He never gets out of his creative spirit. “The next day [after the show at Athens FW in April], I started the new collection, and we’ve already done half of the pieces.” And I gasp. Rarely do you meet a person who breathes with fashion so intensely, and to whom it is a source exclusively of endless joy and inspiration. The positive aura stays with us through the whole interview – Dimitris’ laughter is truly contagious – as we get on our call on a sunny September afternoon, to chat about Hounds of Love, Dimitris’ latest and upcoming collections, and why neither of us would order McDonald’s on a trip abroad.

Dimitris Strepkos was born in 1973 in Germany. Having started working as a styling assistant at the age of fifteen, he chose Costume Design at the University of the Arts London as his major. He followed this path after graduation, devoting himself to scenography and designing costumes for the theatre. But much as he adores it, that wouldn’t cover all the vibrating energy and creative spirit that are within him. No wonder then that he got involved in a variety of additional projects, from editing and preparing catalogues to creating video clips and commercials. In 2009 came high time for high fashion and the launch of his brand, Celebrity Skin. The debut collection, “Tim Burton’s Impossible Nightmare,” got him Best Designer and Best Catwalk awards at Athens Xclusive Designers Week, and started his already 15-year- long journey into the world which he’ll probably never get enough of.

His collections are not to be mistaken for any other designer’s; Strepkos is known for combining seemingly basic forms and colour palettes (blacks, nudes, and whites dominate) with imaginative twists and rich ornaments: “everything is done by hand; there’s no single machine at my atelier. Even if you see a simple bodysuit – there’s so much work in it.” Though calling his signature bodysuits “simple” would be an understatement. Suffice it to say that lovers of sequins, diamonds, and fringe will surely find something yummy there. Strepkos’ latest collection: “Daydreaming. A Poem for Katia,” caught my eye during the last Athens Fashion Week, as it definitely stood out, thanks to the more surrealist approach than the other designers presented (Voir’s report on the show can be found here: https://www.voirfashion.co.uk/post/greek-goddesses-come-to-life-highlights-from- athens-fashion-week/). I ask Dimitris if it wasn’t actually richer than any of his former collections. “After 15 years, people know my brand and my aesthetics, and I can do more expensive and luxurious stuff. That’s why it was so over the top [laughs], extra glamorous, extra extravagant.” And as Strepkos says, the inspiration behind his crystal masks, embroidered bodysuits, and layers and layers of tulle are the sensations of everyday life: “I don’t follow trends, I do rather avant-garde items. … I’m a huge art lover – so art is the first inspiration. I love … to see museums, exhibitions, … to read books, go to the theatre, see movies. Secondly, when I travel, I see things, hear music, taste different foods of every country I travel to. All of this gets inside me – and then I create.”

What is central to Strepkos’ shows is the emotional: “it’s not just about the clothes … Doing a fashion show just for 30 amazingly looking models? I don’t really aim for that. I want you to think when you see my shows. I want you to cry, laugh, I want you to remember. I want to create memories for you.” And he does so by bringing his memories onto the catwalk: “[my latest] collection was dedicated to my best friend Katia, who died from cancer … [The show] started with a clip with my personal moments with her, and then the music you were hearing was her favourite song; we used to dance to it a lot,” recalls Strepkos. “Many people didn’t know, but I opened this show with the clothes she was wearing during her last days. And when the show finished, you saw a short clip, saying ‘kisses from heaven.’ She was part of it,” he believes.

Dimitris didn’t only dedicate his anniversary show to his late friend, but actually to all his closest friends, as his take on fashion is about teamwork: “the best things are created in teams, collaboration. Friends are family.” The atmosphere in Celebrity Skin atelier seems to be very inspiring and welcoming to all the family members that are together in this great creative process: “my team works every day for hours, nights, and creates new things. In my atelier, we say ‘you can do anything.’ Anything. With this motto, we create more and more difficult stuff. We don’t go the easy way.” And as Strepkos adds, in Celebrity Skin it’s all about extravagance, constant development and experimentation, aiming higher and higher: “all the money I make, I invest in my work, shows, better materials, more and more expensive collaborations, photographers, better deals. It’s an ongoing process.”

