It was a small gesture when Johannes Boehl Cronau kicked off his black leather slippers as he took a bow after his Ioannes show in the Orangery of Charlottenburg Palace. But it spoke volumes to many of those present. Take a deep breath and cool down. Berlin Fashion Week is over. In many ways, it was every bit as good as its big sisters and could even compete with Paris Men’s Fashion Week, at least in terms of temperatures and show delays.
Boehl Cronau, whose designs have been well received in Hollywood and who has already collaborated with Kylie Jenner’s label, showed his work in Berlin for the first time. Of course, his dresses, which are all exceptionally well made, were on display: eye-catching and very figure-hugging. “I’ve always been very inspired by the women in my family. Body awareness and sexiness have nothing to do with clothing size,” the designer replied when asked to what extent sensuality plays a role in his work. Not a single waist was hidden, each one was precisely and accurately accentuated. Or simply exposed, as in the halter tops with floor-length fringes, which Ioannes alternated with mini and maxi dresses.
In between, there was also some knitwear, a few trains, and quite a bit of sequins, paired with high leather boots. The accessories further refined the image of the cool, international Ioannes woman. Oversized, sculptural gold jewelry and even larger aviator sunglasses. The latter, incidentally, are a collaboration with Berlin eyewear label Mykita, which designed this particular frame as a special edition for Sarah Jessica Parker.
“This collection is a little glimpse into the past six years,” he said. “What I’ve done, what I love, and what may have been missing from my portfolio. But I’m not necessarily looking to do more excessively. I’m not even doing shows regularly. The biggest advantage I want to give my customers is to put more quality into all the quantity.”
