Overall, the Berlin spring/summer ’17 shows are huge productions. This Mercedes Benz Fashion Week show was one of the best. Designers were at the top of their game. Models were fabulous. Hair and make-up were extraordinary. Presentations by Ulrich Schulte, head designer for Riani, and Guido Maria Kretschmer stood out for the their exciting productions and clothes.
Kretscher opened his show, Guido Maria Kretschmer Berlin, with a model on a bicycle with a basket of freshly picked flowers. What a wonderful surprise. Her outfit included a longer flared skirt and blouse with a slight opening in back. The following model walked the runway in wide-legged palazzo pants. Listening to the beautiful music and watching the models stroll back and forth on the runway made the atmosphere feel like a beautiful summer day in the park. Throughout the show there were sleek silver pants, jackets, shorts, skirts and slip dresses that simply shimmered under the spotlights.
Kretschmer’s career started when he received his first sewing machine. From an early age, he realized that his passion for design and fabrics would determine his future. After establishing his label and corporate offices in Germany, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of having a haute couture line, Guido Maria Kretscher Couture. His success arrived quickly as a top designer in Germany. They called him the “German Valentino.” His designs are unique, exciting, versatile and confidently stylish. For his premium collection, the Guido Maria Kretchmer Berlin line, he designs high-quality cocktail dresses and glamorous evening gowns. His star clientele include Charlize Theron, Alexandra Maria Lara, Christine Neubauer and top model Karolina Kurkova. They all love wearing his couture on the red carpets. On the other hand, the Guido Maria Kretschmer Collection focuses mainly on ready-to-wear looks and business clothes.
Schulte’s collection for Riani was amazing. He describes his work at this label as his big love. The Riani woman’s life is busy, yet she wants to look great in her clothes and to be happy. Schulte also found his love for fashion early in his life. He spent his pre-study time in London, where he gained experience in tailoring. Later, he studied design.
On the runway, the Riani collection rocked. Again, silver glittered throughout the show in jackets, pants and skirts. His clothes flowed softly with minimal yet distinct details. A silver battle jacket over a long string-strapped tube dress looked chic. On this garment, the side split to the knee set it off. He patched the body of a plaid day dress with puffed sleeves in a different fabric and a three-tiered ruffled hemline in another fabric. For one piece, it all worked nicely together. There were silver pants that could work with the jacket and silver shorts spotted earlier in the show. There is a lot to be said about the way you wear your clothes.
This collection is perfect for dressing yourself for every occasion. Even his evening clothes were soft, somewhat casual, yet very dressy. His best day dresses were simply styled, sleeveless sheaths with push-up-or-down draping options around the hips in above-the-knee lengths. These dresses are sharp. You just want to get your hands on these clothes, try them on, wear them and receive the compliments.
There is a lot to be said about the way you wear your clothes. Forget the old rules. Start your own style rules. Remember, clothes are costumes. The world is a stage, and you are the star.