Daniel Rodan, a leather fashion designer to celebrities like Tina Turner and David Hasselhoff, has turned Germany’s painful Cold War past into fashion. He recently unveiled a collection of Berlin Wall art-themed clothing to mark the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the Cold War barrier. Rodan features graffiti art from the East Side Gallery, a 4,265-foot expanse of the Wall that was decorated in 1990 by 118 artists from 21 countries, on leather dresses and men’s garments. One mini-dress, according to Reuters, features an East German automobile smashing through the concrete Berlin Wall. The leather collection will be worn by well-known musicians and athletes at events prior to the anniversary celebrations on Nov. 9, and after that, the clothes will be auctioned for charity. “Bringing together these three things: the political event, fashion design, and the art of the East Side Gallery, and then making sure the clothes fit on the celebrities — it was a real challenge,” Rodan said at a news conference. Even though it was challenging, Rodan’s collection is evidence that beauty can come from something painful. Berlin cabaret artist Chin Meyer spoke about the collection: “It’s great that we can now have fun with things which previously were simply a catastrophe.” [Reuters]
