TEMPORARY SHOWROOM HERE TO STAY

When the fashionistas come to Berlin, one place they almost certainly head for is the Temporary Showroom on Kastanienallee in the trendy district Prenzlauer Berg.

The Showroom prides itself on being a platform for European and international designers and acts as a fashion agency, specialising in exhibiting the works of selected brands to retailers during fashion weeks and special occasions, and also as a customer point of sale.

The Showroom provides floor space for designers over a time period of 2-6 months; hence the ‘Temporary’. Both the Showroom and the designer work together closely to discuss how best to utilise the space to the designer’s needs. “If we like a designer, we want to keep them in our store for as long as possible, of course,” explains  Edyta Kopcio from Temporary Showroom. “Also a very important issue is the responses of our customers to each collection.”

“We always look for designers who would fit in our store and its gallery-like atmosphere. Their collections have to be different, avant-garde, interesting and innovative,” she continues. In the past the Showroom has participated in New York Fashion Week and has housed collections from ADD, Pudel, Odeur and Lapàporter. This year they’re set to once again play host to some of the most exciting and up-and-coming designers in Europe.

From 1st to 3rd July Temporary Showroom will be housing a special collection of some of the designers showing at Berlin Fashion Week for press, buyers and invited guests. Amongst them is Warsaw-based designer Ania Kuczynska, who will be presenting garments from her ‘At the Top of the Mountain we are all Snow Leopards’ collection. One of Poland’s most promising design talents and dubbed the ‘Eastern Promise’ by Style.com and Vogue, her clothes are simplistic, minimalistic and tailored, governed by a similarly simplistic colour palette and soft jersey and cotton fabrics.

Also showing is Boessert & Schorn, with their rough, organic designs. Using old techniques, hand stitching and strong materials, their work is heavily influenced by traditional costume. Berlin-based menswear designer Chris Holzinger is also presenting his collection which focuses on simplicity, modernity and wearability with a relaxed vibe.

Three more designers will also be joining them with their collections. Dusty is an avant-garde label founded by Finnish menswear designer Marjut Uotila, who manages to successfully merge minimal Scandinavian design with traditional menswear aesthetics and artistic influences. FXDXV is a unisex project and the brainchild of two Scandinavian designers, Felina DaVida and Kin Jagua. Their collections are totally unique and concept-based, influenced by current events and our social environment. Lastly, Temporary Showroom veteran Odeur will again be returning to present its fifth collection, ‘Surfaces’. Designed by Petter Hollström and Anna Lidström, it seeks to challenge ideas on the construction of basic garments through the use of mixing fabrics. Emphasis is on cut and detail.

Temporary Showroom also offers additional services in public relations, event management and promotion, as well as hosting collection presentations at fashion fairs and private showrooms. Since 2006, the Showroom has been presenting collections from young, upcoming brands at trade fairs in places such as Berlin, Düsseldorf and New York. “As a store we sell to individuals and as a fashion agency during Fashion Week we take orders from fashion retailers,” says Edyta. It’s certainly a busy time for Temporary Showroom as Berlin Fashion Week is set to kick off next month, and they’re sure to see orders and interest escalate.

The Showroom has established itself as one of the most important places for designers to showcase their work. When asked about her own personal favourites, Edyta cites Diana Brinks, Boessert & Schorn, Q.E.D and Damir Doma, who are just a few examples of the talented designers who have displayed their wares in the store. Perhaps part of the allure is that for a designer to even be considered for a coveted space in the Showroom, they have to be something special. And if they’re in Temporary Showroom, they can’t be anything less than fabulous.

temporaryshowroom.com

Words Kay Weston