Berlin Fashion Week (BFW) took place last week amid an unrelenting heatwave. But the sweltering heat did little to dampen spirits in a city known for its resilience. In both temperature and talent, it was one of BFW’s hottest seasons yet.
“I think we’re starting to see the effect of a positive cycle, which we projected a few seasons ago,” says Scott Lipinski, CEO of organiser Fashion Council Germany (FCG). “If we curate the right brands, it attracts the right press and buyers, which attracts new brands to want to present during Berlin Fashion Week.”
The international guest list continued to grow this season, with new faces including the likes of stylist and influencer Declan Chan, journalist and blogger Susanna Lau, and Italian designer Stefano Pilati.
“The international attendance is very strong,” says Palmwine Icecream founder Kusi Kubi, who is based between Accra, Ghana, and London. Spring/Summer 2026 marked the designer’s second time showing in Berlin. “I think Berlin is definitely on the map — and that’s very exciting for the future of BFW.”
Here, we break down three key takeaways from BFW SS26.
International ambitions
In addition to more international attendees, the schedule this season featured some exciting BFW debuts. In addition to GmbH, which showed for the third time in Berlin, London-based David Koma, Nigerian brand Orange Culture, Ugandan brand Buzigahill and Berlin-based Ottolinger joined the show schedule, while London-based designer Mowalola hosted a pop-up and afterparty.
Orange Culture injected some colour into BFW with a collection in Regenesis fabrics (made from recycled consumer waste), handwoven aso-oke, cotton and wool. “One of the things that I loved about showing here is how Berlin is really explorative and very accepting of different cultures and colours, and it’s such a creative city as well,” says founder and creative director Adebayo Oke-Lawal backstage. “I was excited to show somewhere where they’re used to blacks and whites, and to bring my own spin of colour and introduce our culture and stories.”