Exceptions to the Rule Shine in a Patchy Berlin Fashion Week Runway Line-up

BERLIN — Scaled back and almost dominated by midmarket brands, the runway action at Berlin Fashion Week, which ended here Friday, didn’t pack all that much of a punch. The return of Hugo Boss to the German capital with a large-scale Hugo Rave added some big-time flair to the proceedings, but a growing number of Germany’s edgier and more interesting talents have chosen to sit out Berlin this season.

Patchy as it was, the overall picture in Berlin can be said to reflect the German market’s bipolar reality. It is an industry primarily populated by commercial brands searching but also frequently resisting a more contemporary identity. Nonetheless, and in more intimate shows and presentations than usual this season, heavy-hitters like Marc Cain and Laurèl seemed to be heading in a more sophisticated and cleaned-up direction for spring 2019.