MBFW 2018 went into its second round – and succeeded!
From 2 to 5 July 2018, MBFW Spring/Summer 2019 took place at ewerk Berlin. It was the second event in the new format.
In 2018 we reported on MBFW’s second edition in the new format. What remains? A fashion week that didn’t just cater to invited guests but took the forecourt, young designers and a public programme seriously.
- MBFW Spring/Summer 2019 took place at ewerk Berlin from 2 to 5 July 2018.
- After the pre-opening by Guido Maria Kretschmer, Riani and three German newcomers presented their collections.
- The Berlin Senate and MBFW have been working together to support Berlin designers since 2008.
- Shows were broadcast onto the forecourt via an LED screen.
- BOTTER appeared as part of the Mercedes-Benz Next Generation Programme IDEP.
Fashion weeks often suffer from the problem of looking bigger on the outside than on the inside. Lots of doors, lots of lists, lots of distance. The MBFW in July 2018 at ewerk Berlin struck a different note. The old youDRESSED article told the story of the second event in the new format and of a programme that wasn’t just about names but about structure: established designers, newcomers, the public, and a framework that refused to hide fashion behind closed doors.
From 2 to 5 July 2018, MBFW Spring/Summer 2019 unfolded. The Dutch duo Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh kicked things off. After the pre-opening by Guido Maria Kretschmer, labels including Riani and three German newcomers showcased their collections. That the Berlin Senate and MBFW had been collaborating since 2008 to promote Berlin designers was no footnote – it gave the event more weight than mere seasonal communication.
Fashion as stage, not as a closed circle
Katja Ohly-Nauber, Head of Marketing Communication Mercedes-Benz Cars Germany, summed up the ambition in one sentence: the brand would consistently focus on supporting fashion in the German-speaking world and create the MBFW as the right showcase platform for designers and brands. Yes, that’s PR language. But in the context of the original article it mattered because the programme wanted to make that claim visible.
Under the motto “FOLLOW MBFW – LIBERATE FASHION” the ewerk opened its doors to the public. The shows were streamed live on an LED screen onto the forecourt so that Berliners and trade-fair visitors could watch in real time. Between the catwalks the programme featured fashion films, designer interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. Public yoga classes and the food market “The Good Local” rounded off the day. It sounds like mere fringe events, yet it sent a clear signal: fashion was not meant to stay inside the hall.
The strongest idea of MBFW 2018 was not a dress. It was the attempt to take fashion out of the closed room.
BOTTER and the beauty of ambivalence
The 2018 Mercedes-Benz Young Designer Programme (IDEP) gave the Dutch label a stage. Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh had already wowed the Hyères Festival with their “Fish or Fight” collection. The original copy describes it as a homage to the beauty and ambivalence of the Caribbean, the designers’ shared roots.
The accompanying imagery was anything but neutral: inflatable fish on the models’ heads, vivid fishing nets over elaborate cuts, fashion oscillating between colour, elegance and ease. That very friction made the collection compelling. It was not merely pretty; it told stories of origin, material and the tension between play and gravity.
Why this look back is more than event chronicle
In the archive the article reads like a snapshot from a time when fashion events had to explain why they mattered. MBFW pursued three answers: nurturing new talent, widening access and rethinking staging. That formula still holds water today. An event is more than a date on the calendar only if it brings people together, shifts visibility and does not treat fresh names as mere decoration.
Of course the piece is anchored in its season. Spring/Summer 2019 is history, the shows are over, the forecourt is back to everyday life. Yet the question behind it remains: how open can a fashion week be without losing its edge? MBFW 2018 tried to give a confident answer.
The public element was no afterthought
At fashion events the fringe programme is often treated as window dressing. In the original MBFW article it felt different. Streaming the shows onto the forecourt, the films, interviews and making-of sequences made the day legible even for those not seated in the front row. That is not just a nicety. It changes who fashion belongs to.
Of course a Fashion Week is curated, selective and staged. But it can decide whether to seal itself off or at least crack open a window. MBFW 2018 chose the window approach. For young designers that matters because visibility is not created only inside the hall. It also happens with those who pause, watch and hear a name for the first time.
The food market and yoga classes almost slipped by in the original text. Yet they speak of an event that wanted to create a sense of place. People were not supposed to come, watch and leave. They were meant to stay. That is what separates an event from a mere show schedule.
Looking back, the venue matters too. Berlin’s ewerk carries industrial heritage and gives fashion a different tension than a neutral showroom. Between raw concrete, light and audience, collections feel less remote. For a fashion week that claims openness, that was the right setting.
When you rank such luxury, size is not the only measure. What counts is whether space, calm and material truly align.
Quick Answers
▸When did MBFW take place?
The MBFW Spring/Summer 2019 featured in the article ran from 2 to 5 July 2018 at ewerk in Berlin.
▸What made BOTTER special?
The label presented its “Fish or Fight” collection, a Caribbean-inspired line featuring fish motifs, nets, and a blend of colour, elegance, and effortless style.
▸Why was the LED screen important?
It broadcast the shows onto the forecourt, making the Fashion Week visible to Berliners and trade-fair visitors who weren’t seated inside the hall.
