The Tamesis
“Actually, we put the maximum pressure on ourselves,” Serhat Işik and Benjamin Huseby noted modestly a few minutes before the show started. GMBH has always had a political bent, but they also allow themselves to sometimes “just” make beautiful fashion.
“Back in the winter of 2023, we named our collection ‘Untitled’ and it was all about pink and bows. It was a privilege, no doubt. But now? We can’t stay silent. Once you step out, you face reality,” Işik said. Next to him is Husby, wearing a T-shirt with the word “Friedensangst” printed on it. “Fear of peace” is a bizarre term used by the German financial press to describe the concerns of many defense industry shareholders when an international peace agreement is concluded and stock prices fall.
In what may be the most tense moment in global politics since GMBH was founded, the two designers adhere to a time-tested principle: finding beauty in dark times. It means a return to the Berlin club culture of the 1980s, when the capital was truly a place beyond freedom. While the focus was on rediscovering their fashion starting points, teasing body-shaping silhouettes or reproportioning silhouettes to make them more powerful, there were a few surprises in the collection. Very flowy pants with wraparound fabric panels, a small ruffle on the jacket, and a gently draped faux fur coat added a touch of sophistication to the show. Contrasting this are its signature zip-front square-toe boots, boxer waistbands and modular pieces like faux fur collars and scarves.
All in all, this is a rough and subtle review of decades in Berlin and GMBH’s past decade. So will we see a fresh start in style at the summer’s 10th anniversary show? This will be determined by the political situation. In fact, the biggest pressure Işik and Huseby face actually comes from their industry. “We know that as Muslim immigrants or children of Muslim immigrants, we are being politicized. We want to talk about that too. That’s why we started GMBH,” they added, with serious voices and smiles in their eyes. “If that’s the reason we get knocked down, so be it.”
