Shopping Berlin’s Fashion Week

Twice a year, Berlin steels itself for the onslaught of international collection buyers, up-and-coming fashion designers, fashionista wannabes and subpar models, known, in recent times, as the Berlin Fashion Week.

Beginning on Sunday, Jan. 27, and running through Feb. 3, it’s that time again.

To be fair, Berlin’s fashion week has grown impressively, along with its nascent scene. Until recently, the city boasted two of Europe’s major fashion trade fairs – Premium and Bread & Butter – and, last summer, Mercedes-Benz and the fashion event organizer IMG climbed on board in an effort to lend Berlin the establishment cred IMG had given New York and the Fashion Fringe Festival in London. Though major collections have yet to be shown in Berlin, Hugo Boss did show on Sunday, and Joop! and Zac Posen will show this week as well.

Most fashion week events are invite only. But though the catwalk shows and Prosecco-sipping nights might be off limits to most visitors, shopping certainly shouldn’t be, so I decided to compile a list of top spots in Berlin.

And though I admit to being a bit of a clotheshorse, I certainly don’t admit to having much taste, or knowing where to get the good stuff. So I went ahead and asked my friend Julia Winkels, a marketing and communications guru for the Berlin creative agency Circleculture Cc:, to give me her top five places to shop in the city’s Mitte district – featuring designers from Copenhagen to Tokyo and, of course, Berlin. Below are her answers:

1. WoodWood – Rochstrasse 4, 10178 Berlin (map)
“Urban fashion from Copenhagen,” says Julia. “It was their first store outside Copenhagen, and opened approximately 1 year ago. WoodWood became cult after only 12 months.”

2. Lil’ Shop – Brunnenstrasse 184, 10119 Berlin (map)
“The former Comme des Garcons guerilla shop, it’s now a style boutique offering a great selection of Comme des Garcons items, vintage NIke sneakers and the famous uslu airlines cosmetic products,” she says. The store itself is pretty nifty, as are the people working there, who are unusually friendly and well-informed. I mean, Uslu Airlines?

Lil Shop on Brunnenstrasse

3. Blush – Rosa Luxemburg Strasse 22, 10178 Berlin (map)

”Bedroom paradise…. Stylish lingerie for urban girls,” says Julia. Not much to add to that one.

4. Andreas Murkudis AM1 and AM 2 - Münzstr.21, 10178 Berlin (map)
“Super stylish concept stores in a typical Berlin backyard,” she says. “AM 1 and AM 2 offer a great selection of Martin Margiela, Kostas Murkudis, Schiesser and home/living items by E15.” A must for Berlin trend-shoppers, Murkudis has become one of the city’s most tasteful and well-curated shops. And though it requires a little bit of searching, the effort is worth it.

5. Starstyling – Mulackstrasse 4, 10119 (map)
“Everything in here is handmade and unique. From customized t-shirts to colorful scarf and knitted accessories,” says Julia. “This is Berlin.” Or, as their web site puts it, Starstyling’s founders “effortlessly flaunt the city’s dynamic creativity and quirky attitude through their design.”