Machine-A: 'We're coming to an end of what we call trends'

Machine-A was born out of the idea of offering up-and-coming brands a space. When Stavros Karelis launched this multi-brand concept around 12 years ago, the founder witnessed a lack of these young designers in the London retail landscape. It is therefore no wonder that Karelis is now a regular guest at Berlin Fashion Week, where such designers typically take root and where he keeps an eye on local talent.

For FashionUnited, Karelis took time out of his busy show schedule to recap his experiences and highlights in the German capital. He also gave an insight into the next steps for the fashion retailer, which is opening its next chapter with new investors, and its developments in bricks and mortar retail.

What is your impression of Berlin Fashion Week?

It is starting to become more and more important. When I travel, I like to understand the culture, but also the local designers and brands, and  in what context they are creating a collection. What is the  community that they are part of,  what is their day-to-day existence and where are the inspirations coming from?  In Berlin, I can really understand a lot of  brands that I may have previously seen the work of or met before in Paris, Milan or through social media.  Yet, once I'm here and experiencing that, it feels different.

 Overall, the organisation here has been  really great, the hospitality and the energy between the designers and the brands.  It's a very good  alternative  [fashion week] option  to discover something new and fresh that doesn't really  exist in other places or even at all. The schedules are so packed during the fashion weeks of cities like Paris,  so you don't have much time to see the more independent talents.  I like that I have the time to do this here.

How do you rate Berlin compared to other fashion weeks?

 I don't think that any of the fashion weeks around the world are competing with each other. Perhaps they are competing in terms of timings.  Everyone wants a share of that calendar in order  to be visible.  But I don't believe that Milan, Paris, London or New York are in competition with fashion weeks that are happening like Berlin or Copenhagen. There is something for everyone and you can choose where you want to go.  

For me, personally, Berlin is a new addition to the calendar.  It's evolving very quick  and,  with how they're handling the showcase  and the brand selection, like the  collaboration between the German Fashion Council and Intervention [a platform founded by communications firm Reference Studios], they’re  offering  an alternative  with a strong aesthetic. It’s quite conceptual, while also being very strong in terms of business.

Which brands or shows do you particularly remember?

GmbH was an incredible show.  I have known the guys [Serhat Isik and Benjamin Huseby] for a very, very long time and we've worked for many years together, but Sunday [February 2] was one of the best shows they have ever done.  They were going back to their roots: as in who they are and what they do best. They're so strong in tailoring,  in this sensual masculinity, playing with  gender norms. It's essential and really nice, but also amazingly crafted. Their shows always have different, deeper meanings in terms  of what they want to highlight  and what they want to perhaps comment on in terms of  sociopolitical issues.

I also loved Lueder [of London-based designer Marie Lueder]. She is an  incredible and  promising designer in the next generation.  I know her because I'm also in the NewGen committee of the British Fashion Council, in which she has been recognised. I'm so happy to see her as part of Intervention and Berlin Fashion Week for the second season. I also thought [Berlin brand] SF1OG brought this incredible energy with their 2010s collection in Berghain, while Haderlump [a German label] had this fantastic show in a train venue.

Someone else you liked?

 A revelation for this season was Richard Beil. From last season to this one,  there has been great  evolution in that brand, which really took me by surprise  in a very, very positive way.  [The collection] was beautiful, very well-executed  and very well-thought. The  expansion of the collection was quite significant, without losing the core element of what the brand is about. Marke also had a  beautiful development from last season. Overall, it's great  to see designers evolving in a strong, quick way from the previous seasons that I've seen them in.

I also really enjoyed [Danish-born, Berlin-based] Sia Arnika. Among her generation, she is quite a promising designer. She has had an incredible year,  with collaborations  that have lately really put her name on the front line. She  has all the elements needed to go all the way. It was also quite exciting to see [French designer] Lou de Bètoly. I loved  the way that she played with the  female silhouette and  was touching on couture,  very crafty and very good design in some pieces.

Finally, my ultimate favourite moment was [the group exhibition] Der Berliner Salon, engineered by Christine Arp. I think this was the most interesting part of the whole fashion week; A beautifully curated exhibition between fashion students and emerging talents whose work was beautifully displayed and curated amongst paintings and artworks of art masters. A must see.

