Inna Stein and Caroline Rohner call their label Steinrohner “couture de la rue” (“street couture”), aiming to occupy the intersection of haute couture and wearable fashion. In past seasons, their adventurous fabric treatments have nudged them towards the former. This time around, in their first full Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin runway show, sporty styling (including oversize caps), pushed them too far towards the latter. Seen up-close prior to the show, pieces like a white organza trenchcoat, a gilded Neoprene bomber jacket and a cape in a grid-patterned, industrial-looking transparent plastic were full of quirky charm. But when paraded atop vintage botanical cactus print separates in muted greens and yellows, they felt frumpy, not forward-looking.
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The label has caught the eye of the arty crowd — it’s even had a pop-up shop at Art Basel — but Stein and Rohner want to further their commercial appeal. They still have a little work to do to find the ideal balance.