VARIUS

On January 31st, 2026, we presented our AW26 collection, VARIUS, at the historic Wintergarten Varieté. The collection centers on Hollywood actress Marlene Dietrich’s legacy and her way of engaging with societal expectations while defying convention. Latin for "different" or "diverse", the collection’s name echoes both plurality and the Varieté’s history, a space of transformation where Dietrich once performed.

Inspired by Marlene Dietrich, iconic for pioneering cross-dressing in the 1920s, we reflect on the construction of identity. Her on‐ and off‐screen gender fluidity breaks the traditional dichotomy. She moved between roles, embodying both masculine and feminine personas: Marocco (1930) in contrast to The Devil is a Woman (1935). Her androgyny exemplifies how identity can transform and evolve.

Our designs follow this logic: lace against leather, fluid dresses beside sharply tailored coats, from elegant gowns to precisely cut trousers – most notably the so-called Marlene pants. The term became established, particularly in Germany, as shorthand for a distinctive silhouette: high-waisted, wide-legged, with a fluid drape. At a time when a woman wearing trousers could cause genuine scandal, Dietrich wore them as an assertion of control, a refusal to be reduced to the role of a showgirl, a way of projecting sovereignty over her own image.

Velvet curtains framed the runway, and a central mirror reflected the grandeur of the Varieté back onto itself. Models moved slowly and deliberately; in the finale, accompanied by a pre-recorded string composition by John Carlsson – known to some guests from the GRAMMY®-winning Berlin String Sessions – they assembled into a final tableau, holding the moment rather than resolving it.

Collaboration remains integral to our practice: for this collection, we continued our partnerships with Liebeskind Berlin, Converse and Wempe jewelry, while also debuting a new collaboration with Australian sunglass brand Le Specs, featuring three distinct models. Casting was curated by Joy Livia, with styling by Suzana Haile.
 
VARIUS translates a legacy of defiance into a contemporary expression of autonomy. Our wearer carries this spirit: whether they bend, break, or embrace convention, they do so with confidence and freedom of spirit.