UdK’s Schau26 Turns Charlottenburg Street into Fashion Protest Stage

On July 4th, Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) staged Schau26 on Bleibtreustraße in Charlottenburg, transforming the street into a runway for over 1,000 spectators. The event, titled 'Silver Lining: Fashion as Protest', featured works by eleven graduates and five semester projects from UdK’s Institute for Experimental Clothing and Textile Design. Produced in collaboration with PLATTE Berlin, Friends of Bleibtreustraße, and BID Ku’damm-Tauentzien, the show rejected traditional closed-door formats, placing fashion directly in public space. Local shops displayed designers’ sketches, and residents watched from balconies. The collections ranged from hyper-exaggerated silhouettes to precise draping, all treating clothing as a political tool. The event underscored Berlin’s creative economy’s need for raw visibility during Fashion Week.