Berlin Fashion Week: Spring/Summer 2026 Highlights
Berlin Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2026 season held last month, delivered a season defined by a mix of bold experimentation, thoughtful craftsmanship, and unexpected textures. While the schedule was packed, four labels stood out for their ability to tell strong visual stories on the runway: Buzigahill, Orange Culture, Ottolinger, and Richert Beil.
Buzigahill returned with its eleventh Return to Sender collection, continuing its politically charged mission of transforming secondhand clothing shipped to Uganda from Europe, the USA, and Asia into new garments and sending them back to the Global North. Designer Bobby Kolade sources each piece from Kampala’s Owino Market, giving it a “passport” noting its origin, fabric, and production details. This season, blouses (35.93%) led the lineup alongside jumpsuits and cropped tops, with chiffon and cotton dominating the fabric story for a balance of airy movement and everyday wearability. Sleeves, both long and short, were a clear focus, paired with classic silhouettes and subtle utilitarian touches. Prints and florals added vibrancy, while camouflage and graphic textures lent a streetwise edge. Highlights included chinos with track-hem cuffs, jeans with athletic waistbands, biodegradable fabrics made from cassava starch and gelatin, and chain dresses knotted from T-shirt fringes. Embroidered slogans like “TRY JESUS”, inspired by Kampala’s minibus culture, were paired with traditional embroidery from the Milaya Project in South Sudan, adding layered cultural narratives to the runway.
Designer Bobby Kolade.
Photo: https://www.kaltblut-magazine.com/buzigahill-spring-summer-2026-return-to-sender-11/
Orange Culture brought fluidity and romance to the runway with In the Shadow, a collection exploring the complexities of mental health and the silent struggles often hidden in communities where the topic remains stigmatized. Designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal used the lineup as both a personal and cultural statement, reflecting on societal pressures in Nigeria that equate perfection with worth, and the beauty of breaking that illusion. Maxi silhouettes dominated (56.70%), from skirts and dresses to kimono-inspired layers, crafted in chiffon, lace, and hand-embroidered fabrics for an artisanal yet luxe feel. The palette was vibrant and expressive, mirroring the emotional spectrum, while the brand’s signature androgynous spirit infused even the simplest foundations with playfulness and quirk. Summer and beach-ready styles came alive through bold prints, florals, and hints of paisley, softening structured shapes. Highlights included print-heavy pieces, hand-beaded details, and reworked classics in Regenesis fabrics, handwoven aso-oke, cotton, and wool effortlessly moving between elegance and laid-back ease.
Ottolinger brought a deconstructed, rule-breaking spirit to Berlin Fashion Week with Heidi, their Resort 2026 collection, and their first time showing at the event. Opening with pop singer Kim Petras, the runway set the tone for a lineup that balanced heat-ready practicality with the brand’s signature experimental tailoring. Shorts (41.29%) and lightweight outerwear formed the core, crafted from chiffon, lace, leather, and breezy linens, often punctuated with bold stripes. Silhouettes played with slits, cropped cuts, and layered maxi skirts, while trench-inspired coats added a utilitarian edge to summer styling. In true Ottolinger fashion, tailoring was reworked and deconstructed, denim appeared in high-shine waxed finishes, and painted latex dresses and leggings pushed the textural boundaries. Skin-tight jersey pieces and printed mesh dresses and tops, now label signatures, were joined by flashes of neon and head-to-toe monochrome, delivering a collection that felt like the cool older sister: fearless, irreverent, and impossible to ignore.
Designers Christa Bösch & Cosima Gadient.
Photo: http://fashionstreet-berlin.de/ottolinger-resort-2026-bfw-ss26-heidi/339338/
Richert Beil’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, “Milieuschutz,” reflects themes of transformation, beginnings, and preservation. Created in a 135-year-old pharmacy in Kreuzberg, the collection blends classic tailoring with modern craftsmanship. Leather dominates (28.31%) alongside chiffon and pleated fabrics, combining sharp, structured silhouettes with softer floral and linen patterns. Oversized blazers with rose tapestry, silk trousers with lace overlays, and lingerie-inspired details highlight a mix of elegance and intimacy. Traditional elements like “Tracht” are reimagined, seen in pieces like latex lederhosen with suspenders. The collection balances city-ready sophistication with romantic, historical nods, emphasizing responsibility and meaning in design.
These collections proved why Berlin Fashion Week continues to be a space for both boundary-pushing design and grounded wearability. From Buzigahill’s smart casual balance to Orange Culture’s romantic ease, Ottolinger’s deconstruction, and Richert Beil’s refined structure, Spring/Summer 2026 was a season where individuality took center stage – all against the creative, forward-thinking backdrop of Berlin.
XOXO, The Fashion Stock Market
Cover Photo: https://fashionweek.berlin/en/blog/single-news/highlights-3-7-bfw-ss26-1.html
Editor: Felicity Field
