Germany is the biggest fashion superpower

Germany is the biggest fashion superpower
Germany is the biggest fashion superpower
Anonim

Interesting questions were raised the other day by businessoffashion.com, according to which Germany is one of the largest consumers of the fashion world in Europe, which does not necessarily mean that the country has a place at the forefront of the international fashion world. According to the paperwork, Germany could become a fashion capital like New York, London, Milan or Paris without any obstacles. According to the latest Euromonitor data, the country with Europe's largest national economy is the continent's largest consumer of clothing and footwear, not to mention that there are ten fashion schools in Berlin alone, and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is also held here, as well as five other key fashion events and fair annually.

Businesses related to fashion have mushroomed in the big cities of the country of 80 million people; There are 3,670 companies of this type in Berlin, 2,670 in Munich, 2,220 in Hamburg, and 1,910 in Cologne, according to surveys by the Berlin Partner for Business and Technology. In addition, the country is also home to many luxury brands such as Hugo Boss, Escada or Jil Sander, but sportswear brands such as Adidas or Puma were also founded here, and Germany is also the largest buyer of the behemoth H&M. in Europe.

And yet, Germany does not have a significant influence on the development of international fashion. While New York, London, Paris and Milan are considered global fashion capitals, the same cannot be said of Berlin, Hamburg, Munich or Cologne. "Germany has never really had big brands and names. Of course there is Karl Lagerfeld, although I wouldn't call him German as he is more French than German. Of course there are German designers, but none of them is a German Donna Karan or another similarly big name in the industry," says Martin Premuzic, manager of the Temporary Showroom, which embraces up-and-coming German and international designers.

“We have German roots, but I would rather call the brand a global brand. Most of our revenues come from outside Germany," said Megha Mittal, president and managing director of Escada, who says that German brands do not have such a long history and rarely trade with the professionalism typical of Germans. Like Escada, Hugo Boss is also present at key international venues such as New York Fashion Week, and the brand even signed American creative directors in the form of Daniel Wingate and Jason Wu for greater success. And Lagerfeld has become synonymous with Chanel in recent decades, but he presents himself to the world only as "European".

Many designers dream of international success in Berlin
Many designers dream of international success in Berlin

"The attractiveness of Germany is not only due to the extremely talented designers, but also, for example, fashion photographers, who, like designers, tend to leave the country for more inspiring environments such as Paris, London or New York, where they can gain international recognition," he concluded. the problem was addressed by the fashion director of Harper's Bazaar Germany, Kai Margrander, who cited Karl Lagerfeld, Bottega Veneta's creative director Tomas Maier and the famous fashion photographer Jürgen Teller as examples.

Another reason for the country's almost zero influence can be found in the simplicity of German taste. With a few notable exceptions (Hugo Boss, Jil Sander, Escada), Germany is in the middle, which can probably be attributed to the aging of the country's population. Germany has one of the lowest birth rates in the European Union. It is a fact that it is home to many big fashion brands, but it is also a fact that you hear almost nothing about them in the fashion world.

The German designer Gerry Weber's brand, for example, is considered one of the hundred biggest brands in the world, thanks to which it is mentioned on the same page as Hermès and Prada. The Bavarian S. Oliver and New Yorker brands are headquartered in Braunschweig, and their annual turnover exceeds one billion euros. Although most of their collections are sold domestically, both companies also have a global store network, but they have not yet managed to break into the American or British markets.

“It's a rich country, but they're quite conservative when it comes to fashion. This can probably be attributed to the Prussian work concept and ethical way of life. That's why more elegant, but less "fashionable" things are sold. Germans spend their money on cars rather than on couture pieces," Adriano Sack, style editor of the German Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag, summed up the situation.

“There is a kind of prejudice, which is also true, Germans like wearable clothes that have a function. This can also be attributed to the fact that they prefer safe stuff in stores as well. "Germans don't spend as much time shopping for clothes as others," says Martin Premuzic, who believes that this phenomenon can also be observed among the customers who come to his store. can also be attributed to events and the development of German history.

Five times more people exhibit in Berlin than in 2007
Five times more people exhibit in Berlin than in 2007

According to Kai Margrander, the country is still divided in two, there is a frugal northern part and a richer southern part, and this fragmentation also affects the smooth functioning of the country. The head of Harper's Bazaar strangely blames the lack of cohesion for the neglect of international fashion goals and the lack of German designers who can be sold abroad.

“Maybe the situation would be different if the German fashion industry finally managed to focus on one city, such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich or Düsseldorf. Maybe then it would be more likely to be internationally recognized. We are still very far from the final solution. We should find out what we really focus on. I am sure that the dark period of the Nazi rule is also responsible for this. Before they came to power in 1933, Berlin was truly one of the world's greatest fashion capitals. The city was characterized by a wild, decadent nightlife, whose extravagant style was recognized on the international stage, just as German Vogue was successful for a short time in the late twenties. This liberal spirit was wiped out by the Nazis. Jewish shops were closed or their owners were forced to leave the country. The liberal-minded creative and intellectual elite had to restrain themselves. The country is still recovering from this huge cultural loss, the wounds of which have still not healed, said Margrander.

So fashion simply doesn't work in Germany like it does in France or Italy, but there are encouraging signs that things are moving in the right direction. Berlin now attracts creative communities like a magnet. Since the first Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in 2007, the number of fashion shows and fairs has increased almost fivefold. Berlin Partner welcomes 600-800 fashion designers to the city, whose businesses the city government wants to support with 75 million euros. "Berlin is the creative epicenter of the country. The city is full of inspiring energy and diverse creative opportunities, which provide the perfect home for emerging and experienced designers alike," said a spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin.

Local designers are considered conservative
Local designers are considered conservative

"There is something very rigid in German fashion houses, which is almost the opposite of the frivolous French style," stated Suzy Menkes, the editor of international Vogue, who added that the selection has also weakened globally in the recent period, which is why this is still it could even be a big moment for the Germans to enter the market. This is contradicted by the fact that the really big names never present at Berlin Fashion Week, while Hugo Boss, for example, is trying to gain a foothold in New York, the country's other big designer, Kostas Murkudis, did not want to present in Berlin either. "I'm not really a fan of domestic self-branding, and besides, there's no real competition in the city. I prefer to present on the international catwalk," the designer told Der Spiegel.

Currently, the fashion schools in Berlin do not enjoy much international recognition either. One of the city's most important international fairs, Bread & Butter, for example, may not even be held in January, as there were not enough exhibitors to participate in the market. In contrast, Berlin is home to many pioneering brands, including Darklands, where you can get clothes from designers such as Alexandre Plokkhov, Raf Simons x Sterling Ruby, Andreas Murkudis, but the Schöneberg area in the north is also full of galleries and collections of contemporary furniture designers. Among the emerging brands, the works of Tillmann Lauerbach and Augustin Teboul are also very popular.

“The new generation, young creatives are currently busy developing their own brands. It obviously takes time, said Berlin-based fashion designer Marina Hoermanseder, who believes that it will not be easy to develop such a modest, rigid and socially conscious city into a strong, internationally recognized fashion city.

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