Bow your heads, fashion enthusiasts, the Queen of Berlin Fashion has unveiled her latest creation: the Fall/Winter 2026 collection entitled “Zero Point.” This mesmerising collection was revealed during Berlin Fashion Week at RAUM, orchestrated by Fashion Council Germany, an event that transcends mere fashion to stimulate creativity and personal expression.
@fashioncouncilgermany @christianearpvogue @berlinfashionwe
lookbook photos by @ansgar_sollmann
In an installation, guests were invited to unleash their artistry, painting a striking wall with black paint, all while models adorned in Perbandt’s iconic designs posed gracefully amidst an enchanting sea of black balloons. “Zero Point Energy” embodies a state of minimal yet inexhaustible energy, suggesting that even in perfect stillness, a subtle yet powerful vibration remains, resonating through every stitch of her collection.
Founded in 2004, Esther Perbandt’s premium fashion and jewellery brand celebrates its roots in Berlin, with influences drawn from her experiences in Moscow and Paris. A child of the 70s and 80s, Esther was nurtured by open-minded parents who instilled in her the values of feminist movements and inclusivity, shaping her avant-garde aspirations. Known as the “Queen of Black,” she has devoted over a decade to designing exclusively in this striking hue, offering a bold statement against the fleeting nature of fast fashion.
From her Berlin atelier, Esther Perbandt crafts her vision and shares it with a global audience, consistently redefining what it means to wear black. Her remarkable journey reached new heights when she competed on Amazon Prime’s “Making the Cut,” where she captured hearts and came in a close second. Dive into the black universe of Esther Perbandt, where each piece tells a story of elegance, power, and timeless creativity.
– ZERO POINT – A Diary Entry
Berlin. A rainy, gray day.
Why does everyone long for Berlin?
I once left.
Years passed. I returned.
Now I know why.
I sit before two hundred black spheres
moving, floating,
sometimes in symmetry, sometimes in waves,
hovering in the air.
At home, a signed photograph of them hangs on my wall.
Many know this place, or should.
It would be a shame otherwise.
I hope they give it the attention I do.
I could sit here for hours, again and again.
I have done so.
Today, once more.
Most people stand.
I sit—legs crossed,
settling in,
knowing I’ll linger a long while.
I am completely still.
I barely move
in fact, not at all.
ZERO POINT
Only my mind is alive,
spinning at full speed.
I know this feeling.
Now—just hold still…
I play a game with my mind:
“What if?”
And so it begins…
What if I take these black circles before me,
the simplest symbol on earth
no, in the universe
as inspiration?
A symbol so ancient, so universal.
Unmistakable, everywhere.
In many cultures, a sign: sun, eternity, perfection, life.
Sun?
For me, it’s the moon.
I love the sun, but the moon feels closer.
I remain perfectly motionless.
ZERO POINT
A circle
no beginning, no end.
Infinity.
I like that.
In my search for the color black,
I try to touch the depths of infinity
ever further, ever deeper.
Like a black hole, perhaps?
What if?
A collection built on black circles?
It’s been done.
Yes, almost everything has.
And rightly so.
Why?
Because it fascinates.
Like Malevich’s black square
the start of pure abstraction,
the “zero point” of art,
nothingness as the source of everything.
RAUM.Berlin photo by Finnegan Koichi GodenschwegerZERO POINT
Still, I do not move.
What if circles overlapped in fabric?
Sometimes transparent, sometimes heavy or light?
Or felted in three dimensions,
like small hills rising from delicate ground?
What if circles pierced the clothing
opening new ways to style?
What if I hinted at circles with slits,
letting light shine through?
What if this created a dance of light and shadow
sun or moon shining within the garment?
What if those slits looked like circles carved in thick book covers
like sculpture?
Or set in the most delicate fabrics,
so airy they might fly away?
And what if, sometimes, they were simply black circles
no meaning at all?
I hardly dare to breathe.
RAUM.Berlin photo by Finnegan Koichi GodenschwegerZERO POINT
What if I let my impressions from Tokyo flow into this?
Tanizaki wrote:
“Shadow is the true medium; in it, clothing becomes deeper, more dignified, more poetic.”
Tokyo was beautiful.
I saw beautiful people
a different kind of physicality:
soft, yet sharply cut.
Wait…
And what if
I showed this new collection only on men?
ZERO POINT
My legs are asleep, awkward as I rise.
An hour has passed.
I am alone.
I walk away,
pause,
and look back at the black spheres.
ZERO POINT…
…the state of minimal, yet never-ending energy,
an invisible foundation for movement, change, and the future.
From stillness, transformation.
Even in darkness, a constant vibration.
RAUM.Berlin photo by Finnegan Koichi GodenschwegerLookbook Pictures: @ansgar_sollmann
Styling: @wbredehorst
Assistant Styling: @felinesasse
Hats: @fionabennettofficial
Shoes: @trippen.official
Hair: @bastiancasaretto @avedagermany
Make-up: @celiaprice @bobbibrowngermany
