PLATTE.Berlin
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
PLATTE.Berlin, a reinvented space in a typical former East-Berlin “Plattenbau”, aims to represent and connect the local creative community. It is space, platform and voice for fashion designers from Berlin and Brandenburg. PLATTE.Berlin partners up with institutions like Fashion Council Germany, Fashion Hub, Verein Berliner Modedesigner (VBM) and the German Fashion Designer Federation (GFDF) to create a space where the sense of belonging to a strong inclusive creative community is the main goal.
Geographical Scope
Project Region
Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
EU Programme or fund
Which funds
Description of the project
Summary
PLATTE.Berlin is a reinvented unique space in the heart of Berlin that not only contributes to create a new sense of belonging for creatives and the textile industry, but also to share and exchange sustainable and innovative new ideas and visions. Additionally, it aims to be an open house that invites diverse communities to create inclusive events and to participate in sustainable and consciously consumed fashion formats and performances.
PLATTE.Berlin is Germany`s first multidisciplinary space with a focus on sustainability, inclusion, and diversity being the three inseparable core values. Our co-creation projects shall be the new benchmark for interdisciplinary projects connecting Berlin fashion and with design, music, and art - giving room for innovative ideas from students, creatives, professionals of the textile industry to all kind of people with strong beliefs.
After hard times of social distancing and the lack of a central space to connect ideas, PLATTE.Berlin was founded to strengthen the meaning of belonging of the local creative community. PLATTE.Berlin gives a space for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and creation of milestones in creativity supported by the industries who share values in sustainability and inclusion.
PLATTE.Berlin stands for Inclusion. Everybody is welcome who shares our values and who wants to be a star in the PLATTE.Kosmos.
PLATTE.Berlin stands for talent, subculture, fashion, music, and art domestically and worldwide.
PLATTE.Berlin represents this authentic and interactive community of fashion, design, art, and music, where creatives, opinion leaders and amplificators can realise their projects in co-creation with the stakeholders of the industry.
PLATTE.Berlin organises think tanks, exhibitions, workshops, panel talks, pop-up events, offers coaching and photo studio dedicated to sustainability and diversity.
PLATTE.Berlin builds and supports new structures that bring people together and give a sense of belonging
Key objectives for sustainability
Status of the creative industry and local community
PLATTE.Berlint is based on a complete needs analysis of the local Berlin Fashion sector by the Fashion network Nemona from 2021 where concrete designer needs were evaluated in a local Berlin context. It became visible that Berlin designers need one central multidisciplinary space to re-connect people with different domains of expertise; focusing on a concrete offer in terms of aesthetics, quality, sustainability, circularity, diversity and inclusion. We had to create this space to start rethinking the current system together, to be more visible and louder about the need of change.
PLATTE.Berlin is a causal reaction to the demand of the local creative industry. Within the last two years of the pandemic the creative industry and community struggled a lot. Berlin lost many spaces which allowed people to connect and transfer knowledge directly.To counteract we worked out following objectives:
- Economical Sustainability at Platte means to support the designers and help them secure their business (giving visibility through the store, professionalisation through education)
- Our second focus is on Social Sustainability by creating a safe space and giving the stage to local minority communities like the local Ballroom Community during our last fashion show event in September. We want to create long-term relationships and invite representatives of different inclusive and diverse queer communities to also use our space for events in a strong community-supporting character.
- We also aim to strengthen the link between designers and consumers in terms of Ecological Sustainability. With our open theme events like the Wool for Future weeks in Nov ’21. We invited representatives of the old and new wool textile industry Claudia Skoda, Yolanda Leask, Ann-Cathrin Schönrock and sustainable fashion activist Jana Braumüller to a panel about the future of wool: the zero waste aspect of knitwear, how to repair and up-cycle knitpieces
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Our mission is to create a unique and beautiful physical place beyond functionality, where people feel welcome and safe, where it is possible to foster the exchange of visions for the sustainable, inclusive and innovative creative industry of tomorrow in a very professional setting, as well.
If you have a look at the architecture of the PLATTE.Berlin building from the outside, one would not necessarily say it's very aesthetic or pretty: it is a typical authentic East-Berlin Plattenbau building from the early 80s with grey, beige and brown, rather dirty and cold tones. But what is beautiful about PLATTE is the idea of this building as a vertical village: there is historically a strong community-belonging sense. This is what PLATTE.Berlin is meant to be: a beautiful open space for collaboration, community and inclusion.
