier cri for the coming season. And a warm camel, beige and brown always flatters a girl’s tan. Combining this with a fifties’ swingin’ attitude and soft materials, it’s the kind of outfit you wear when you are light-hearted. Belts structure the silhouette at waists’ height. Soft layering allows skirt, cardigan and scarf transcendent into that playful look, that we truly adore. Elle magazine already praised the designs of the young lady by 2008 making her winner of the award ‘Best Young Designer’ in Romania.

Designer: Andreea Musat

Designer: Andreea Musat

Very edgy: A huge LIKE goes to the collection of Lucian Broscatean. Where shape dominates, there is no room for playing with colors. Broscatean seems to master the art of cutting and taking the idea of conventional shapes for typical items ad absurdum. With wool or cashmere, he fabricates dresses and coats. Or were those dresses and coats in one? It does remind me of Japanese styles, or the Margiela-type of design for the intellectually buying fashionista. In fact, it is no wonder that the name and inspiration of the collection is referred to a “closed garden” of hyper technology. The individual inside this environment is wrapped into Lucians “protective and spiritual layers”. A shirt will be cut and re-arranged in strange manner, and so does the designer show what creative destruction can be in a fashion context. The Designer already received various awards and prizes in the past.

Designer: Lucian Broscatean

Designer: Lucian Broscatean

Designer: Lucian Broscatean

A summary? Feminism dominates, women win over girls and you see a lot of leg in dark tights! And yes, Romanian fashion rocks!

Yours, Tana-Maria Schächtele.