BERLIN — There were fresh bursts of color at Bread and Butter this season, as many denim-oriented labels featured jeans, denim jackets and chinos in a range of tones from pale pinks, greens and lilac to bright candy colors for spring 2011.
The street and urbanwear fair featured about 600 exhibitors at the Tempelhof Airport here. B&B’s organizers did not release attendance figures, but the show was bustling and upbeat, with many stands extending onto the runway and a 3,000-seat stadium providing World Cup entertainment.
While the trend for skinny jeans showed no signs of fading, brands at the fair, such as Gas, Wrangler and G-Star, presented variations of loose-fitting boyfriend jeans for women. Slouchy chinos with turn-up cuffs were also a big trend.
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Pepe lent femininity to its denim offerings with fitted jackets and skinny jeans in pale pink and purple. Color also popped up at Tommy Hilfiger on bright floral-pattern cotton spring dresses. For men, pink and orange jeans with turn-ups were paired with cotton T-shirts and cardigans, and a fitted stars-and-stripes jacket was the pièce de résistance of the spring women’s collection. The brand is sold exclusively in Hilfiger stores and Macy’s in the U.S., and has a solid base within Europe.
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“Germany is our largest market, followed by Italy and Spain,” said Oliver Timm, managing director of Tommy Hilfiger in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Boss Orange creative director Eyan Allen included current best-selling items in next spring’s collection. “The distressed shirts and denim and graphic-printed T-shirts have been received really well,” Allen said of the label’s men’s range, and the spring 2011 collection will see a development of the new “bohemian chic” range for women.
Inspired by actress Sienna Miller, the label’s new ambassador, the collection includes feminine maxidresses, fringed suede bags and flat leather sandals. The more urban line of the Boss Group trio has seen international sales rise 40 percent since Allen took over its creative direction last year.
The name Cheap Monday reflects the Swedish brand’s dedication to affordability — the average price of a pair of jeans is 50 euros, or about $65 — one reason why in a weak economic climate the brand has managed to keep selling in 1,600 stores in more than 30 countries. Now that Weekday Brands, parent of Cheap Monday, is 60 percent owned by H&M, it has the financial support to further expand sales.
“H&M knows the German market better than us, so it will help us out here,” said Håkan Ström, chief operating officer of Weekday Brands.
Weekday opened a two-story flagship in central Berlin during fashion week here, selling the Weekday and Cheap Monday labels, as well as collaborations with designers such as Peter Jensen and vintage items.
The spring 2011 Cheap Monday collection contains variations on its best-selling tight skinny jean in various grays, black and white, plus relaxed sweats and oversize jersey tops in pale pinks and blues.
Mustang was founded in 1932 near Stuttgart, but the brand is far from becoming staid, and continues to expand its women’s denim styles to include vests, dresses and studded denim shoes.
“We recently expanded our accessories line to include leather belts and bracelets, as well as denim bow ties for men,” said a company spokeswoman.
Mustang also showed some of the most overtly feminine items seen this season from a denim brand, such as soft leather biker jackets with frill detailing and floral print cardigans in pink and green.
Across town at the Premium trade show, which ran concurrently, jeans brands were holding court in the central hall.
Citizens of Humanity included many traditional styles in denim for next spring, such as fitted blue jeans, denim overalls and frayed cut-off shorts, but the color trend was also evident in the slouchy, roll-up chinos in beige and green. J Brand’s black-and-brown leather-look jeans for next year are skintight, with zip detailing on the back.
German jeans brand Blessed and Cursed was founded in Hamburg two years ago, and though its most loyal market is still in local German cities and Austria, the collection has been picked up in Dubai and by Barneys New York in Los Angles. The new Killer Couture collection of Japanese denim fitted jackets and skinny jeans embellished with studs and Crystallized-Swarovski Elements is already a hit, the company said, and is worn by U.S. pop stars Rihanna, Jon Bon Jovi, Katy Perry and Fergie.
Los Angeles jeans brand RockStar made the move from Bread and Butter to show at Premium for the first time this season. Loic Rocca, vice president of sales, noted it’s important to know your place within the market.
“We consider brands like Seven For All Mankind and Citizens of Humanity our closest competitors, so it is good to be here with them,” Rocca said.
RockStar is also two years old and started out producing biker jackets before expanding into denim. The spring women’s wear collection includes cotton sweatpants, jeggings, candy-colored chinos and a military-inspired range that includes hoodies and belts.
Reversible jeans were shown by Gas and RockStar this season, and while the trend is still new, the idea of jeans that can be worn inside out for different looks should be attractive to customers looking for multifunctional denim, brand managers noted. RockStar’s double-faced denim is slim fitting, black on one side and blue on the other. Gas’ blue jeans turn inside out to reveal a pale checked pattern.