At the risk of losing my cool cred, I’ll confess that Schumacher is one of my consistently favorite shows on the Berlin schedule. The brand is fundamentally commercial. The shows lack theatrics or gimmicks. Garments are lady-like and the presentation is polished. Dorothee Schumacher doesn’t self-consciously flaunt her creativity but her pieces have unexpected flourishes which demonstrate her ingenuity. Her clothes are surprisingly fresh, never prissy and authentically elegant. A/W12 was a striking blend of well-tailored leather pencil skirts, suits, Charlie Girl trousers and “fun furs” in striking shades of turquoise, pumpkin and caramel. One pale citrus-coloured fabric jacket erupted in a dense lemon/lime colored fur color, with tuffs of the same fur peeking from the hem. The mixture of textures and acide-hues sounds unpleasant but the fit and smart distribution of fur was delightful and actually pretty cool.
by Ana Finel Honigman
