Impressions from the Fashion Week: IT couture in trends

Berlin fashion is always a special way of being. It might not be as glamorous as in Paris or Milan or bold like in New York City, but it has its own branding and can be easily recognized by the knowledgeable eye. With the Fashion Week in the making the last days, I decided to pay attention to something more specific, beyond the usual catwalks presentations (not that I don't like it). My evening journey lead me to the Microsoft Eatery special presetation, the Bikini Berlin pop-up stores and ended up in my favourite shopping place in the West: KaDeWe.

At the Digital Eatery on Unter den Linden, a special experiment was in the making: an exhibition of fashion items inspired by the IT industry. As my last extensive fashion experience covered the green side of the fashion, I was curious to find out what it is about in this case: From the entrance, I was welcomed by necklaces and rings inspired by the neuronal system. Totally unexpected, I may confess.

The aim of the event was to award the best fashion projects inspired by tech. The approach is part of a larger city branding idea labelling Berlin as both an IT and fashion center of the world. In its advantage is playing the (still) affordability and good location as well as the various incentives given by the local authorities. 

As for the host of the evening, the Microsoft Office in Berlin, it shows another example of smart adaptation to the needs of the city. The Digital Eatery - that I visited two years ago, when was a fresh entry in the foodie landscape of the centrre of Berlin - tries to turn into a creative brain-storming venue - an art exhibition inspired by Excel tables will be open soon as well as series of seminaries dedicated to the transatlatic relations. 

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The projects nominated covered a lot of medical applications - such as the emergency apparel by Katharina Boedies, featuring a jacket with a button that can help you get the first aid, activity tracker for kids (Dongji), special cloth item aimed to help the patients with dementia (Spur by Julia Danckwerth that received one of the first prizes). The fashionable distance control jacket (in image) by Gabriel Platt is another ingenious combination of practical ideas and fashion: the jacket helps the woman wearing it to prevent a possible attack, by issuing a high voltage wave. 

Fashion-wise, I did find fascinating all the projects combining technology and elegance, such as the warm scarf by ElektroCouture (what you need in Berlin during the long cold winters) or my favourite, the various IT displays from the collection of Veronika Aumann. The other winner of the first prize, Mi.Mu team for gloves for music is another SciFi dream come true: motor bike style half-finger gloves that can control the from short distance various instruments and sounds. More high-tech than fashion, but still incredible in terms of achievement.

The jury deliberation time was filled in with a special music and visual art moment offered by Parasite Single.

After the ceremony was over, I finally had the time and space to have another look over the projects. There are so many smart ideas in the air, but I am still a big fan of classy examples. But if you can add some smart colourful circuits to your elegant night gown, why not?

The next day, I continued the search for new samples of fashion at Bikini Berlin, a shopping destination that I visit quite often. Special preparations were made for the Fashion week too, such as a big wooden skeleton where people can share on post it notes various impressions about fashion.

Most of the shops here are pop-up stores and thus I have always new reasons to pay a visit. This bag made of photo films literally took my breath away. Call it creative feelings.

 What about this beautiful dress, combining Oriental silks with canvas inspiration?

 Or this beautiful pastel paintings of a jacket?

 The pop-up stores abound in samples of creativity, from shape-changing jewellery to various head coverings and lots of dresses.

 If I would have been on a shopping mission, would have had a lot of pain to make the right choice.

There are not only the products displayed who are interesting, but also the entire design setting which is attractive.

The next stop: the KaDeWe, where the lobby is covered in beautiful flowers and stylish dresses. Most of the designers belong to the Made in Berlin brand.

 Out of all the fashion samples I saw in the last days, here is where there are the most wearable options. 

As for now, I am just a visitor and a passionate photographer, trying to catch the grace and elegance for a blog post. The creative brain storm of the last days gave me a lot of inspiration though that I hope to better use one day. 

A foreigner at the KaDeWe food court

Highly impressed after my last foodie and discovery trip to France and before a gorgeous trip to London - with many foodie adventures scheduled, I wanted to see what is going on on the German counter. And, for the moment, I decided to explore the closest spot, the famous KaDeWe, on a Tuesday afternoon. 

