Atelier About made its Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin debut with the most politically charged show of the season. Berlin SWAT police are an increasingly common sight on the streets these days, and their uniform was mimicked in the first look to hit the runway: an oversized, broad chested bomber, black pants and a balaclava. The federal emblem of the German eagle appeared upside-down on the front of a white T-shirt, bleeding red thread.
“We want to challenge the culture of fear and call for more love,” Giulio d’Alessio, one half of the Italian, Berlin-based design duo, said. “Hate can only be countered with an acceptance of other cultures, which is why we included the Middle-Eastern Keffiyeh scarf in some of our looks.”
Atelier About’s male and female urban warriors were kitted out in Army vests with oversized pockets, camouflage backpacks and even grenade holders — a truly scary and not particularly love-filled fashion accessory.