From the talk with Dimitris one can immediately see that he is always hungry for more, and his mind never leaves the fashion mode, even in the simplest everyday situations: “fashion is a way of living. … I love it from the age 5 – I’m 51 now, and I can’t stop it. [laughs] It’s me. … I love catwalks, going to the shows of other designers, backstage, photoshoots, editing – the whole process. Being in the fashion industry is a blessing. It gives me light. … Even when I go to the supermarket and I see a new mustard, I’m like ‘let’s take a photo of this yellow here’ [laughs].” Strepkos sees fashion not commercially, but in a human way – as inborn part of one’s personality and lifestyle: “it’s in the way you think and breathe. You can’t say you do fashion by just wearing Louis Vuitton and going to posh restaurants.” Well, how do you do it then? “Fashion is in that you simply walk, listening to music on your Airpods, and you dream. You need to be a fashion dreamer.” Amen.

But in this deeper approach to the beauty and clothing industry, Strepkos stresses how crucial it is to remain humble, always aiming for a better performance: “you can’t ever say you’ve made it. You’re about to make it. The minute you say ‘I’ve made it,’ you stop being creative.” Hence, apparently when people approach Dimitris, asking which of his clothes he finds the best, he shortly answers: “the ones I haven’t created yet,” with his broad signature smile.

What impresses me the most is probably the creative freedom that is in him and his brand. But the question is whether this freedom has always been there. And even before I finish phrasing it, Strepkos responds with a definitive “yes” and another dose of laughter. He claims to be immensely lucky and grateful for his rich career path, which also made him a self-aware and mature designer: “I [used to be] a fashion show director, also one of the directors at the Fashion Week in Greece, including the last one. … [Setting] up Celebrity Skin 15 years ago, I knew what I was going to deal with. And I knew I wanted to create a brand with identity – to create clothes that didn’t exist yet.” Having observed the industry from various perspectives over the years, Strepkos saw “there [was] a gap,” and as a result, he came up with Celebrity Skin as “a place for people to express themselves.” And it worked. “I have client lists; my sponsors trust me. The brand has grown year by year, and I’m in a good place now.”

The gap Dimitris spotted was filled with clothes which go with the brand’s mottos “Dare to wear” and “Luxury you can afford.” I ask about the elaboration on the former one. “The most important thing is to be yourself. When I say ‘dare to wear,’ I mean, for instance: you have an old pair of jeans – and you combine it with one of my jackets, hats, or bags,” doing some experimentation. “You don’t have to wear a total Celebrity Skin look,” explains Strepkos. “I want [you] to feel free to dig into your closet, find things that you love, maybe something old, from your grandmother – and combine it with my clothes, being yourself. … You are the celebrity, and you create your own skin. This is what I give to the clients.”

The motto’s explanation introduces the bigger idea behind Celebrity Skin, including the brand’s name itself. After all, Strepkos could’ve opted for his own name when launching the brand, couldn’t he. Why did he go for Celebrity Skin? “For me, celebrity is not a famous person. Celebrity is every person who has identity. [In the shows, the models are of] different body shapes, older, younger, different variety of bodies because I think every person is a celebrity in their own way. And your skin is your clothes. This is what Celebrity Skin actually means – being yourself, [feeling] that your clothes are part of your personality.”

There’s also another, more pragmatic reason for the name choice: “my name is difficult to pronounce in Greece. People would always make mistakes at the beginning [Dimitris imitating the various mispronunciations, laughing] … Celebrity Skin is a more global name, something people can relate to more. … It’s different to say ‘I wear Strepkos Couture’ than ‘I wear Celebrity Skin’ – [at this point it becomes] a movement,” precisely at which Strepkos aimed.

