The Berlin-based label DAGGER was founded in 2020 by Luke Rainey. It is a success story that proves that endings often mark new beginnings. After years of working in retail, Luke lost his job. His termination letter concluded with the words: ‘We wish you all the best.’ Luke took this phrase as inspiration. He began printing T-shirts with that very slogan, laying the foundation for his own vision.

Today, six years after those first printed shirts, his label DAGGER has made the leap onto the official Berlin Fashion Week calendar, where he is presenting his debut runway show. It is a deeply emotional moment for the designer, who has successfully translated his skater roots into the world of high fashion. Shortly after the finale, elated and surrounded by well-wishers, I had the opportunity to speak with Luke about this major milestone.

The collection by MARKE, titled „The Owl,“ critically examines our contemporary relationship with information, truth, and critical thinking. In an era of digital overstimulation and the tension between knowledge and disinformation, fashion here functions as a kind of anchor. The collection draws parallels between the present and historical periods, such as the Enlightenment and the Late Rococo. The designs are characterized by refined, yet restrained silhouettes and sober volumes. These are complemented by subtle, poetic details. MARKE relies on carefully crafted materials and a muted, reduced color palette. „The Owl“ does not view fashion as an escape from reality, but as a tool for clarity and focus. Amidst social and digital overload, the collection stands for a conscious reflection on intellectual depth and artisanal precision.

While MARKE sought the answer to the digital flood in internal clarity and conscious focus, Sia Arnika found it in a radical breakout. The show, titled „OVERTIME,“ took place on the 6th floor of an office building, situated among desks, fluorescent lights, and running printers. Sia Arnika staged a compelling transition from the rigid daily work routine to the freedom of the night. While printers continuously ejected white pages, a symbol of the infinite repetition of working life, models walked like employees whose classic, rigid clothing transformed into fluid, nocturnal looks throughout the show. Sculptural tailoring met soft jersey fabrics, mesh, and tactile surfaces.

Earthy, industrial tones formed the foundation, accompanied by resource-saving Tencel Lyocell fibers as well as crystal mesh and accessories by Swarovski. The show was accompanied by Kylie Cosmetics as the exclusive beauty partner, a continuation of the creative relationship between Kylie Jenner and Sia Arnika. Supported by deadstock specialists such as Beglarian Fabrics and Fabric House, the focus was placed on conscious production and material reuse. With „OVERTIME,“ Sia Arnika solidifies her design language, which is based on tension and material experimentation. It reflects modern life by maintaining the balance between structure and pleasure, control and desire.

From the bright sixth floor of the office building, the path led directly into the Berlin underground. The Berlin-based label UNVAIN was founded in 2020 by Robert Friedrichs and presented its first runway show at Berlin Fashion Week 2026 at the Feuerle Collection, a former World War II telecommunications bunker. The collection marks a milestone for the label and defines its identity through a blend of brutalism and elegance. The surroundings, consisting of Southeast Asian sculptures and imperial Chinese furniture, formed the perfect frame for the brand’s aesthetic. UNVAIN stands for beauty beyond perfection. The collection is a pure concentration on the essence of the brand, characterized by contradictions within the designs. The silhouettes moved between sharp minimalism and striking, architectural forms. Robert Friedrichs deliberately avoided focusing on a specific theme, creating an immersive fragrance installation in collaboration with Ryoko instead. Models carried incense burners across the runway, which gradually dispersed the specially developed scent throughout the room and expanded the visual presentation by a sensory dimension.

The DAGGER show provided a radical contrast to this almost ceremonial staging. Instead of incense and elegance, the label relied on raw honesty. Like the label UNVAIN, DAGGER was founded in Berlin in 2020 and presented its first runway show this year. Deeply rooted in street style, DAGGER brought an entirely different energy to the runway. Designer Luke Rainey started his fashion label after receiving a termination letter from his job in 2020, which concluded with the words “We wish you all the best”.

He took the impersonal sentence literally, printed it onto the back of his first T-shirt, and turned „All the Best“ into the brand’s slogan. This shirt marked the beginning, and today, it is the centerpiece of the brand. The design language of DAGGER is rooted in Rainey’s youth in Northern Ireland during the early 2000s, a time when money was tight, but skateboarding was the measure of all things. The fashion appears raw and authentic. It is meant to look lived-in and worn, a tribute to the beauty of a life full of stories. DAGGER symbolizes the cycle of endings and new beginnings. It is a dedication to the stories that life writes between these two points, and it brings a very raw, authentic streetwear component to the mix of the previous shows.

While DAGGER focuses on the raw, real life on the streets, Haderlump looks back at the elegance of Marlene Dietrich. Two Berlin labels, two different bows. The Berlin label Haderlump presents its new collection, „VARIUS,“ at the historic Wintergarten Varieté. In front of approximately 350 guests, a fashion evolution was presented, which appears significantly more elegant and refined than before. The collection is a tribute to Marlene Dietrich, and it explores identity, freedom, and the power of androgyny. The name of the collection is no coincidence, but rather a thoughtful play on words. It is a direct reference to the venue, the Wintergarten Varieté, where Dietrich herself performed at the beginning of her career. She herself represents uncompromising determination and a drive for freedom, and she used her presence to subvert expectations and make diversity visible.

„VARIUS“ stands for the importance of spaces where diversity is allowed to be lived. Velvet curtains and a central mirror defined the stage design. The models moved slowly and deliberately, to an exclusive soundscape by Grammy winner John Carlsson. The collection featured a mix of flowing evening dresses, sharply cut tailoring, and the iconic „Marlene trousers.“ Lace was used for the first time, combined with typical Haderlump elements such as leather, denim, and heavy wool. To complete the look, the label collaborated with well-known brands such as Liebeskind, Converse, Wempe, and Le Specs. The collection marks a turning point for the label, moving away from the purely avant-garde and rustic, towards a refined, elegant aesthetic that realizes the full potential of the brand. Accompanied by a string ensemble, the models formed an impressive „tableau“ on stage for the finale. Haderlump understands fashion as a collaborative project. For the AW26 collection, the label relied on a mixture of established partnerships and new, high-profile collaborations. What remains from this year’s Berlin Fashion Week? The realization that this week’s collections are not mere designs, but visual statements that practically demand a substantive engagement.

Between the historical heritage of the Wintergarten and the hard asphalt of DAGGER’s founding years, Berlin has found a language that resonates internationally. A loud, honest ‘All the Best’ for a fashion scene that has truly come into its own.