Unvain’s second runway collection at Berlin Fashion Week marks a decisive shift. Last season, the Berlin-based label presented oversized, sculptural silhouettes that bordered on the monumental. This time, the shapes are not only softer, they have become more authentic. The collection, titled “Skins,” trades spectacle for character.
Instead of starting with the garments, the label began with fictional characters, each summarized in a single sentence printed in a booklet handed out to every guest before the show. “A thousand dreams softly burn inside him.” “Rich parents, poor morals.” “She is quiet, but her presence is loud.” Everything else stemmed from this—the clothing, the styling, the casting. “All our decisions were guided by these characters,” Robert Friedrichs explained backstage. “Everyone always knew who they were… there were really no unanswered questions.”
This approach gave the collection an unusual vibrancy. The models became real people—some scrolling on their phones, others posing on the street, or absentmindedly stroking a fluffy handbag as if it were a pet. Some stared directly at the audience with an unmistakable “can’t sit with us” attitude; others looked as if they’d just strolled in from a nightclub or a morning coffee run while nursing a hangover. Instead of watching fashion being staged, you saw people embodying it.
The collection itself also reflected this shift toward a lived-in realism, moving away from exaggerated silhouettes and instead proposing a very accessible interpretation of everyday clothing. A semi-transparent costume, a silver-coated military parka, and jeans heavily bleached by the sun formed the foundation of a collection that came across as very youthful, sexy, and raw. A Gen Z whirlwind you might say. “We’ve gotten suddenly very young with this collection,” Friedrichs noted. In the mix: low-rise pants, deep-V-neck polo shirts, worn-out T-shirts, and a semi-transparent dress covered with just enough black feathers to prevent everything from being exposed.
Raw edges remained unfinished, colors were kept to a minimum, and some looks appeared almost incomplete—with slips slipping off the shoulders or tops that were entirely missing. Many models wore their own jewelry—cross necklaces, grills, and personal mementos. The casting blurred the line between performance and identity. Even the use of fur in the collection followed this philosophy. Instead of producing new pieces, Unvain collaborated with a resale platform to source vintage garments that were completely transformed into unique designs.
Ultimately, this felt less like a seasonal collection and more like a carefully curated wardrobe, populated by people you might know or very well encounter on the street. And it captured something that’s hard to replicate: reality with a pretty high pulse.