It’s all conceptual. And it brings us back to the last collection, as Dimitris’ take on fashion, additionally influenced by his theatre background, could be felt from the beginning of the show. It was what made me feel that the show differed from the other ones at Athens FW – that it was a performance. “I’m heavily influenced by theatre,” admits Dimitris. “I don’t do fashion just for beauty – I want to create characters and tell a story when I do a catwalk,” he explains, claiming that his collections would be totally different, had it not been for his experience in theatre.

How are, then, the two kinds of the creative process different, when we compare high fashion with theatre costume design? “In theatre, everything that’s on stage is … part of a character – … a character that already exists. There are some boundaries, if you know what I mean. … On the other hand, in fashion you create your own work and the standards. There’s greater liberty. And you can’t do extremely radical things in theatre; it has its limits. Fashion doesn’t.”

That’s possibly the gist of Strepkos fashion – that fashion is liberation. Hence his attitude that, both in the industry and everyday life, one should engage in constant experimentation, non-conformist self-representation, and limitless exploration – primarily to get inspired, and to share the inspiration further: “I go out of my comfort zone every day. [For example, when] I go to another country, and even though I might get food poisoning [laughs, saying “I don’t care, whatever”], I’m like – I’m here, I’m in Morocco, let’s try it. Even if I spit it out afterwards, I’ll still try it,” he assures ironically.” [When] I go to another country, I want to know what they eat and how they cook, see what they have. You’ll never see me order McDonald’s,” he says with a smile.

The open-mindedness, with exposing oneself to new aesthetic and sensual experiences naturally also applies to the collection-creating process: “the first thing I do when I go into my atelier is put music on. I like to listen to operas, musicals, soundtracks. I can’t do anything without music. And I love different kinds of it, also finding some old, forgotten pieces,” says the anti-fan of listening to the same playlist 24/7. Just so you know, if you spot Dimitris out there in the city, don’t be surprised by him holding his phone high in the air – it’s probably him again begging Shazam to give him the title of the song he overheard while crossing the street.

What was on the speakers when working on “Daydreaming. A Poem for Katia”? “I was into the ‘80s during this collection. I was listening to the classics from Sinéad O’Connor because she also died from cancer. … And a lot of Kate Bush, who is my favourite artist. I adore her; I would die for her. [laughs] … When I heard “Cloudbusting” and “Running Up That Hill”, I decided to be a designer. She made me a designer” – believe me, you couldn’t say it more emphatically and emotionally than Dimitris. “Hounds of Love is a milestone for me – it’s like before and after Christ! [laughs],” says member of Kate Bush social media fandom. And honestly, I could perfectly imagine Kate from “Running Up That Hill” or “Wuthering Heights” dancing among Strepkos’ models, all dressed in elegant and feminine, yet somewhat surreal outfits.

That shows how what you surround yourself with actually impacts your creative work. I go on with the topic, knowing that Strepkos is also a cinema devotee. After all, his first collection was inspired by Tim Burton. What did he watch during the months preceding Athens FW? Apparently Pedro Almodóvar movies, which – with their special depiction of human emotional experience – complemented the ‘80s music in making the mood board, says Strepkos. How do films affect him? “Movies inspire me not because of costumes and what [the actors] are wearing – that’d be superficial – but through the acting. Like, when I see a movie, and it makes me cry or laugh, or think – this is the inspiration; not the aesthetics, but what it makes me feel, what it brings into my life.”

He is always in search. In search for inspo and developing himself as an emotional, creative human being. And an alternative one. That’s why you’ll find him at shows presented by some niche designers, or those that, although already established, still don’t match the level of popularity Prada or Chanel have. “I was at Romanian FW, and there was a designer, an old lady – like, 70 years old. And then I saw her clothes. It was as if she was 19, … her energy was that of a teenager,” recalls Dimitris.

