Boss: The New Black

Berlin’s outsized reputation as Europe’s party capital serves it well, but the city’s cultural influence goes further than nightlife. In the past decade artists and designers have flocked to the German capital, and, since the 2007 inception of Berlin Fashion Week (an initiative that has attracted many international designers), it’s increasingly becoming a style hub to boot. The latest shows that took place in early July for spring 2011 constituted something of a high-point in BFW's history, with Calvin Klein’s Francisco Costa mounting a multi-line extravaganza (showcasing from the brand’s various diffusion ranges) and Germany’s biggest fashion export, Hugo Boss, luring a bevy of models away from their summer holidays to show its latest collection to editors and celebrities including Jessica Alba and Ewan McGregor. For men, striped suits were paired with contrasting striped shirts and ties; one yacht-ready look featured a navy jacket and white slacks over multiple ginghams (shirt, tie and pocket square). The womenswear included breezy shapes in diaphanous fabrics, accented by chunky coral-branch necklaces and stone-strewn chains. The finale saw Jessica Stam floating down the catwalk in a grey, floor-length dress, embroidered with chain-mail-like metal rings, creating just the right amount of toughness to offset the collection's flowing femininity.