GmbH presented its Spring Summer 2026 collection during Berlin Fashion Week, opening the show with 58 seconds of silence. Each millisecond served as a symbol for a life lost in Gaza. Titled Imitation of Life, the collection came as the fourth season developed under conditions of violence and ethical collapse. Designers Benjamin A. Huseby and Serhat Işık used the collection to explore how to continue feeling, remembering, and creating while surrounded by devastation.
The collection includes tuxedo jackets worn with satin boxer shorts and knee-high riding boots, pairing severity with intimacy. Washed chiffon shirts cut with bat-wing sleeves meet striped cotton boxers, introducing a softened structure. Mesh tank tops carry pinned imitation euro notes, each one a symbol of value turned hollow. Low-slung trousers, fixed with narrow belts, reveal the waistline with precise exposure.
Phrases such as “Peace be upon you from what you patiently endured,” and “Mashallah” appear as embroidery or print, embedded into otherwise restrained cuts. These garments carry their own language – quiet, deliberate, and charged. Full-face scarves in black and white function as veils, wiping away identity while leaving space for memory and grief.
Tailoring holds tension through sculptural forms. Rounded padded shoulders recall the brand’s signature “donut” silhouette. Oversized satin bows fix to the backs of tailored jackets and coats. Crop tops break clean suiting lines. Satin boxer shorts, mesh tops, cotton tailoring, and dense wool pieces sit side by side without hierarchy. Textured bermuda shorts echo the silhouettes of early-life dressing, but with none of its sentimentality.
Materials alternate between sheer and dense, creating deliberate friction. Chiffon and mesh meet fitted trousers and heavier coats, letting fragility clash with control. Feather trim and loose fabric strips fall from sleeves and hems, interrupting structure with motion. Neutral-toned t-shirts carry graphic prints, where slogans settle into the garment instead of demanding attention.
Sculptural gowns in grey and black use curved forms to balance softness and rigidity. These silhouettes extend the collection’s tension, holding form without offering relief or conclusion.
Imitation of Life moved through confusion, grief, and survival without chasing resolution. Through fabric, language, and structure, GmbH shaped a collection that made space for memory to stay sharp – and for silence to hold as much meaning as any stitched line.