We also discuss Berlin Fashion Week, which surely differs from, for instance, Milan FW, not just in prestige, but also the aesthetics: “I’ve seen amazing works [there]. They have shown passion, and I like that the designers have identity there, which I respect heavily. American stars should also look at Berlin FW to find new clothes; they’d die when seeing the texture, the pattern making, the ideas they have. You see new, radical things – this is fashion. In the more established market, they do it less and less experimental. … But in other fashion weeks, you see new fashion – and you’re like, wow, who’s this, I want to buy this, even though I can’t even pronounce the name,” says Strepkos, smiling, when remembering his visits to Serbian, Romanian, or Dubai FWs.

It only remains to ask when we’re going to get another dose of Celebrity Skin energy. “[My new show is] going to be in March. But I’m doing the campaign in October [already started; follow @celebrityskinstrepkos for more]. … And bits of my new collection will be ready in November.” What can we expect from it? “It’s going to be darker. … I’m coming back to my black black black era. [laughs] I started out as a designer of dark outfits, then I got more colourful, and now I’m coming back to my roots. It’s also more extravagant; I like this vibe now: stones, embellishments, everything!” We’ll definitely keep our eyes open at Voir.

Meanwhile, here’s a little sneak peek of what’s to come!

Images courtesy of : Michalis Lavdiotis, Dimitris Margaritis, Fenia Labropoulou, art code productions, Penny K

Written by Julia Sułkowska

The post “You need to be a fashion dreamer” – Celebrity Skin’s founder, Dimitris Strepkos, on how love for fashion (and Kate Bush) has led him through life appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Namilia’s “Pfoten Weg!” – “A Symbol Of Empowerment”

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Pfohl and Li’s newest collection aims at both fully embracing queer identity, as well as staying alert to the dangers diverse people face every day, with the energising name of the show translated as “Hands Off!” (lit. “Paws Off”). The outfits offer a glamorous rebellion, reworking green-beige fatigues into padded-shoulder blazers and pink-grey, diva-like fabulous gown dresses. 

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The probably most diverse cast of models to be found in the whole Fashion Week (including not only transgender people, but also older, disabled, or debunking the conservative beauty standards) manifests embracing their identity wearing vegan leather chaps, corsets, and glittering belts, accompanied by sensual mesh dresses, spangled hoodies, and thigh-high boots. Right next to the multi-layered mesh skirts, all-black oversized suits, and classy Y2K sunglasses, you’ll find pepper sprays and pink-khaki helmets, introducing armour references. “[T]he Namilia character emerges as a symbol of empowerment – unbothered, unfazed, well-moisturized, and uninterested in engaging with bigots” 

https://fashionweek.berlin/en/designer-2024/namila.html. Hands (or, should we say, hats) off! 

“Le Lit” By Olivia Ballard – How About Staying In Bed All Day?

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What’s at the core of Ballard’s “Le Lit” (“The Bed”) is the intimacy, freedom, and feeling comfortable with your body, all experienced when we lie cosily in our beds in the morning, wrapped in crumpled bedsheets. “Historically, the bed has been a place of intimacy and vulnerability, which we use as a starting point to create a sacred stage where diverse identities are celebrated. At the same time, we blur the boundary between the private and public space,” points out Ballard (https://fashionweek.berlin/en/designer-2024/olivia-ballard-1.html), talking of her inspiration for the collection created together with Merfys, a bedding company. 

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The outcome? Duvet-like dresses, pyjama-like checked garments, pillows as accessories, and layers and layers of soft white, grey, and indigo cotton, velvet, and silk. Especially the crumpled-bedsheets-like dresses bring to mind the experience of us trying to fight the temptation to stay in bed all day instead of leaving our comfy zone – but Ballard shows that you actually don’t have to choose one or the other. It turns out to be more than possible to feel relaxed in your outfits, considering your comfort as top priority. Ballard’s models have messy hairdos with white pillow feathers, and wear pointed ballerina-like slippers, cropped jersey bomber jackets, and oversized grey tracksuits – accompanied by couture decorative metal bras. After all, who says high fashion and comfy clothing cannot go hand in hand? 

