Whoever said love is a fleeting feeling, was definitely wrong. Some of us long for love and lovers alike for years – maybe even a lifetime. Berlin-based label Marke embraces this symbiosis of eternal grief and yearning in its Autumn/Winter 2025 collection under a title that is as tragically poetic as its backstory: “Everything That Stays Is Love”. 

Marke designer Mario Keine stages his pieces like a history play. The characters in ‘“Everything That Stays Is Love” are caught in a state of limerence – reminiscing on their lost youth, unrequited love or nostalgia of better times. Keine wraps his narrative in historical references, through inspirations like the literal persona of Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens’ 1861 novel “Great Expectations”. “She is sitting in her crumbling mansion for 30 or 40 years, because she was left at the altar on her wedding day” Keine says in an interview with vakuum, “and she keeps on sitting there like the second she was left. She’s still wearing her wedding dress, her buffet and house are rotting around her.”

This decay is reflected throughout three acts: The first few runway looks showcase luscious and reflecting silk materials, soft draping and embellishments. The pieces look delicate, dreamy and almost fragile. The garments encapsulate the desire to recluse in our memories. And memories are seen as a sanctuary in Marke’s collection. One of Marke’s most significant pieces is a mesh top with strings of pearls sewn into it from inside – jewelry from the late grandmother of Keine’s friend. “It represents those memories that go under your skin.”

These precious and brilliant memories transition into grief with Marke’s following pieces. The color palette turns darker, switches to sturdier and protective fabrics like cotton twill. “If you think about it, a coat is almost like armor. It’s a soft shell that covers you and shields you from reality and your surroundings”, says Keine.

The designer’s eye for detail and commitment to the theme is especially reflected in his accessories. One model, dressed in an interpretation of a classic tuxedo, holds a pocket watch while walking down the halls of Villa Elisabeth in-between installations crafted by artist Fabian Friese. “He starts freezing time and is getting lost in the memories from the past. With that, however, he rejects making new memories.”

From there, quite like Miss Havisham’s surroundings, Marke’s pieces start to decay. The designs become deconstructed with raw edges and hems. It’s the final act of a tragedy where the protagonist is about to succumb to their own grief. Fabian Friese’s artworks echo the passage of time. Crumbling stucco, flaking wallpaper, and ghostly furniture shrouded in dust cloths haunt the audience like a bitter reminder that the world, compared to your heart, has indeed moved on.

One might have completely gotten lost in the historic atmosphere of this performance, when suddenly Alphaville’s “Forever Young” starts playing. “I know it’s kitschy”, Keine laughs. “But I knew that part of the audience would listen to it and start reflecting on their own memories they have with this song. Or they create a new memory through the show. So when they hear that song again, they reminisce about this collection.”

Hardly any brand does storytelling like Marke. Luxurious fabrics and craftsmanship unite to tell a story of love, loss, grief and escapism. The unisex collection with its artistry is truly unlike anything seen this fashion week season and makes us look forward to the brands next ventures.