Are you considering ordering any of these brands?

Sia Arnika, Marie Lueder and GmbH  are going to be part of Machine-A. I’m also considering Richert Beil. They had an incredible season but I sometimes like to  wait one or two seasons, when I'm 100 percent sure that this is the right moment to introduce a brand to the store.

Do you already have German brands in your range?

For Marie Lueder, it will be the first season. We used to work with GmbH in the past. We stopped for a bit, and now will probably restart. Ottolinger is also part of Machine-A

Do you take any trends home from Berlin?

Not really. What I’ve seen overall in Milan, Paris and Berlin is that tailoring has such momentum right now. The cowboy aesthetic, especially in accessories and details, is also very present. Faux fur has had a strong comeback. It’s in so many looks and people are playing quite a lot with it, especially in an 80's style.

Overall, however, we're coming to the end of what we call 'trends'. It's so much more about individuality right now. That’s what people are more interested in, rather than a trend that is created. Maybe sometimes the trend is more to do with the material, fabrication or colourway. Last season, for example, was obviously all about grey and brown. With the brands I am working with especially, however, there isn't anything really specific in terms of trends.

Your exit from Tomorrow Ltd [London-based brand investor] is also a big shift. How did the decision come about?

 Businesses and companies are coming together to create something. There are a lot of different parameters and reasons attached which influence if it works or not. The reality is that we worked together for almost four years with Tomorrow and that went quite well for the first two, three years. At some point, the priorities or future looked different. So we needed a solution, which was very amicable.

Everyone was happy with the direction we moved forward in. I will always be thankful for Tomorrow because we became part of it during a very difficult and complicated time, which was the beginning of Covid. All the stores in London were shut down for nine out of 12 months. We did some really great projects together in the first years, but we work in an industry where things are quite  volatile sometimes. Projects and planning are changing and have to be adapted to new needs. So we decided to do what would be best for Machine-A, the brands, designers and employees of the company.

Now you are stepping into the future with new investors…

There are people such as Steven Ma, who is a director of the company right now. Steven and I have known each other for a very long time. He worked for the really big projects that we have done with Machine-A, like when we introduced the brand in China, as well as events with Rebook or Mugler. The biggest processes in terms of creative direction and marketing that I have done with Machine-A were with Steven.

He is very aware of Machine’s aesthetic and what our plans are. So it feels like it stays in the family. They are individuals that also understand the business, structure and where Machine-A needs to go to level up very well.

What is the next step?

Developing the online store. E-commerce has a huge potential and growth [opportunities] for the company. It’s an untapped area because Machine-A is a very physical experience. We also have expansion plans for physical retail when it comes down to China.

What are your plans for the Chinese market?

We are looking into different cities and how the brand as a retail concept would appear at those places. The unfolding of that strategy will begin in one year from now.

What do you focus on in particular when you think about new retail concepts?

 The model of retail has to be rethought quite carefully in terms of what a multi-brand concept store is here to do. It’s all about the experience that the customer has when they visit your physical space. The consideration of what Machine-A should be and how we should address this new demographic and consumer is very clear and a great experience. That was always the case for the company.

When I first launched the store it was representing something really important. We never separated men’s and women’s wear in the store, so we represented gender fluidity already at that time. We represented all the brands in a very equal manner without having really high end brands next to graduates from university. It was the experience that we were offering the customer to discover brands and their style in a conversational way. Now the big question is: how we take this idea in 2026 and how do we especially reach the young audience with this new concept?

Can you say more about where you plan the openings in China?

There is so much focus on the capital cities and, of course with London, we are in one, but there are also so many redistributed cities around the world. They are becoming equally important to capitals, but get forgotten because of the focus on those cities.

It is interesting to watch other cities that are coming up and play a big part in cultural aesthetic or spending power from consumers. So we appear in capitals but not necessarily only.

What about the European mainland? Do you have any expansion plans?

Not for now. London is Machine-A’s flagship and is there to serve the European customers. Never say never in life. Things in the retail scene are progressing very quickly and we are in difficult economic times within the industry. Out of difficult times, come really smart projects…