Lou De Bètoly – Sensual “Illusion And Distortion” Out Of Dog Hair Waste

Lingerie-based and romantic, yet in harmony with the body; homogenous, yet made of a bunch of recycled second-hand materials – including processed dog hair waste. With all that, the latest show by Lou de Bètoly “reinterpret[s] classic couture and reflect the label’s upcycling principle (https://fashionweek.berlin/en/designer-2024/c-lou-de-betoly.html). The designer combines sustainability with sensuality and comfort – linking the spheres of both eco- and self-awareness. 

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At first sight, you surely wouldn’t say that fabrics come from different second hand sources – the collection is homogenous, including a palette of basic soft colours: whites, beige, grey, light lilac, or pistachio. The fabrics and textures are equally delicate, including mostly lace and mesh, but also woollen dresses, elegant, decorative trimmings, ruffles, and fringe, accompanied by woollen underwear, lace tights and bodysuits, mesh biker shorts, and matching head ornaments.

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It is once you look closer that you spot the “illusion and distortion, with many looks challenging reality perception. Skirts made from bras and leather coats turned into bags”. De Bètoly’s new show is a masterfully made, second-hand haute couture collection, revolving around comfort, sensual lingerie, and (self-)awareness. 

“Buttercream Fantasy” By Kitschy Couture – Diasporic Identity And High Fashion Merge

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In her show, Abarna Kugathasan used inspirations from her Tamil family heritage to combine it with innovative fashion forms – it is where the old and the new meet, resulting in an inspiring mixture. The show was clearly inspired by Tamil traditional festivities, both through the interior decorations and the dance performance that created a unique atmosphere of the show, and exposed the audience to a tiny fragment of the designer’s background, so crucial for understanding the message conveyed by the collection itself, as it “addressed the designer’s longing for home through the fusion of traditional craftsmanship with contemporary silhouettes” (https://fashionweek.berlin/en/designer-2024/kitschy-couture.html)

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The main motif is about reworking and deconstructing bridal outfits, with flower-decorated hairdos, layers of white fringe, embroidered écru fabrics, immense ribbons, sari drapings, silk, silk, and – one more time – silk! The collection included not only traditional full-length dresses, but also transparent lace skirts, flowery corsets and blue bolero jackets, mini-skirts, platform shoes, ornamented silk trousers, and impressive veils – worn by male models. All in all – Tamil tradition has been re-invented. 

Sia Arnika – “The Power Of Transformation Through Clothing, Fabrics And Expression”

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“Each collection I create embraces duality, and this narrative revolves around contrasts like disarray and ornamentation, the mundane and the provocative, and the art of layering and shaping,” says Sia Arnika (https://fashionweek.berlin/en/designer-2024/sia-arnika.html) in reference to her latest collection. The idea of dichotomy seems to be, indeed, at its core: with the minimalist makeup and haircuts, and layers of bare fabric on the one side – and a latex mini-dress with fake feathers on the other. 

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It is this constant juxtaposition that Arnika bases her fashion on, at the same time not only embracing the contrasts within fashion, but also within human beings themselves: “I always say that I have this dichotomy in me; two things that I try to merge … I guess that’s where I feel I am as a designer and as a person: between being more grown up, and still with a very playful take on fashion,” admits Arnika in her interview for Vogue Runway. Her latest show perfectly encapsulates her words.

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On the one hand there’re most basic garments, with tailoring and ornamentation reduced to absolute minimum (all in black, grey, khaki, and dark blue); on the other hand, Arnika offers us a unique fringed felt jacket, a full-length, riddled-with-holes white hooded dress, or a transparent black mesh dress, completed by sequined underwear. By these means, she manifests that even extreme contrasts can end up in a homogenous combination, be it in fashion, or in ourselves. 

_{Words By Julia Sułkowska} 

^{Header Image Credits: Mia Washbrook}

The post Identity, Freedom, And Awareness Enclosed In The Fabric – 5 Designers Who Stole Berlin Fashion Week 2024 appeared first on Voir Fashion.