As usual, the place was full of tourists, many trying to get the full advantage of the sales for many luxury brands hosted in the place that used to be the only symbol of capitalism in the divided Berlin. It remains an important top-notch place nowadays, competing only with another high-end place, the Galeries Lafayette, at Friedrichstrasse. I know the both places quite well now, and I will always prefer the Galeries, not necessarily because too French, but due to the better quality of the products and of the customer service (one of the biggest problems in Germany, in my opinion).

Sophisticated and intellectual visitors, don't worry that you will waste of time and your money in a temple of consummerism. There are always some surprises left for the art lovers - unless you consider the high-end fashion brands such samples too. Regularly, the KaDeWe hosts exhibitions, fashion-related but going beyond the retail mass production level. 

The food counter is situated at the 6th flour. It includes a lot of restaurants - many of them selling specific food represented in the shopping area - Thai, fish-based, sweets. The prices are relatively high, and the usual outlook is of a fast food counter. Noblesse oblige, especially when it comes to eating in such a historical place. You can find a lot of products - from sweets to regional wines and oils, fresh fish and vegetables and exotic fruits. There are good sweets and French pastry, and even there were some fresh good cakes for the end of the first day of Ramadan. You can spend easily more than one hour wandering through boxes and flavours, but you will rarely find someone asking you if you need some help or if you are specifically looking for something. If you ask, you will be helped, otherwise, feel free to explore!

You can find fresh fish, but also already smoked and prepared - some pineapple and smoked salmon little sandwiches were looking very tasty.

The most pleasant part is presenting oils and spices, from all over the world, but mostly produced by German companies. I could not resist to buy some new aromated salts and spices blends.

When I arrived in this little French paradise I wanted to test some little pieces of chocolate, but there was nothing offered. Wanted to ask some of the ladies moving around, but did not feel encouraged by any smile. At the end, I ordered something on my own, and needed to move from a part to another to order after to pay. One of the lady who served me did not feel bother when I requested to change the piece of cake she not only touched with her hands, but let it slide on the counter. After all, I was in one of the most expensive places in Berlin and I was at the famous Le Notre shop and the service was worst than at a 1 Euro fast-food.

 I loved to find so many 'exotic' ideas and food suggestions, such this mixture of various spices ready for preparing your own cocktail. One day I want to try it.

The happiest counter was arranged by Cointreau. There were free drinks offered and the corner was decorated to look as a Tahiti island.

 Post-Ramadan cookies were waiting for the end of the first day of fasting. The products were not as fresh as at 10 o'clock in the morning, but pretty tasty for a late afternoon spicy coffee.

The overseas fruits, not an exquisite selection, after all, were over priced. In fact, there are many products available at KaDeWe that can be found in the regular super markets at very convenient prices. I did buy some Thai mangosteen and was also tempted by the fresh looking pitthaya. 

Germany is famous for the diversity of bread products. At the KaDeWe there were many luxury products created for special customers: caviar bread, most probably sought by many of the Russian customers visiting the place regularly. 

Lebanese wines are only one of the specialities of the wine section. There are hundreds of types, from the classical Loire Valley and Italian wines, to the Hungarian sweet Tokay and the Mediterranean flavours. 

Everything is very clean and somehow looks like a hospital or a museum entrance. People are coming and going, picking up their food and paying. Not too much conversation in between or openness to share too much information about the diverse products presented/

 Home-made pastas are mostly made in Italy and have different shapes and are prepared according to various recipes.

The meat is not only made in Germany, but also from Austria, especially from Tirol. Everything look fresh, this is all I can say about this section that is not tempting for me at all.

I loved to be there and to explore the products and the tastes and I returned at home with a couple of new spices I can't wait to taste. Compared to Galleries Lafayette the space is less organized and there are a lot of second-hand quality products introduced as luxury - especially at the Thai counter or a the Canadian counter where you can find a lot of American products. However, I tried to appease my relative disappointment with a longer visit at the clothing areas and forgot instantly all my previous disagreements. The KaDeWe remains a great place to visit and shop, after all.