Berlin Fashion Week opens its doors Tuesday with supermodels, designers, paparazzi and fashionistas set to descend on the German capital for the five-day event.
The 12th twice-yearly preview is also being held against the backdrop of a growing fashion business in the city.
Figures published by the daily Tagesspiegel on Monday showed the numbers employed in Berlin's fashion business climbing by 23 per cent to 18,500 in 2011 compared with 2010, and industry sales surging by 17 per cent.
But unlike the bigger and better known events in the world's fashion capitals, such as Paris and Milan, Berlin's Fashion Week reflects the German city's reputation for younger and more edgy urban
wear.
"Berlin has matured but it has not lost any of its appeal," said Karl-Heinz Mueller, one of the initiators' of fashion week.
Berlin is also one of Europe's leading party capitals, with catwalks springing up at events across the capital.
The focus of the latest fashion week will be on the autumn and winter collections for 2014.