EDGY ELEGANCE
Bebelplatz, Mitte
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Berlin
July 4th, 2009
18:00
Words Judith Ecochard
Runway Images Courtesy of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week
and J. Ecochard
Kai Künhe has managed to create womenswear that firmly ranks right up there with other sophisticated designers …and is one of the few German fashion veterans to succeed on both sides of the Atlantic under his own eponymous label.
Appropriately, Kühne ended the official Mercedes Benz Fashion Week runways shows with a well edited grouping of very modern clothing for young and older women.
The show began with techno pop music keeping the beat for models with slicked back hair, tuning the world out…via headphones,
or MAYBE from out of this world…wearing contact lenses that might have been left over from the movie Twilight---vampire-like.
Ah, so Berlin, we thought of that David Bowie/Brian Eno phase when we were growing up.
The first few looks- slim silhouetted dresses, and separates (strapless bodices, skirts, short shorts) were works of fit perfection, with bands, straps, cutouts, geometric seams... revealing skin and enhancing the female form/curves of the body----- but never vulgar. Very 21st Century…and polished.
It brought to mind 90’s Versace and Leger who evolved the concept of bondage dresses straight outta the world of S&M.
PLUS: Sculptural heels and the black/white/gray tones that seem to deepen the ‘feel’ of the sumptuous textiles.
The second half of the show, we felt, displayed looks that would appeal to an older clientele and/or professional women who need to cover up a bit. A shiny silvery pencil skirt with a sharp, cap sleeve white blouse, draped folds on white trousers with a to the hip fitted matching jacket that balanced the ensemble, a sparkling spring coat over a high waist leather skirt, and a sharp, embossed black leather skirt suit… all managed to be sexy and appropriate.
And expensive---- as the fabrics were luxe and the tailoring obviously done in Europe by skilled hands. No puckered seams, hanging threads, models fitted to their outfits.
Accessories were few…sunglasses, oversized necklaces…
ADDED PLUS: The soundtrack of Karen Carpenter crooning “We’ve Only Just Begun” for the finale.
Loved the sentiment but we thought how ironic that one of our favorite singers tragically died from an eating disorder ---with all the hype about models starving themselves to be the right sized, living hangars for clothes.
