William Fan at Berlin Fashion Week SS27: The Exchange Collection
Some designers build collections. William Fan builds worlds. At Berlin Fashion Week SS27, the acclaimed German designer presented “Exchange,” a Spring/Summer 2027 collection inspired by the universal human fascination with collecting, curating, and preserving. Held at The Foundry, the show transformed a fashion presentation into an immersive experience and confirmed once again why William Fan remains one of the most quietly influential names in German fashion.
A Decade of Cultural Dialogue
Founded in 2015, the Berlin-based label William Fan was established by its eponymous designer, a German creative with Chinese heritage who has spent a decade fusing European elements with Asian influences to create a harmonious union between the two cultures. A graduate of the Weißensee Academy of Art in Berlin who honed his craft during time at Alexander McQueen, Fan has built his brand on precise yet playful tailoring, gender-fluid design, and a seasonless philosophy that resists the fast-moving churn of trends.
The result is one of the most distinctive independent labels in Germany, with a dedicated global following and a reputation for understated, exclusive appeal. Fan learned to sew from his mother, and that sense of the personal and the handmade runs through everything the brand produces. Having celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2025, William Fan arrived at SS27 with the confidence of a label that knows exactly who it is.
Exchange: A Wardrobe of Memories
The “Exchange” collection was inspired by strolling and exploring international markets, from the souks of Marrakesh to the flea markets of Tokyo, the antique streets of Shanghai, and the bustling markets of Hong Kong. It explored the universal human impulse to collect, curate, and preserve, translating that idea into a wardrobe brimming with memories and visual references.
Held at The Foundry, the venue was adorned with over 800 objects drawn from the label’s “Fan Plaza” souvenir shop, which lined the venue’s columns in a striking display of curation as spectacle. The collection itself ranged from tailoring to casual leisurewear, featuring elegantly flowing cargo trousers, casually layered shirts, and suit trousers broken up with boxer shorts-style details. Sculptural pleats, textured surfaces, and deliberately aged finishes told the story of garments that carried history within them. The show’s opening look, the “Currency Exchange” jumper, set the tone perfectly, embodying the collection’s central theme of exchange, value, and memory.
A Brand Built on the Little Things
What makes William Fan so compelling is his belief that the smallest details carry the greatest meaning. His now-iconic “Cookie Bag,” invented around seven years ago, became such a cultural touchpoint that major luxury houses released their own versions of the folded design. It is a reminder that Fan’s influence extends well beyond his intimate runway shows and into the wider fashion conversation.
The “Exchange” collection reflected that same sensibility. Every object on display, every aged finish, every curated reference spoke to a designer who treats fashion not as disposable product but as something to be collected, kept, and passed on. In a fashion landscape often obsessed with the new, William Fan’s commitment to memory and meaning feels genuinely radical.
Final Thoughts
“Exchange” was a beautiful and deeply considered addition to William Fan’s decade-long body of work. Rooted in the universal joy of collecting and curating, presented within an immersive world of over 800 souvenir objects, and executed with the precise, gender-fluid tailoring that defines the brand, it was one of the most thoughtful presentations of Berlin Fashion Week SS27. William Fan continues to prove that the most powerful fashion is the kind that holds a story worth keeping.
