This Friday (13th) sees the opening of Russian photographer >Alexey Kiselev<’s exhibition, a diary of perceptions on the colourful and eccentric, at the >Lucas Carrieri Art Gallery< from 7pm. The artist, whose work has adorned the covers of Vogue and Dazed and Confused has been outraging and inspiring since the 90s and has proven his versatility as not just a professional magazine photographer but also as a social critic with a flair for the absurd. Russia’s super-male-model Polyakov was Kiselev’s subject in a two year long project depicting perceptions and delusions of society. His latest exhibition is just as provocative and engaging as the last, however this time with many more people involved. Some are intoxicated and living the social high life and some are simply innocent bystanders, who lend to the photographs a sense of shame and sadness. Interesting, thought provoking and stripping the subjects of vanity and guard, the exhibition will challenge your take on society and human nature. Kiselev will be present on opening night and the exhibition will run until 27th November.

>vonLUDWIG<, PR-Agentur für Mode, Musik und Lifestyle bietet Praktikumsplatz ab sofort für 4 Monate. Aufgabenbereich: Betreuung von PR-Kampagnen (Print und Online) und von Events. Gefragt sind: Stärke in Textverfassung, Internet-Affinität, Flexibilität, Deutsch als Muttersprache, sehr gute Englishkenntnisse. Info und Bewerbungen an: info@von-ludwig.com.

Seventy of music’s biggest names, including Basement Jaxx, Kylie Minogue and U2 have been asked to ‘destroy’ iconic photographer Rankin’s most famous portraits. Some chose to collaborate with artists such as Damien Hirst, to leave their mark on some of music’s most famed photography, others chose to do their own thing. But what is certain is that what has been created is a harmony between music and art and many deep, personal reflections are apparent in the pieces. >Gestalten< is releasing the book in November Europe-wide, before going global. The book " Destroy / Rankin"is not only a collaboration with music’s greats, but also with the UK’s largest music charity, Youth Music, and the release coincides with both their tenth anniversary and Youth Music Week 2009. Five essays about the relationship between music and art, as well as a DVD detailing Dazed and Confused founder Rankin’s creative process will be released with this very special, limited-edition book.

Spanish designers Silvia Salvador and Nando Cornejo met in Salamanca while studying Fine Art at University. They then went on to become art directors before finally moving to Berlin in 2001. >Potipoti< was founded in 2005. With a strong emphasis on graphics, their designs are certainly in demand for their unique aesthetic – the brand boasts having appeared on many a catwalk around the world and the collection has been featured in the likes of “Fashion Unfolding”, “Collezioni” and “Neo2”, to mention but a few. Their style reflects their well-travelled lifestyle, incorporating experiences and cultures into their work. Their range has extended to eye wear and even a collection of notebooks, in collaboration with Labor Viva, a great project that gives work to people with disabilities. Based in Rosenthalerst. 66, the duo also have labels like Las Casista de Wendy and Beyond the Valley and shoes from the much loved brand ‘Victoria’, as well as various Berlin-based labels. You can also buy literature and music from around the world - just stepping foot in the shop is an inspiring, magical experience.

Berlin’s freshest, most elegant new label >BUTTERFLYSOULFIRE< have recently opened up shop in Berlin-Mitte. Fashion duo, Maria Thomas and Thoas Linder, have moved into the photo gallery >SevenStarGallery< and their current winter collection, as well as the crème de la crème of collections gone by, are yours to purchase. Inspiration comes from old fairytales such as “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Lord of the Rings”, mirrored in their distinctive and elegant designs. Head down to the shop and check it out for yourselves:  Steinstrasse 17, open Mon – Sat, 12pm - 7pm.

How Berlin can be transformed into a city of fashion? This is the key-question of the Symposium "Zu modisch für die Mode?" ("Too Fashionable for Fashion?"), organised by the Berlin-based newspaper Tagesspiegel. The event takes place on Monday 19th at 7pm in the >Babylon< cinema (Rosa-Luxemburg-Strasse 30), featuring a plethora of special guests. In addition to Michael Sontag - recent winner  in the category "Fashion Design" of the Innovationspreis Textil + Mode 2009  - as guest speaker, there will also be Karl-Heinz Müller, executive director of Bread & Butter GmbH; Leyla Piedayesh (fashion designer - Lala Berlin); Dirk Schönberger, creative director of JOOP! GmbH and patron of the fashion design award “Createurope”; and Michael Werner, chief editor of the fashion business magazine “TextilWirtschaft”. After the discussion there will be time for music, talks and drinks... Come join the symposium! [The photos show the new Michael Sontag's S/Scollection. Copyright: Christian Schwarzenberg]

With its event series „InFashion“, opening on October 18th in the >Haus der Kulturen der Welt< (John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10), Berlin’s >Fashion Patrons< agency presents yet another successful collaboration of Asian and European Fashion. Although seats are limited, everyone is invited to be a part of the promising international exchange between Korean, Japanese and German avant-garde artists in four acts. In addition, French choreographer Alexandre Roccoli will furnish the performance stage with his collection. A total of 400 prominent guests with backgrounds in politics, economics and cultural institutions will attend this exhibition, which strongly promotes intercultural transfer. The show starts at 10 p.m. [From the left to the right; the photos shows: Nami Miyung's fashion, Ryota Shiga's fashion, Faye Smith's fashion, Taranè Hook's fashion]

The Berlin designer-duo Claus Arnold and Mila Micic are the creative minds and hands behind the label >Aschön<. which will be exhibited in Agentur V throughout this winter. Coming from the German word “schön” which means beautiful, the label explores different forms of beauty linked to urbanism and uniqueness - far away from mainstream chic. No city other than Berlin has the same appealing contradictoriness that drives the inspiration for their work. Tactility, the use of the finest materials, such as silk and fine cottons and high-quality workmanship, make Aschön’s scarves one-of-a-kind. The same applies to their bags for which only premium materials that demonstrate extraordinary character and workmanship are used. Every bag is a handmade and one-off, and every scarf is produced in a limited edition further underlining how the Aschön stands for high quality combined with passion for detail.

Whether it’s haute couture, second hand or clothing from the textile discount store – the wardrobe presented at >FASHION@SOCIETY< is more than just wrapping. The symposium with several international guests takes place on September 8th in Berlin’s Acadamy of the Arts (Pariser Platz 4) and redefines social identity through fashion. Clothes don’t just make the man or the woman. What comes along with it is a sense of pride, status and a particular way of life that celebrates youthful fashion style and music. In collaboration with >CREATEUROPE<, the Goethe Institute and The "Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung", “Fashion@Society” will focus on fashion’s functionality in subcultures and lift the veil on fashion as a tool of discrimination and social exclusion. While promoting innovative projects like “Mitumback”, offering workshops and discussions that tackle questions of the kind “how does my favourite sweatshirt relate to my personal convictions?” Come join the symposium and find out…