Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Office Rebel: Maximilian Gedra's Avant-Garde AW25 Collection Promotes Sustainability and Inclusivity

Made of thousands of silvery safety pins, this ingenious gown was part of Maximilian Gedra's new collection. Photograph: Jay Zoo
Maximilian Gedra's new collection, titled The Office - Dystopian Hysteria, presented at Berlin Fashion Week for Autumn/Winter 2025, reinterprets corporate wear, infusing it with avant-garde design elements aimed to challenge traditional norms, writes Antonio Visconti. Photography by Jay Zoo

The silvery dress captured
in an atmospheric moment
on the runway in Berlin
INSPIRED by the contemporary workplace, Maximilian Gedra's expressive collection features an array of dramatic silhouettes and contrasting textiles. Eye-catching looks command attention with dramatic tailoring and colossal shoulders, meant to represent the pressure of corporate culture. Evocative combinations of materials include faux fur, leather, wool and cotton. 

The designer aims to explore the complexities of modern office culture and the need for equal rights within the workplace through his designs. He is making a critique of what he considers outdated professional attire. 

Committed to sustainable practices, the designer uses repurposed materials and turns them into new creations with embroidery and repainting. Two standout pieces from the collection include a dress made from thousands of safety pins and another with more than 10,000 hand-sewn, upcycled buttons, both demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility and artistic flair. 

Gedra wants to address sustainability and inclusivity in fashion and his new collection also encourages a reevaluation of beauty in fashion. By challenging traditional aesthetics, he creates a platform for discussion about how design can transcend superficial standards, offering more diverse expressions of individuality. 

Scroll down to see more highlights from Maximilian Gedra's collection including backstage 






























































 

 

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Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Reconstruct, Reuse, Reduce: the Ethos Behind Palmwine Icecream, the African Brand Redefining Sustainability. Photography by Jay Zoo

Ghanian designer Kusi Kubi unveiled his new AW25 collection at Berlin Fashion Week. 

BERLIN FASHION WEEK has always been a platform for innovation and this season Ghanian label Palmwine Icecream brought African style and sustainability to the runway. As one of the winners of the Berlin Contemporary initiative, designer Kusi Kubi presented his Autumn/Winter 2025 collection, an introspective blend of personal storytelling using upcycled materials and intricate craftsmanship to explore notions of cultural identity, and artistic evolution.

Expanding on the previous season’s collection dedicated to his mother, Kubi’s latest work is a tapestry of life experiences: a mood board tracing his journey from fashion intern to established designer. Celebrating important experiences and his creative expression, the new designs merge sustainability with craftsmanship.

At the heart of the collection, titled Life Moodboard lies a commitment to ethical fashion. Kubi’s signature use of recycled materials is more than an aesthetic choice it’s a philosophy. The collection integrates repurposed leather, wood, raffia, calabash, and dead-stock textiles, reinforcing Palmwine Icecream's ethos of reconstruct, reuse and reduce. Each piece embodies an environmentally friendly approach to design while maintaining a polished aesthetic.

Silhouettes in the collection suggest a balance between structure and fluidity while well-cut tailoring contrasts with draped elements, reflecting the tension between discipline and creative freedom. The color palette: rich browns, deep burgundy, earthy greens, and bold blacks are striking and work with the upcycled materials.

For Kubi, however, fashion is more than just clothing; it’s also storytelling. Raised in a traditional Ghanaian household, he draws inspiration from the textures, patterns, and craftsmanship of his heritage. “Whether through the use of traditional techniques or merging cultural references with modern ideas, my culture is woven into everything I create,” he explains.

Founded in 2019, Palmwine Icecream is a fusion of influences, bridging London’s avant-garde fashion with the dynamic markets of Accra. Inspired by Ghana’s Kantamanto Market, one of the world’s largest hubs for second-hand clothing, Kubi’s brand reimagines discarded materials, turning waste into wearable art. The name itself is symbolic: palm wine, a cherished West African drink, and ice cream, an international indulgence, reflect the brand’s identity and experimental spirit.

With this new work, Kubi cements his place as a designer to watch. More than just a collection, it is his manifesto, one that challenges the industry to rethink fashion’s role in sustainability in new ways. ~ Antonio Visconti 

Scroll down to see more highlights from the Palmwine Icecream AW25 collection plus backstage











































































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