On July 3, 2025, GMBH presented their Spring/Summer 2026 collection Imitation of Life at Berlin Fashion Week. Staged at the Palais am Funkturm, the mood was introspective from the outset. 58 seconds of silence—one second for each thousand Palestinian lives lost since October 2023—opened the show.
Conceptualized by Benjamin Huseby and Serhat Işık, Imitation of Life grapples with “emotional absurdity” in a world disrupted by moral collapse.
“How can people still go about their daily lives?”
The show was structured in three acts, accompanied by haunting music to underscore themes of disorientation and survival.
This season’s silhouettes reflected the duality of coming out the other side of violence, still human. Tuxedo jackets were paired with satin boxer shorts. Boxy suiting layered over cotton underwear.
Mesh tops stood out emblazoned with faux euro bills—a nod to family snapshots. Cropped jerseys read Mashallah, a symbol of gratitude and protection. Other garments featured gentle blessings such as “Safe from harm” and “Peace be upon you from what you patiently endured.”
Chiffon scarves gently laid over heads; satin gowns took on urn-like shapes; oversized bows tied at the spine.
“We are sleepwalking. Sleepless. Ghosts. Like we are living in an imitation of life.”
From the show notes
Models at GMBH moved with solemn restraint, avoiding theatrics. They walked with a quiet, processional pacing that allowed each detail to speak. The garments recalled private rituals: dressing for mourning, for remembering, for moving forward.
While rooted in personal archives—family footage, childhood photographs—the collection expanded into something broader. A reflection on grief.
By presenting Imitation of Life in Berlin rather than Paris, GMBH reaffirmed both their creative roots and Berlin Fashion Week’s evolving role as a platform for deeply personal, politically resonant storytelling
GMBH: @gmbh_official
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