MARKE is debuting its upcoming AW25/26 collection “Everything That Stays Is Love” on February 1st, 2025, during Berlin Fashion Week with an evocative fashion show.
This collection is a poignant exploration of remembrance and fragility, staying true to the brand’s signature unisex aesthetic. MARKE reimagines masculinity through a timeless and romantic lens. The Everything That Stays Is Love collection moves away from fleeting trends to focus on lasting beauty and deep emotional connections.
A Nostalgic Journey in Three Acts
The collection unfolds in three acts, mirroring the arc of a life consumed by nostalgia. Crafted from sustainable materials sourced from deadstock, the designs create a narrative of longing, blending tailored silhouettes with romantic draping and vintage-inspired textures.
The nostalgic atmosphere is complemented by a palette of muted tones interspersed with rich accents, evoking the bittersweet interplay of memory and time.
The show is taking place at Berlin’s historic Villa Elisabeth, featuring installations crafted by artist Fabian Friese. Movement director Leonardo D’Aquino will guide the models, creating a dynamic fusion of fashion, art, and performance. The full press release will be available here, along with a preview.
How does the ‘art and trash’ concept manifest in this collection?
In this collection it’s applied in a much more subtle way that more translates into the concept of presentation. ‘Art and Trash’ is a little positively connotated wordplay for high-culture and pop culture. With the new collection I wanted to achieve one thing in particular: provoke emotions. Emotions sometimes are easier to attract by universally applicable elements, such as well-known songs. Therefore especially the finale song plays with a hit from the 80s that a lot of people might connect moments in their life with, to motivate them during the show to dive into their past, while for some it might be new and a trigger to create new memories through experiencing the sound in conversation with the collection.
How do Hybridity and Fluidity shape your designs?
Hybridity mostly is delivered intrinsically in the products as the base and concept for the development of those find inspiration in a widely branching variety of influences. These come from historical decades, contemporary streetwear, mentioned spheres of arts and pop culture, etc. Therefore the products become a melange of a variety of references.
Fluidity then is strongly defined by the approach of genderless wearing habits. The pieces are officially constructed according to menswear pattern construction but are fitted both on men and women to generate fits that resonate with a wide range of people.
For me, a seam does not define a gender, and looking back to fashion history it’s to be seen that all thinking of gender-assigned clothes majorly is rooted in the societal education since the industrial revolution, and are therefore not much older than 180 years.
How do you continue to balance historic and futuristic influences?
For me, it’s always important to counterpart historic elements with contemporary influences. I’d like to educate people on design historic elements, past quality of craftsmanship, value of said quality. Sometimes I like to play it in a way of costume-esque looks, but mostly it translates into pieces that can easily find their way into an elevated contemporary wardrobe.
How does MARKE redefine traditional fashion boundaries?
Through the lens of fashion history and elements of queer history, I like to softly educate viewing habits and motivate to reflect, on what the eye was used to see in the past and now. Often it turns out that elements that are assigned to a certain gender originate in the exact opposite. Easy examples include heels originating in menswear, as well as the color pink, which was originally assigned to boys, instead of girls. It’s just a think of interest and curiosity to reflect on such societally motivated developments.
How does sustainability play into MARKE’s creative process?
Coming from a consciousness about knowing that the world does not need any more products, my precondition in the whole process of MARKE is leaving the smallest ecological impact and footprint.
This starts in the collection sourcing with 100% of the fabrics being sourced from Italian Over- and Deadstock (of which the average of 96% are from natural fibers). The patterns are developed in Germany in the ateliers, and the full sampling for outerwear and tailoring is taking place in Essen, one hour away from the headquarters in Cologne. This marks 65% of the collection, while the other 35% (pants, shirts) are produced in Poland.
The pieces are developed to the standards of highest quality and therefore are made to be cherished for a lifetime.
Sustainability is also to be found in all aspects of logistics and branding. For instance, all labels are made from a combination of silk and hemp, produced in Denmark, while all logistic material is made from grass paper, that has a very small environmental impact compared to regular paper.
Which piece from the collection best represents its essence?
The essence of the collection, which deals with memories and losing your present to the memories of your own past, is to be found in the last looks of the collection. They are based on classic pieces of MARKE, such as the casual jogging pants and tunics, but feature raw edge fabric panels in the side seams that are knotted into bows in the front. They look like dusty and aerie memories of a past version of themselves, close to the moment of collapse.
What’s next for MARKE?
Right after the show MARKE is moving to a new atelier space in Cologne. While and after moving I will treat myself to a bit of silence and reflection before heading to Paris for hosting the showroom for AW 2526. As well, this year will be the first to feature new formats such as MARKE pop-ups and trunk shows for exchange, collective thinking, and shared memories.
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Check out other highlights from Berlin Fashion Week here.
Berlin Fashion Week Event by KEYI Magazine on February 3rd at OXI!