We co-designed our interior with local architect studio AFLPMW and interior designers Ertl und Zull.
Through different co-creative events, exhibitions and installation of students, alumnis, upcoming and aspiring creatives, we demonstrate our understanding of aesthetics and quality paired with the awareness of a strongly needed change. To name a few : INSTALLATION in May 2021 of Up-Cycling Artist Ma Li, GRADUATES EXHIBITION in July 2021 of Kunsthochschule Weissensee, WINDOWS ART EXHIBITIONS by artists Katharina Trudzinski and Colette Vermeulen, MATERIAL MATTERS Exhibition curated and organised by Cläre Caspar [Verein Berliner Modedesigner], Amélie Riech, Monica Khemsurov und Yolandé Gouws.
The PLATTE.Berlin team persists of a collective from the urban economic development departments of Berlin Mitte and Berlin Pankow and selected experts from the fashion landscape which started to work on the PLATTE.Berlin project in March 2021. The team is as creative and versatile as Berlin. Its structure can be exemplary in the sense that it is based on the idea to work as an independent and participative collective with a lot of facilities.
Key objectives for inclusion
Currently the centrally located building is turning into a social inner city. Our concept of PLATTE.Berlin is not just to reinvent a space to create new sense of belonging - it is helping to create better environment for its citizens, its neighbourhood and all human beings in general. PLATTE.Berlin is driven by the Bauhaus philosophy of co-creation and creates synergies between creative minds and industry leaders. We create a space which changes habits through co-creation and brings people with visions and ambitions together to create the future in sustainability, diversity and inclusion. PLATTE.Berlin encourages and teams up with strong female partners, minority leaders and supporters from the professional industry, district exchanges und opinion leaders in politics. Our events and services target not only the creative professional environment in B2B collaborations but also the neighbourhood through B2C workshops, performances, exhibitions and events. We aim to support and professionalise everyone.
Some examples of events and actions:
- DESIRE HOMME in July 21, Fashion Show with the local Ballroom Community in sept 21, Fashion Week event in march 22, participation of label Auf Augenhöhe
- Due to the current situation in Ukraine, we decided to use our space as a stage to promote peace. Under the sign of #fashionunites Ukrainian and Russian Berlin-based creatives are invited to speak, perform and show - together.
- From May ’22 onwards we will start a regular series of talks about inclusion, genderfluidity, anti-discriminating fashion and how to feel good in oneself’s body with Ballroom mother Andra Wöllert, open to the public.
- in Nov 21 we proposed free workshops animated by local designers (love, care and repair workshop with Tata Christiane ) and Upcycling workshop by Gaëlle Martin
- a fashion rental concept, to allow consumers to have access to pricy designer pieces.
- july 22: adapt our facilities to accessibility standards (barrier-free toilets, ramp)
Results in relation to category
PLATTE.Berlin is the first reinvented place to meet and share which focusses on creating a sense of belongine for consumers and connect them with creative projects in a diverse and inclusive way. We are led by the belief that this project needs to break up with usual boundaries in design thinking and creation, and to reach a bigger and more flexible audience, to get a higher relevance.
Interdisciplinarity
From the outset, the space was designed to be modular so that it could accommodate and adapt to different events. Its modular design makes it a unique place where it is possible to consume, meet, learn, think and be entertained.
In one year we already hosted ,in parallel to our Store and Photo studio, various pop up shops, exhibitions, fashion shows, workshops, panel discussions and parties. The ability to host these different formats allows us to provide Berliners with a unique cultural and social offering.
With its innovative formats and collaborations PLATTE.Berlin achieved in less than one year and during the pandemic, to be the most spoken destination for creatives in Berlin creating a sense of belonging. Creating a home.
PLATTE.Berlin aims to be diverse and inclusive, to offer new ways to experience fashion, culture and consumption, new ways to connect and live together..
Through the collaborations with different communities we raise awareness so that we live better with each other.
Financial Independence by 5 sources of incomes (store, photo studio, master classes, events, rentouts in co-working)
PLATTE.Berlin decided with the establishment of PLATTE foundation to not depend on long terms on the appropriations by the governement and politics. Therefore the PLATTE.Berlin incomes will be based on 5 sources of incomes. This way PLATTE.Berlin can grow stabil and is prepared on variabilities in earnings.
