Runway Photography – Marcel Ostertag Fall 2024 at Berlin Fashion Week

In February this year I attended Berlin Fashion Week AW2024 and was invited to take runway photography at a number of shows, one of them being that by Marcel Ostertag. The show took place on 7th February 2024 and the collection featured 56 womenswear and menswear looks with floral prints, lace, sequins, and cutouts – I’ve split the collection into 11 key themes below.

Marcel Ostertag is a German designer with a deep connection to London, having graduated from Central Saint Martins. With a background in professional dance (notable from the flourish in his bow at the end of the show) that was cut short after an injury, Ostertag began modelling which took him to London where he enrolled at Central Saint Martins, completing both a Bachelors and Masters degree. He then returned to Germany, where his collections are produced. Marcel Ostertag continues to find success both with his own brand and with collaborations.

Theme 1: Moody Florals

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 40; Photography: The Fashion Fold

I’ve been a fan of the antique floral print since I first noticed its rise in popularity in Pre-Fall 2023 (see 6397, Antonio Marras and No.21), and the print is still going strong, showing up in the AW2024 collections of brands including Prada, Loewe, Jil Sander and Vivetta. Ostertag’s iterations of the print are very strong, including this moody version on black and a more romantic version on a pastel base (see Theme 2 below).

Theme 2: Antique Florals on Pastels

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 18 (Back View); Photography: The Fashion Fold

Antique florals are used on pastel pink and turquoise. I wanted to specifically show the back of Look 18’s bomber jacket as the print doesn’t show as much from the front.

Theme 3: Oversized Florals

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 11; Photography: The Fashion Fold

In this set of looks the florals are blown up to extreme, almost abstract proportions and printed on flowing maxi dresses featuring the straight, slashed neckline that is a key trend for AW2024.

Theme 4: Lace

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 12; Photography: The Fashion Fold

Another key trend for AW2024, lace is used in three colours – white, brown and black – across both womenswear and menswear in pieces that pull inspiration from the coquette aesthetic, cottagecore, and military style tailoring. As a side note, kudos to the model for look 26 for not batting an eyelid as two activists from PETA crashed the catwalk as she came down the runway.

Theme 5: 3D Flowers

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 36; Photography: The Fashion Fold

Related to the feminine trends in AW2024 that draw from the coquette aesthetic that’s been trending on TikTok, solitary 3D flowers appeared on chokers, while halterneck tops featured clusters of flowers. See also the coat in Look 23 with a few flowers placed toward the bottom. 3D flowers have appeared on a number of runways recently, having been popularized by designers including Simone Rocha and Susan Fang.

Theme 6: Corset Belts

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 39; Photography: The Fashion Fold

Black zipped corset belts made an appearance in four looks, drawing the eye toward the waistline.

Theme 7: Deep Purple

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 48; Photography: The Fashion Fold

A trending colour for the AW2024 season, purple is a key colour in this collection – the below six looks are entirely purple, but the colour features in many other looks. Other designers using purple for AW2024 include Brunello Cucinelli, Off-White, and Ferragamo – notably aubergine purple is trending amongst other 1970s colours for AW2024.

Theme 8: Tailoring & Utility

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 9; Photography: The Fashion Fold

As I noted in Chapter 2 of my AW2024 trend report, the oversized and bulky cargo pockets of SS2024 have morphed into smoother, more military style pockets for the fall season – see the shacket above in Look 9 and the shirt below in Look 52. There is a 1980s influence in the dress in Look 3, while the double breasted detailing in Look 23 is more military.

Theme 9: Incongruous Colour Match

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 24; Photography: The Fashion Fold

Purple and brown or green, pink and blue – colours that are kinda mismatched but ultimately work well together make an appearance on the runway, in a way that was then also seen in the colour clashes in the AW2024 collections of Prada, Issey Miyake, Ulla Johnson, and Dries Van Noten later on in the February runway shows at Milan, Paris, and New York Fashion Week.

Theme 10: Flowing Fabrics

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 43; Photography: The Fashion Fold

There are plenty of maxi dresses made of flowing fabrics, or as in the case of Look 6, slits that extend well beyond the thighs for maximum movement.

Theme 11: Cutouts & Sequins

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Look 42; Photography: The Fashion Fold

Cutout sections are held together with strings of sequins; Look 28 stands out for being the only look in the show made completely of sequinned fabric.

Finale

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Final Walk; Photography: The Fashion Fold

Marcel Ostertag AW2024 at Berlin Fashion Week Final Walk; Photography: The Fashion Fold

The models take their final walk below the screens that have been showing floral graphics throughout the show; Marcel Ostertag comes out to take his bow before the applauding audience.

All photos are by The Fashion Fold.