Frankfurt’s got fashion fever

Already known for their impeccable fashion sense, Frankfurt’s citizens are wearing an additional ‘fashion week glow’ at the moment. The website of Frankfurt Fashion Lounge, the biggest of the 35 event organizers of Frankfurt Fashion Week, has already reached more than millions of clicks. René Storck’s opening show at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange was a genuinely spectacular event. It was followed on the other Fashion Week days by further impressive shows featuring the participating designers’ and artists’ trends and labels – all made in Frankfurt. The entire city is radiating in the fashion glow. And there are even more programme highlights to come before Fashion Week ends on Sunday.

Internationally famous fashion designer René Storck opened the Frankfurt Fashion Week with a défilé on the German Stock Exchange’s historical trading floor. He presented his Resort 2023 Collection at the location in Frankfurt – his home city – where stock brokers normally conduct their trades. The Frankfurt Stock Exchange’s trading floor provided the perfect symbiosis of business location, financial centre and trend-setting fashion forum.

The Frankfurt Fashion Lounge presented the collections of young designers at numerous fashion show venues on Tuesday, saving up the creations of Albercht Ollendiek and his ‘Le Temps Èphémére’ couture show as the grand finale at the venerable Carmelite monastery on Tuesday evening. Finest fabrics, subtle colours and sophisticated details all featured in the famous Frankfurt designer’s collection, which was accoladed by the press, influencers, and guests from the worlds of politics and business.

On Wednesday the Frankfurt Fashion Lounge showcased the collections of the young and talented designers in the Fashion Designer Mentoring Programme that was initiated by Sevinc Yerli and is supported by Wirtschaftsförderung Frankfurt, the Rhine-Main Tailors’ Guild and August Pfüller Fashion Concept. The young designers presented their fashion pieces on the rooftop of the Sofitel Frankfurt Opera. The mentoring programme focuses on supporting talented designers who specialise in the production of sustainable fashions.

City Councillor Stephanie Wüst summed up all the positives so far: “There’s a special atmosphere in the air. Frankfurt has raised its profile as a fashion city and a creative hub. All of the shows, big and small, delivered some incredible images. Our Frankfurt creative industry is an important sector of the economy that clearly shows how much creative potential exists in Frankfurt, especially when we combine their creativity with the exhibition company’s international know-how. Fashion Week’s visibility goes far beyond the borders of Frankfurt and Hesse into the international realm.”

Oliver Schwebel, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Frankfurt, is proud of his team and everyone else involved: “We’re still finding it hard to believe that our team managed to put on a programme of this calibre within such a short space of time. More than 100 events, including some real fashion highlights, speak for themselves. Citizens of Frankfurt who are interested in fashion definitely shouldn’t miss out on Fashion Week. Many of the events can be attended without advance registration and are free of charge.”

Programme and highlights

There’s something for everyone – from inspiration for a new business outfit for bankers to the latest street style trends for skaters and their fans – at SKTWK, which is being held in conjunction with Fashion Week. Sustainable fashions for mindful male and female consumers, plus interesting insights into our city’s creative centres at the open studio events hosted by the exhibiting designers and artists at venues across the entire city. Entrance is free of charge. Here is a selection of the events being hosted: Leonid Matthias will be presenting his Digital Catwalk Collection at his own studio, the apfelgrün label is opening its design studio doors, ‘made by miko’ is presenting a capsule collection and vernissage at its premises on  Eckenheimer Landstrasse and KULTUROTHEK is showcasing shirts according to the slogan of ‘Aloha Hesse and Rheingau’ and last, but not least, a pop-up store will be opening in Bergen-Enkheim for Fashion Week on the theme of FASHION MEETS ART by HE:IDI and Irmgard Marx.

Upcycling instead of recycling is the motto this Thursday and Friday at the Uni Campus Westend, the venue for Fair Fashion Days with a workshop and clothes swap party.

And there are naturally several more fashion shows to come, such as a Highest Fashion event organised by the Born This Way agency on Radio Frankfurt’s skyline deck, including a fashion presentation by Wioleta Psiuk and a live concert by Ana Kohler.

Bespoke tailor Stephan Görner and bridal fashion designer Semiha Bähr will be showcasing their pieces at a Faces of Frankfurt fashion show presented by some famous Frankfurt faces – Laura Karasek, Germany’s Next Top Model winner Kim Hnizdo, ex-professional boxer Sven Ottke and many others. The show starts at 7 pm on Thursday at the ‘Welle’ in Frankfurt’s Westend district.

Famous Frankfurt designer Anja Gockel will be presenting her new ‘Weltgewand(t)’ Collection at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof on Thursday and Friday. Entry to the shows is with accreditation only.

On Saturday Samuel Gärtner is putting on another fashion show at MyZeil. After the show it’s worth visiting the Lab 106 exhibition, which is open on all days of Frankfurt Fashion Week. And to finish up, head over to Skatepark am Osthafen for the live SKTWK Award Show.

A ‘CATRUN with finissage’ on the subject of sustainability through recycling by designer Liu Xue brings the Frankfurt Fashion Week to a close on Sunday. Fashion and art enthusiasts are very welcome to call in at the Montez Family’s Art Club at 1 pm and 3 pm to see the catwalk performances by former Städel School students. Advance registration isn’t necessary.

Check out the calendar for an overview of all the Frankfurt Fashion Week events.