In come the Germans....

A couple of weeks ago, a picture in the newspaper of porcelain models strutting down the isle of a subway train, caught my attention. The words ‘German’ and ‘fashion’ are scarcely associated with one another yet here was an article about the recent Berlin Fashion Week. This aroused a lot of curiosity, especially since my mother is a fully fledged German - What is the fashion industry actually like in Germany?

I had never considered Germans as being awfully fashionable, judging by photos of uncles clad in safari suits, sandals with socks and RayBandz, marveling at the bushvelt. Travel gear aside however, their day-to-day style appears to be very continental with their preference leaning toward simple, yet well-tailored basics with a classical touch.

As it turns out, the youth of Germany have merged together and created a fascinating street culture. Style bloggers patrol the cobble stone streets of Germany’s high end fashion districts in search of outstanding outfits that are fresh and exceptional in cut. Styleclicker, one of Germany’s most popular fashion blogs, records over 2000 visitors a day. Run by Gunnar Hammerle and his brother, they capture true individualism by posting a wide variety of uniquely dressed individuals. Gunnar says that those featured are ‘not accountable to anyone but their own taste…therefore stlyeclicker has its own style.’

On the other side of German fashion lies internationally acclaimed designers who have a sharp eye for elegance and detail, often characterized by a classic-chic air. A personal favorite, Kaviar Gauche, renounced for their exquisite bags, shoes and woman’s clothes, are ranked as one of the ten most important German designers. Kaviar Gauche have also won the 2006 ‘New Generation Fashion Award’ at Berlin Fashion Week plus the ‘ON OFF Visionary Award’ at London Fashion Week, not to mention a string of opulent nominations. Their collections are stocked in elite stores such as LE66 in Paris, Question Air, London, Wut in Tokyo and Loverslane in Zurich. To top it all off, Kaviar Gauche have also adorned the likes of style icon Lady Gaga and Florence Welch. This is just one of the 48 top German designers I counted!

So, enthralled by bits and pieces of German fashion as seen on the internet, I have decided to locate my own fashion correspondent in Germany; someone from whom I can stream exclusive fashion information, interesting news and lots of pictures, snapped straight off the streets. The opportunity in Europe for young South Africans is immense, especially since we home such rich talent in the fashion industry…So let’s see what we can do!