It is no secret that Berlin is a modern fashion capital and if you have seen previous BFWs or experienced the city in all its creative glory, it is easy to understand why they have been granted this title. Walking down a street in the city you soon realise the pavements are full of fashion lovers, early adopters and main characters. And Voir is going to be all over it as we fly out to the German capital to give you all the coverage you need. Literally, we will be covering EVERYTHING! We thought we couldn’t leave you that long without some more enticing information about the week, so, let’s find out what is going to be going on before we take flight.

We are so excited to view some amazing collections next month and soak up the atmosphere of the shows. Let’s start by getting familiar with some amazing designers that will be showing and their previous work.

Namilia

Top of our list is brand Namilia. Describing themselves as ‘destroyers of false perception’ we love how they use their designs to capture their vision, dreams, and beliefs. A brand that lives and breathes Berlin and will be catching eyes and headlines with their new AW 23 collection. To name a few as the list is so long, we would be here listing until the show starts, celebs such as Cardi B, Tayce and SZA are all fans of the Berlin based brand. Having BDSM inspired fits, motorcycle influenced leather pieces, techno fits and Y2K styles, they produce the best outfits for Berlin street fashion. We are super excited for them to showcase their new designs on Wednesday the 18^th.

Dennis Chuene

More excitement comes as Dennis Chuene’s collection showcases on Tuesday the 17^th of January. His influence and use of nostalgia creates contemporary designs which are finely crafted with recycled materials. A lot of his work which focuses on the use of string craftmanship gives us unique pieces which are thought provoking. Chuen places emphasis on story telling behind his designs which take influence from current affairs and everyday struggles.

Iden Studios

Only founded last year this brand is striving in the fashion scene. Modern and cool designs from this Berlin based brand is the expectation which they keep meeting. We believe their show will be no different and have us talking about them for weeks. Intangible meets tangible as their main source of inspiration stems from spirituality, emotions and the digital world. They are futuristic and they are fantastic. We can’t wait to see what they pull out the bag for their newest collection.

Damur

One of the winners of BFW’s contemporary category is high-end streetwear Berlin brand, Damur. They are a brand to watch as designer, Huang Damur, pushes the boundaries and limitations of fashion and societal norms. The ‘Reviver’ collection for AW 23 has been fully upcycled from his previous collections, putting pressure and light on second-life clothing. This will be a show you don’t want to miss.

Olivia Ballard

Established in 2020, German based designer brand, Olivia Ballard, is a new and forward-thinking brand. Creating genderless clothing which specialises in fabric manipulation to harmonise effortlessly with the body, they are one to watch. Inclusivity and diversity are at the heart of this fashion forward brand and we can’t wait to see how they develop their ideas in the coming years. Sheer has been a huge success with Olivia Ballard and has promoted body diversity and confidence while being super on trend.

Lou De Bètoly

French designer based in Berlin, Loe de Bètoly, will also be showcasing her latest collection at BFW. It is not surprising that her designs follow punk inspiration as her use of ripped and deconstructed clothing is very evident. Influence is also taken from surrealism and oneirism which gives her collections a dreamlike disturbance. The ominous aesthetic of her designs make them so memorable and enticing.

Sia Arnika

Danish label trying to redesign the fashion industry with slow and sustainable fashion design, Sia Arnika, is on our radar. Moving away from typical Berlin rave attire, she ties maximalism detail with minimalism design. She has a special talent of creating timeless styles which are extremely fitting for the moment and climate. BFW welcomes her with open arms and we are looking forward to what she will show during her runway.

Of course, what is a fashion week, without our favourite style icons in attendance. Usually lining the front seats in anticipation for the unexpected, influencers and celebrities are just as invested in the upcoming trends as industry professionals. Berlin has seen the likes of Winnie Harlow and Tyra Banks at their fashion week and next year we can only assume front rows will be star studded. But, don’t worry you can rely on us to report back with who we see in attendance and of course, what they will be wearing.

Berlin, here we come!

Words by Erin Wilson

^{Header Image: @berlinefashionwe}

The post Berlin Bound: Voir Takes On Berlin Fashion Week appeared first on Voir Fashion.