How Citizens benefit
When the local economic development offices of Berlin Mitte and Berlin Pankow first started putting the project in place, all multiplicators of the local Berlin Fashion industry were invited to be part of the project. Initially based on the needs analysis by Nemona and through regular online meetings, talks, phone calls, brainstorming and branding workshops with former Creative Director of Highsnobiety Berlin Adli Klein, the greater outlines of the idea were discussed and refined in a participative way, respecting the needs, ideas, and visions for the local fashion landscape. So, in the beginning the approach was rather exclusively thought for fashion designers or design students, less including citizens and civil society.
But in only one year time, a lot of exchange between regional and national institutions like the Fashion Council Germany, the Fashion Hub, and the experience of our open events, it became clear, that the real need of the creative city was to have one central space that connects civil society - all people - with meaningful and beautiful events, where local Berlin fashion can be lived and experienced.
Through our big concept store windows, the exhibition and gallery space, we give a voice and access to art and design through the store windows for everyone that passes by or wants to come in.
This spring we will furthermore start with the development and creation of the beautiful main public area outside the store.
Since December 2021 we started the Sustainable Meetings Berlin certification programme, a dedicated auditing-process launched by the Berlin Convention Office visitBerlin with the goal for Berlin to become one of the most innovative and sustainable event metropolises for conventions and congresses. PLATTE.Berlin will be supported to become a certified sustainable location. The aim is to make events in Berlin more sustainable and, in a participative process,to strengthen and hone the city’s profile as a sustainable congress destination
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
PLATTE.BERLIN - THE INNOVATIVE AND MODULAR CHARACTER OF PLATTE.BERLIN IS DEEPLY INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL BAUHAUS PHILOSOPHY:
PLATTE.Berlin as a demand oriented destination.
The whole project is based on demands of the city and its citizens. Before the PLATTE.Berlin started its journey as a space to create a new sense of belonging, for meet ups and shared projects, a huge research has been done to identify the needs. This research is the foundation of the PLATTE.Berlin and the basis on which PLATTE.Berlin has created its corperate identity based on the excisting niches in the Berlin.
PLATTE.Berlin as a non hierarchical and participative foundation: PLATTE.Berlin is leaded not just by a really well selected group of experts, its lead by a non-hierarchical and participative office. Every important decision is based on good arguments and serves always the big goal of creating a new place for people meeting each other and sharing thoughts and ideas.
PLATTE.Berlin works with border crossing alliances: PLATTE.Berlin does not believe in competition – it believes in good projects with border crossing alliances. For catching up this goal the PLATTE crew made alignments with other stakeholders and is in constant exchange with them to have always a current status quo of the alliance partners.
By the believe in solidarity of different industries and partners PLATTE.Berlin is able to realise hugehuge projects which could not be realized as a stand-alone competitive institution.
Learning transferred to other parties
PLATTE.Berlin is in constant and reflective exchange with educational institutions and fashion associations. They are part of the founders of the associations, they meet regularly to exchange, give feedbacks, and share expertise with the members of the executive Board. This ongoing exchange allows us to update our knowledge and adjust our projects to the needs and current circumstances.
Through the events and collaborations, we carried out, we manage to set up Platte.Berlin and have it recognised as an innovative platform which support Berlin Designers and stand for more innovation and sustainability in fashion. This recognition allows us to collaborate with institutions like BBW University of Applied Sciences. We are planning workshops for them to transfer our knowledge and methodology on Brand building and management of innovative projects.
Our first fashion show in collaboration with the local Ballroom LGBTQIA+ community was a great learning experience on how to work with communities. We want to continue to learn from them and give them a voice by planning future common events. The next appointment will allow us, through a workshop about Diversity, to share with different stakeholders and update our guidelines about diversity and inclusion within the Platte.
Our goal is to extend our recognition in order to open new horizons for Berlin designers and to create new connections between creative people in Europe. Therefore, we would like to be part of exchanges with other similar projects in Europe, like La Caserne in Paris, Fashion for Good in Amsterdam, Mad Brussels in Brussel. Therefore, from January 2023, we will extend our space with an additional building situated next to our actual space. Additionally to workshops, co-working spaces and maker spaces, dedicated residences spaces for European creatives will be set up to generate new exchanges and new co-creations projects.
