Drykorn (Berlin, Germany)

Very practical: the storefront is equipped with a 'bored boyfriend/husband' bench.

I recently posted about Reiss as an example of how the middle road between designer luxury and cheap high street stores was a great alternative. The majority of the retail chains I've featured on this blog actually belong to the same premium high street category, mainly because they're everywhere and a lot more interesting to blog about than H&M. France has a ton of good local brands (anything from APC to Manoush), as does the UK (All Saints, Jigsaw etc.). Germany? Not so much. I already complained about the fact that a country with such an economic power hasn't really produced a whole lot of well-known fashion heroes, although the selection of indie designers is pretty amazing. The majority of the retail chains you'll find here tend to include the typical imports from Spain, France or Italy, which pretty much sucks if you want to find a good quality souvenir you'll have a hard time getting elsewhere. Closed, was one of the few German labels I was aware of and thanks to the lovely Sofie, who provided me with a long list of Berlin hotspots, I found out that premium retailer Drykorn had its one and only flagship here as well.

Love this campaign... the FW09 lookbook (images: Drykorn).

Drykorn was a brand I was well aware of, yet unfortunately when I lived in Germany (as a student), the pieces were a little out of my price range and at the time, I was more interested in looking trendy than purchasing well-made classics. Back in 1996 Marco Götz founded Drykorn in his native Würzburg (South Germany), where he took over an old workshop specializing in the tailoring of trousers. Initially these were the only items the company produced - with only two ranges of trousers, he'd travel from one boutique to the next, trying to sell his creations. After some initial success, he soon began to add more pieces to the collection - first jackets, then coats, and later on knits, dresses and skirts. The brand now has over 900 stockists worldwide and is a regular at Bread & Butter. Even though the focus lies on country sportswear chic, the impeccably made pieces are anything but boring. Like most premium retailers, the label has mastered the art of picking the more timeless trends to create the perfect balance between classic and edgy. And I must say that the current campaign is probably one of the best I've seen so far... a perfect representation of how investment pieces can look modern and stylish.

The entrance area of the store, which included a lot of plaid and some cute tees.

The heart of the store consisted of three parallel racks suspended from the ceiling (left) and goodies such as the faux fur jackets (right).

The flagship in Berlin is actually split into two separate stores: one for the guys and one for the ladies. I only poked my head in the men's store for a second, hence the lack of pics here, but I found plenty in the women's section. Having spent an afternoon in Wunderkind, then two concept stores and a few indie boutiques - all in which I was either the only customer or one of three at most - it was quite refreshing to enter a store that was buzzing with people. The store layout might not seem that exciting, because it is kept rather simple, but I really loved the functional way the clothes were displayed. Near the entrance, racks were positioned along the wall. This is where most of the key FW09 items could be found (i.e. those featured in the campaign). Those who are intent on browsing a bit more should head towards the back, where three racks running parallel to each other are suspended from the ceiling, allowing you to pretty much check out the entire stock without having to dart from one corner to another.

Overview of the boutique from the back (left) and a very cool biker jacket with a tartan lining (right).

So many belts... and a very stylish knit cardigan (left). One of the SAs was wearing a cute tartan dress I fell in love with (right).

The current season's theme is 'English Countryside meets Streets of London', which explains the abundance of plaid items (you can even get an entire tartan suit if you want), tweed and pinstripes. As the title suggests though, it's more about the fusion of British aristocratic upper class style with a more rugged working class vibe, rather than just a typical Brit-inspired collection. All of this came with a slight retro edge inspired by the 70s, giving the entire range both a timeless and charming look. As with any brand, you're not really meant to wear the label's pieces head-to-toe and most things you'll find here can be integrated into any wardrobe without much difficulty. The fur-lined jackets and fur vests were very on-trend but could easily last beyond a few seasons and the leather jackets (lined in tartan print of course) had the cool rock look that never really goes out of style.

The spacious changing rooms adorned with pics from the campaign (left). More tweed and plaid... (right).

Cash desk and view of the back of the store (left). For something cosy, grab a knit sweater from the shelf (right).

Denim was everywhere as well, whether it's the jackets, skirts or shirts and the usual staples ranging from classic trench coats to military wool jackets had an entire rack of their own. For a more romantic look, there was also a selection of floaty silk evening dresses, ruffled floral blouses or entire shelves filled with soft cashmere knits. And don't forget the funky t-shirts if you do need something to pair the blazer or leather jacket with. Basically there should be something to suit every look here, especially as the consumers in the store seemed to cover every category from punk rock artist to sophisticated business woman.

Overview of the men's flagship, which has pretty much the same layout as the women's boutique.

Definitely worth a visit if you're ever in town, but with close to a thousand stockists, Drykorn is bound to be available in a store near you - if not, they'll most likely be making their way to your city soon...

FW09 runway looks (images: Drykorn).

Address: Neue Schönhauser Straße 6 & 14, 10178 Berlin
Opening Hrs: Mon-Fri: 12:00-20:00, Sat: 12:00-19:00
Drykorn Homepage