GmbH Spring/Summer 2026 - Imitation of Life
The collection, conceptualised by designers Benjamin Huseby and Serhat Işik, resonated deeply with the audience through its politically charged and poetic narrative. It posed an essential question of our time: How can we continue to live, love, and retain our identities amidst the world’s challenges?
@berlinfashionwe
@fashioncouncilgermany
Photos by Finnegan Koichi Godenschweger
Words by Marcel Schlutt and Nico Sutor
The “Imitation of Life” collection was masterfully divided into three acts, each interspersed with the haunting strains of “Pearl’s Dream” from Walter Schumann’s Night of the Hunter. This theatrical presentation was not just about fashion; it was a dramatic exploration of life, resilience, and hope.
The cruelty of this world has severed our connection to it.
We no longer know how to act or feel.
How can people still go about their daily lives?
Celebrate, connect or fall in love?
Write or think
coherently?
Life is suspended and happening somewhere else. In another time.
We are sleepwalking.
Sleepless.
Ghosts.
Like we are living in
An imitation of life.
In fashion, we count time in seasons, and this is the fourth season we have tried to create
in the shadows of a genocide.
But this collection is not about cruelty, death or destruction.
It’s a collection that reflects a process of working and living through a time defined by the
most abject forms of horror
and moral collapse,
and trying to come out on the other side
still human.
We revisited childhood and rites of passage.
Clothes of all aspects of life. Real or imaginary.
We watched old tapes of family events.
Tried to embody playfulness and joy while faced with despair.
But how can you revisit your childhood without feeling devastated?
And how can we stay sane in a world led by psychopaths?
-Benjamin Huseby & Serhat Işık
Berlin, July 2025
GmbH showcased a stunning array of designs, featuring delicate satin boxer shorts, tailored tops, and shirts that exemplified precision and elegance. Standout pieces included chic crop tops paired with refined trousers, all accentuated by oversized bows on coats and blazers. Many tops boasted intricate bow details and sash-like silhouettes, creating a visually striking aesthetic.
Additionally, select garments were adorned with powerful phrases such as “Safe from harm,” “Mashallah,” and “Peace be upon you from what you patiently endured,” further emphasising the collection’s meaningful commentary.
We loved everything about this remarkable presentation, which not only highlighted GmbH’s innovative design but also served as a compelling reminder of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
