Over recent decades, Berliner style has been an extended love letter to anti-fashion, characterised by techno clubwear, various subcultures and a disdain for luxury. Arrive in the German capital from most major cities around the world, and you’ll likely feel overdressed for the occasion. But more recently, a shift has begun. Berlin is smartening up; a new affair with classic tailoring is starting to permeate the wardrobes of its residents.
The shift coincides with the German economy’s stagnation and unemployment rising to its highest in 12 years. Often termed ‘recession core’, a smarter and more conservative style can be seen prevailing worldwide. While some countries have managed to dodge official recession status, a cost-of-living crisis remains an internationally common theme. Fashion is once again reflecting the general financial times, from the long-standing ‘hemline index’, observing that skirts get longer during economic decline, to the more recently coined ‘quiet luxury’, describing clothing that is high-quality and less flashy than the attire popular during more prosperous times.
This reflects a kind of ‘growing up’ of the Berlin fashion scene.
Dressing sharply is in the sartorial air. But the story in Berlin, as usual, is slightly different. Berliner style isn’t moving from flashy to understated. Instead, it’s maturing in parallel to Berlin maturing as a city. Once considered a cheap, safe haven for artists and anyone diverging from societal norms, Berlin may still be relatively affordable compared to other European capitals. But as a new arrival, you’ll more likely find yourself sharing an apartment with people working at a corporate firm than with a performance artist, and also paying handsomely compared to just a few years ago. As Berlin gentrifies post-unification, it’s unsurprising that a more refined style is being ushered in.
Looking at the runway, designers in Berlin agree that a smarter aesthetic prevails, but they also argue that economic anxiety isn’t the sole reason for the shift. Johann Ehrhardt, creative director at Haderlump, is known for experimental silhouettes and sharp tailoring, and at Fashion Week ’26, he delivered a collection inspired by the quintessential femme fatale, Marlene Dietrich. Ehrhardt explains, “With Berlin Fashion Week gaining international visibility in recent years, many young Berlin brands that were once strongly associated with techno or clubwear aesthetics are beginning to reposition themselves. Labels that previously embodied the classic ‘Berlin’ look are increasingly focusing on higher quality, classic tailoring and a more refined look in order to appeal to an international audience and justify higher price points. This reflects a kind of ‘growing up’ of the Berlin fashion scene.”
The rise of tailoring in Berlin is a kind of graduation. The Berliner style was previously less influenced by high-fashion and catwalk trends and the post-Wall city was more insulated from the ’recession core’ trend. Looking back at the last major economic shock in 2008, Berlin was already minimalist and anti-consumerist, and, given the absence of a high-fashion culture, classic tailoring was not firmly on the sartorial radar. But as the city is now more expensive and more international, and as it continues to ‘develop’ in general – including a high fashion scene – dressing down is becoming a privilege that fewer people can afford in financially strained times. When a smarter style is becoming more visible in the city, who wants to be the poorly dressed colleague in the office during a round of redundancies?
Many young Berlin brands that were once strongly associated with techno or clubwear are beginning to reposition themselves.
Johannes Boehl Cronau, the Berlin-based creative director of ioannes, has dressed the likes of Solange, Rihanna, Kali Uchis and Kylie Jenner. He adds another angle, claiming, “What’s happening isn’t really about tailoring. It’s about people reclaiming authorship over how they’re perceived. There’s a fatigue with the performance of trend and what’s emerging is something more considered: dressing as self-knowledge rather than social currency.” In many ways, the Berliner style has become a victim of its own success. As everyone strove to be countercultural, the result has been a pervasive dance to a very identifiable fashion drum that people are starting to rebel against. Boehl Cronau continues to explain that with their FW26 collection, he found himself asking the same question: “What is the archetypal jacket, the archetypal skirt? Not recycling, but refinement. Looking at the ideas from the very beginning with the skill set of now. If Berlin is reaching for something more refined, I’d argue it’s less about economic anxiety and more about a deeper form of self-possession – the step from rawness to refinement.”
Ever a complicated city, Berlin and its style are evolving. You’ll be seeing more tailored looks walking the runway and your neighbourhood, because of the economic climate, sure, but in true Berlin fashion, there’s also so much more beneath the surface.
