Best of the Decade

A curated retrospective of the most exciting films from previous BFFF editions + A Sneak Preview into the best and latest from BFFF’s awards competition 2021.

Tom van der Borght

Missing the runway? We take you to the front row - Live Fashion Shows and Special Event Formats broadcasted live from Kraftwerk Berlin.

Mercedes-Benz presents TOM VAN DER BORGHT + Interview

TOM VAN DER BORGHT

»T.VDB reflects on a new concept of luxury in a social and sustainable reality. I create precious, long-lasting handmade pieces. They challenge the customers’ desire and invite him/her/they to dare to wear them.«

Tom van der Borght

Belgian designer Tom Van Der Borght studied at Stedelijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten (SASK). Using upcycled and unconventional materials such as leftover rope, plastic tubes and vegetable fur to bring his creations to life, his attention-grabbing designs are intended as a message of hope, liberty and non-conformism. Tom Van der Borght’s oeuvre explores what the future of luxury and haute couture could look like, offering sartorial optimism and a sense of community. His collection entitled Seven Ways to Be T.VDB, based on seven stages of the designer’s personal life, impressed the jury of Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography 2020 – Tom Van Der Borght was the winner of the Première Vision Grand Prix.

Live-Stream Link on www.berlinfashionfilmfestival.net

Kids of the Diaspora

Kids of the Diaspora is a Vienna based fashion movement founded by Leni Charles and Cherrie O in 2016. The brand’s philosophy is to give a sense of togetherness and a voice to all the people living in the Diasporas who may not know where they belong.

The label focuses on gender neutral collections and dedicates them to people who question the concept of minority, a soultribe of no specific age, gender etc. We identify as a poetic generation and communicate out messages through poetry and incorporate it into the fashion items.

Every piece is screen printed with what we call the “blood line tag” presenting a poem by young Diasporan poets. Our inspiration is based on empathy towards the stories of people growing up apart from the countries of their roots. Our first Collection the “Bloodline Collection” is based on three colors, white, red and black. Black symbolizes eternity in space, white stands for freedom, red for the blood that makes us human. Besides the evergreen “Bloodline collection” we produce our limited collections such as the “Nothing Can Cross Our Spirit Collection” and the “Identity Series” which will drop in April 2021. We make sure all items are manufactured with the same love we designed them. Our headquarters are based in Vienna Austria and so is our manufacturing team. Which results in fair, sustainable and handmade fashion made by locals.

Interview by Emily McDermott

Emily McDermott is a Berlin-based writer and editor who focuses on visual art and culture. Her writing has been published by numerous magazines, including Frieze, ArtReview, Artsy, Wallpaper*, New York Magazine’s Vulture, artnet News, Vice’s Garage, i-D, W Magazine and Elle.com, among others.

Best of the Decade

A curated retrospective of the most exciting films from previous BFFF editions + A Sneak Preview into the best and latest from BFFF’s awards competition 2021.

ESDE

We incorporate our personal experiences and try to express the acquired clarity and directness through everything we do and produce. 

Ronny Schröder is the founder, designer and manufacturer of ESDE Bags. Growing up in East Germany and living through wild and colorful years in Berlin, he settled in Düsseldorf. After some years of editorial work in the avant-garde fashion sector, he moved on to the other side of the business: digging deeper into craftsmanship and materials, he discovered his real passion in designing and creating unique bags and accessories. ESDE is not only his brainchild - his own story and the evolution of the brand are interwoven on countless levels. 

https://esde-bags.com/

Interview by Emily McDermott

Emily McDermott is a Berlin-based writer and editor who focuses on visual art and culture. Her writing has been published by numerous magazines, including Frieze, ArtReview, Artsy, Wallpaper*, New York Magazine’s Vulture, artnet News, Vice’s Garage, i-D, W Magazine and Elle.com, among others.

Best of the Decade

A curated retrospective of the most exciting films from the decade / all selected films from previous BFFF editions, starting with films produced in 2011 up to 2020.

Per Se

Per Se is a question posed to the wearer and the possible answer which is found in the dialogue of the pieces themselves: a message of awareness and serenity in an increasingly polarized society.

This harmonious dynamic evolved out of the patience and friendship between founding designers Yannick Heidemanns and Tim Borchert. Sharing a background in business and sales, both parties were motivated by the same concept of oneness. In 2018 Heidemanns’ design sense and fashion industry experience combined with Borchert’s career in the visual arts compelled and challenged both designers to evolve their own brand: Per Se.

“We learn so much from each other,” Heidemanns said. “We wanted our brand to be a wearable platform to open this cycle of inspiration to others.”

Per Se departs from the reductive progress of modern minimalism into a more genuine sensibility. Marked by local sourcing and high-quality materials, the brand employs the principle of oneness, considering every detail of production and seamlessly integrating these elements into a distilled garment that appears simple but sings with depth of concept. The collection is made in Berlin using high quality Japanese fabrics.

As a brand, Per Se is committed to supporting the same longevity in their manufacturing relationships as they do in the fundaments of their garments. The mindset is one of a beautiful sustainability, not just in the product but also in the relationship with both suppliers and stockists.

“Per Se was born out of our deep trust,” Borchert noted. “We craft our garments with expert care and careful consideration in order to inspire that same trust in those who wear them.”

The brand promotes a new frugality, utilizing techniques that allow their garments to be long- wearing and also to unfold over time, revealing new facets of aesthetic. From design to concept to production to sales, Per Se poses questions to inspire self retrospection and to engage in open dialogue—no single aspect is the answer, but rather the composite of the questions themselves.

https://www.perse.clothing

Interview by Hella Schneider

Hella Schneider is a fashion critic and journalist, known for her in-depth observation on contemporary culture beyond style and clothing. She works as Contributing Editor for Vogue Germany, where she has previously held the position of Features Editor for more than five years, and as Fashion Columnist for Swiss newspaper NZZ. She also teaches Fashion and Digital Journalism at German fashion and design school AMD.

Best of the Decade

A curated retrospective of the most exciting films from the decade / all selected films from previous BFFF editions, starting with films produced in 2011 up to 2020.

BLNKS

BLNKS is a German brand founded in 2016. Born from Malte Blank‘s vision, its Creative Director and a passionate sneakerhead. Convinced by the vision and the mix of traditional know-how with bold and futuristic designs, Frederik Dreeke and Alexandre Pineau joined the brand.

Confident that everyone possesses a creative potential, they built an ideal playground for people to unleash their creativity. BLNKS invites customers to place a part of himself in his creation. Its logo expresses it perfectly. BLNKS experience enables you to create a unique sneaker masterpiece. Creativity and freedom are the keywords during the journey! Every aspect of the shoe is defined by the wearer (each leather pattern, the outsole, the sewing lines, the laces and eyelets, crystals and spikes, ...). As a final touch, the same way a painter signs its art, the signature tag will ensure each sneaker is unique.

https://www.blnks.de

Interview by Cassidy George

Cassidy George is a Berlin based journalist, who writes about how history and identity politics shape art, fashion, music and culture. She has contributed to over 20 different publications, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vogue, GQ, W magazine, BBC and The Cut.

Best of the Decade

A curated retrospective of the most exciting films from the decade / all selected films from previous BFFF editions, starting with films produced in 2011 up to 2020.