BERLIN — Scaled back and almost dominated by midmarket brands, the runway action at Berlin Fashion Week, which ended here Friday, didn’t pack all that much of a punch. The return of Hugo Boss to the German capital with a large-scale Hugo Rave added some big-time flair to the proceedings, but a growing number of Germany’s edgier and more interesting talents have chosen to sit out Berlin this season. Patchy as it was, the overall picture in Berlin can be said to reflect the German market’s bipolar reality. It is an industry primarily populated by commercial brands searching but also frequently resisting a more contemporary identity. Nonetheless, and in more intimate shows and presentations than usual this season, heavy-hitters like Marc Cain and Laurèl seemed to be heading in a more sophisticated and cleaned-up direction for spring 2019. With buyers at a minimum at the runway shows or smaller presentations — an official format for which has been missing the last two seasons — cash-strapped, emerging designers have been focusing on building their businesses elsewhere. For some, Instagram has proven helpful in reaching potential retail customers, while others are concentrating on showroom participation in Tokyo, Paris, New York or elsewhere later in the

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