seefashion26: The New Guard of Berlin Fashion – An Interview with Clara Dietz Sarries

For half-German, half-Catalan designer Clara Dietz Sarries, fashion is an act of defiance, joy, and absolute self-belief. Growing up in a nomadic slipstream between Berlin, New York, and Catalonia, Clara brings a deeply eclectic, multi-disciplinary lens to her graduate collection, ‘Digital Garden’.

Rejecting the rigid boundaries of traditional fashion, Clara spent months in the ceramics studio experimenting with crystalline glaze recipes, turning organic clay test tiles into stunning jumpsuit prints and chunky, sculptural bracelets. The result is a vibrant, hybrid world where print, embroidery, jewellery, and fluid silhouettes blossom together.

Deeply shaped by Berlin’s nightlife and art scenes, Clara designs for the dancefloor and the gallery opening alike. But beneath the dazzling, conversation-starting exterior lies a vital political message: at a time of rising fascism and systematic attacks on women’s and queer rights, her work is a celebration of femininity, empowerment, and resilience. Seeing her pieces finally come to life under the open skies of ZK/U has only fueled her desire to push the boundaries of surface design even further.

Strawberry-Chili-Basil & Joyous Resilience: Step Into the Universe of Clara Dietz Sarries

Read on as we talk to Clara about the freedom of working across disciplines, designing for confidence, and why her creative identity tastes exactly like the sweet, refreshing, and spicy strawberry-chilli-basil flavour from Berlin’s own Fräulein Frost.

What was your approach to choosing your materials, and how did working with those specific textiles or textures impact your design process?

I like to challenge myself by exploring new media and techniques. For this collection, I spent a lot of time in the ceramics studio, developing my own crystalline glaze recipe for my chunky bracelets. One of the test tiles turned out so beautifully that I decided to incorporate it on a larger scale, and it became the print for my jumpsuit. I like to keep an open mind and bring unexpected elements of the process into my designs.

How do your personal background, heritage, or the environments you’ve lived in manifest in the details of your designs?

Being half German and half Catalan, and growing up between Berlin and New York while spending most holidays with my family in Catalonia, definitely shaped me as a person and as a designer. I think growing up between different cultures, languages, and environments has given me a very eclectic perspective. I naturally like bringing together different influences, techniques, and ways of making, and I think that’s reflected in my work.

Looking back at your time as a fashion student at Weissensee, what was the most valuable lesson—or perhaps the most unexpected challenge—that shaped your identity as a designer?

Don’t limit yourself. That’s probably the biggest lesson I took away from Weissensee. What I love about the school is that you have access to classes in other departments, as well as all the amazing workshops and studios. It gave me the freedom to keep learning and to explore what interested me, and I think that’s really shaped me as a designer.

Berlin has a very distinct subcultural and creative energy. In what ways, if any, did the city’s landscape or community influence your graduate work?

I think Berlin’s nightlife and art scene have definitely shaped how I design. I like creating clothes people want to go out in, whether that’s for dancing or an exhibition opening. I want people to feel confident in my clothes and have something that naturally starts conversations.

Many collections today engage with contemporary cultural, political, or ecological themes. How do you view your role and responsibility as a designer entering the industry right now?

At a time when fascism is on the rise again, and we’re seeing growing attacks on women’s rights and queer identities, I need to create work that celebrates femininity and empowers the people who wear it. During difficult times, I think it’s important that we don’t forget to celebrate one another and surround ourselves with things that make us feel strong, beautiful, and confident. For me, fashion can be a form of joy, self-expression, and resilience, and I hope my work gives people a little bit of that.

Your collection showcases a balance between conceptual thinking and technical craftsmanship. How did you navigate the space between free experimentation and practical execution?

I try to come up with topics that naturally lean into the things I’m interested in. Once I landed on the idea of a Digital Garden, it gave me a world where I could bring together everything I wanted to explore, from print and organic shapes to ceramics, embroidery, and jewellery. The concept became the space where everything could blossom, so even though I was experimenting with lots of different techniques, they all felt like they belonged together. That’s what I love most about the design process: seeing everything come together organically.

Seeing your work transition from the studio into the specific architecture and energy of yesterday’s show at ZK/U, how did that moment feel, and did it change how you view your own pieces?

It was really moving to see the collection come to life and be seen by the public on a platform like that. After spending so many months working on it in the studio, it was fun to see it out in the world finally. It definitely made me want to keep pushing myself and go even longer next time.

What kind of dialogue or emotional reaction do you hope to trigger in the person viewing or wearing your garments?

I like people to look twice, take a moment to get lost in the details, and, hopefully, have that feeling of ‘Oh yes, I’d love to wear that.’ I want my pieces to invite curiosity and make people feel just a little dazzling.

Now that the graduate show is behind you, what aspects of your creative practice or design philosophy are you most excited to explore next?

I’m excited to keep exploring new techniques in surface design and creating more jewellery and accessories. I’m also really looking forward to collaborating with people from different fields. I love learning from others, and finding creative solutions together is one of my favourite parts of the design process.

If your collection or creative identity could be translated into an ice cream flavour, what would it be and why?

Strawberry, Chilli & Basil from Fräulein Frost. It’s a local ice cream flavour that’s intriguing, sweet, and refreshing, with a bit of an after-kick.

Clara Dietz Sarries @newyorknymph

Photographer: Anita Schulte-Bunert @nit.sb

Knit Design: @three_forms_of_the_light
Latex Bag: Anna Stüdeli, @Anna.stuedeli
With Help from Sayo Mogi & Fabienne Peranovic