Sex, drugs, black leather, techno. For many, that’s what comes to mind when defining Berlin style.
And that’s true in many cases: Berlin has a history of being one of the more affordable European cities for artists and musicians, thanks to government arts funding. As a hotbed for creative people, the German capital has always fostered prominent fashion styles.
The punk aesthetic has played a large role. It dates back to the ban of punks and punk rock from public spaces in East Berlin in the 1980s, which had something of an unintended effect: the subculture (unsurprisingly) became even more attractive to young people. After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, rave culture flourished as a reaction against the system, and the rise of sex clubs in Berlin in the ’90s popularised fetishwear and bikerwear.
Berlin style is equally anti-authority and practical. Against the backdrop of a tense political environment in Germany, that same rebellious energy can be felt through the city.
Nevertheless, there are many exceptions to the stereotypical Berlin look, and the way people dress can hugely differ depending on the neighbourhood. Vogue Business asked the Berlin fashion community to define Berlin style today.
