German fashion brand GmbH closes Paris Men’s Fashion Week calling for ceasefire in Gaza

German fashion brand GmbH closed Paris Mens Fashion Week calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

As reported, during the final show of the Paris men’s collections on Sunday, GmbH designers duo Benjamin Huseby and Serhat Isik used their Fall/Winter 2024 presentation as political commentary, opening the show with a speech promoting peace and calling for a ceasefire in Palestine.

“We have called for a ceasefire, a release of all hostages, a free Palestine and an end to the occupation,” the Berlin-based duo stated.

“As so many other we have had many sleepless nights after witnessing the most violent nightmarish images we have ever seen, for the first time ever live streamed to our phones. As a way of dealing with these intense emotions, helplessness…we have demonstrated weekly in the streets of Paris, London and Berlin”.

At one point during the speech, Benjamin Huseby broke down, leaving some audience members in tears.

“As fashion designers, we are normally left to express our thoughts through clothing and leave the rest to the imagination. But we live in dangerous times, where the precision of words is needed,” Isik said.

 

Following the statement, models hit the ramp showcasing GmbH’s latest collection featuring symbols of solidarity, like protective balaclavas and hoodies with subdued United Nations logos.

The fall/winter collection featured garments inspired by Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, a symbol of the struggle for a Palestinian state, which were handmade in collaboration with Palestinian and Syrian refugees via SEP (Social Enterprise Project).

“The SEP Artists are Palestinian and Syrian refugees and each piece they create has a purpose: to tell their story, to celebrate and preserve their heritage, while waiting for a political solution to their displacement,” GmbH’s show notes mentioned.