BACKSTAGE AT AW16 LALA BERLIN // PHOTOGRAPHY PERNILLE SANDBERG

Leyla Piedayesh, founder and chief designer of Lala Berlin, knows her strengths – and she definitely knows how to elegantly develop her classic cuts and pieces while still keeping a modern and youthful look. The original idea behind Lala Berlin was to focus solely on high quality knitwear but it has evolved and includes now an entire collection in different materials, yet the collections always contain some sort of knitwear – in that way it stays true to the brand’s DNA.

This was the case at this AW16 show – think oversize tousled sweaters and lighter knit dresses with golden details. However, the most significant element of the collection was the prints. Once again, the inspiration of this Lala Berlin collection was to be found in the Middle East. Leyla Piedayesh visited Iran for the first time in 27 years this year, particularly Persepolis which is a historic, ceremonial city close to Shiraz, and got so inspired that all prints are based on this city that is a part of UNESCO’s Heritage List. Even the electronic music accompanying the fast steps of the models had references to Iran and it fulfilled the show experience.

The exotic prints were refreshing in a collection of (too) heavy jackets, knitted dresses, sweaters and pants, velour and heavy velvet and created a balance between street- and more business related inspirations. In other words, besides the prints, the delicate tights were needed to lighten up the collection. The range of colours transformed from dark, into black and white prints, soft light green and into a dark blue. Among the distinctive pieces were more classic items as leather trousers, classic wool coats and crispy, elegant blazers. The models were wearing dark, red lipstick and loads of jewellery from Maria Black. A vibe of Berlin and references to the Middle East is a refreshing input to this Nordic, chilly fashion week.

The statement was clear – get out there and explore life while you can!