US retailer Svrn: "I have no idea where we will be next season, even as a country“

Berlin Fashion Week is not only captivating audiences with an international schedule, but is also attracting an increasing number of international media representatives and buyers. They travel from across the globe, ranging from the UK and the US to Korea and Japan, to discover German talent.

Following the hectic start to the year in Florence, Milan, and Paris, where shows, presentations, and showroom appointments follow in rapid succession, Berlin serves as a decelerated conclusion to the menswear season, reports Davíd Smedley. For the head of buying and chief creative officer at Svrn, the schedule offers sufficient highlights while affording the time to engage more thoroughly with individual brands.

Yet, what role do these German brands play for the US luxury retailer? Since the election of Donald Trump, Svrn has faced recurring complications that do not necessarily encourage experimentation within their portfolio.

You were just at Berlin Fashion Week. What did you take away from it?

It felt like a resurgence of what fashion weeks used to be – people from all over the world coming together around a shared appreciation for fashion as an artistic medium. Since Covid, the major weeks in New York, Paris, and Milan have become more of a chaotic circus; everything, everywhere, at once. Berlin, though, being a bit off the beaten path and supported by the state, feels more curated – a balanced, genuinely engaged cohort that’s truly interested in what’s happening.

Another big takeaway was being able to see a lot of underrepresented or unknown brands, which is really nice. They don't get lost in a showroom of 300 others. Because usually, if you're like an independent brand, in order to show in Paris or Milan, you have to be in the big showrooms like Slam Jam, Tomorrowland, 247. The experience then becomes very chaotic and turns into a Moroccan bazaar of sorts.

Then you are likely also very short on time…

Yes! They have to hope that you're not either in a rush, or that you have the time and attention to give them a few minutes of your time. But then they have to work on their elevator pitch, because they only have buyers for about 10 seconds. It's almost like the TikTokification of selling themselves. Whereas in Berlin, you're able to kind of see them for an extended amount of time.

I could see William Fan, who I wasn't familiar with, and other brands like Kenneth Ize, Lou de Bètoly, Michael Sontag und Marke, which I, with my full schedule in Paris, wouldn't have ever seen.

You shortlisted William Fan, Marke and Michael Sontag. What still needs to happen for these German brands to make it into your portfolio?

For our stores in the US, given the current political climate, tariffs and import/export issues have made things more complicated. Add the weak dollar, especially against the euro, and costs climb quickly. So this season I’ve had to be more conservative about onboarding new brands. Wholesale is one thing, but now the landing costs are much higher because of tariffs, which means I have to be more risk-averse.

It’s tough, though, because I really want to support and introduce newer, underrepresented brands and help educate our customers – even if they’ve never heard of them, we want to champion them and say, this is a great brand. That’s why it’s living in our space next to The Row, Lemaire, Our Legacy, Acne Studios and all these more established brands. It provides our customers with a little bit of a chance to discover. But I have these shackles on, given the political climate.

Will this stop you from adding new brands to your portfolio?

No, that doesn't mean I don't want to continue the conversation. I've already had offline communication with Mario Keine, the creative director at Marke, just because he's based in Cologne. And it's not too far from Antwerp.

I really love what he's doing. And I do see a place for his brand in our stores, similar to William Fan, or Michael Sontag. It's more of an operational, logistical and economic kind of thing at the moment that I’m confident will pass.

Do you have a rough idea of how long this timeframe is?

You know what? With any other administration, I'd probably be able to give you an estimate. But with this administration in the White House, it can change tomorrow for the better or most likely the worst. I literally have no idea where we will be next season, even as a country.

If you were asking this question two years ago, I would probably say we see how the brand grows. And then next season, when I see them in June we look to stock them for spring/summer 27. But now all I can do is hope for the best and try to forecast as best I can, all things considered.

How else have these developments affected your business?

As an international retailer it's not only on us, but now the brands are needing to change their infrastructure. For example, Rick Owens makes everything in Italy but can afford to have a receiving center in the US and then absorb all of the tariffs. So then it doesn't trickle on to all of their retail. The Row and Enfants Riches Déprimés are other examples for this. They are at a different part of the hierarchy and fashion, so they can afford it. But a lot of other brands are going to need to do that if they want to really put a priority on their US, North American doors.

Outside of those brands that really help the smaller boutiques and retailers, we've just tried to be a bit more economic and okay, where can we take the most loss? Brands like Lemaire, Our Legacy do really well for us. Even Auralee, who we just picked up only two seasons ago from Tokyo and were dealing with international shipments there, sales are so good that we're willing to absorb a lot of the overhead cost.

But to come back to the brands in Berlin, it's tough to take a risk. You don't know if it'll do well or not. Sometimes the brands have different minimums, somewhere between five or 12k depending on the volume. And can we afford to just take a risk on 10 grand? These are the questions and interrogations that I need to have with my team to figure out if we can move forward with onboarding new independent brands.

Did you actively already have to take any cuts in that regard?

Absolutely. For SS26 we cut our OTB budget by about 37 percent, which is substantial. Orders were even sent back to their country of origin multiple times – not just because of tariffs, but new customs rules requiring every manufacturer and sub-manufacturer to be listed. That wasn’t the case a year ago, and even DHL doesn’t always know how to handle it.

When shipments get returned, the product hits the floor later and has a shorter shelf life. Instead of two months at full price, we might only have three weeks before markdowns. It’s a real trickle-down effect and forces us to factor in a lot more uncertainty when planning buys.

Are there any considerations to open a logistics center or store abroad, maybe in Europe or Asia?

Yeah, we’ve considered pop-ups. The store is Korean-owned, and we’ve built a strong narrative around that – working with a Korean architecture firm and carrying several contemporary Korean brands. We talked about doing a pop-up in Seoul as a full-circle moment. We also have a strong Asian customer base.

That said, about 60 percent of our brand matrix is still European, so a European presence might make even more sense – though it comes with its own complications. Long term, it’s something we’re exploring.

Right now, everything ships to one location in Chicago. We shoot it for e-commerce, then distribute to San Francisco. We absorb those extra shipping costs because drop-shipping directly from brands can be more expensive or inconsistent. But it adds time – five to seven days just to get product to the West Coast - and today customers expect things instantly.

How about the consumer split? Are online customers mainly US-based?

Roughly 65 percent domestic and 45 percent international, spread across Asia, Europe, and Canada. Interestingly, about 80 percent of our business still happens in store, which is the opposite of most retailers. E-commerce usually dominates, but for us physical retail remains strong.

Did you notice any drops from international customers because of tariffs or higher costs?

Not really. If anything, the opposite happened. When tariffs hit, retailers like Ssense struggled – they filed Chapter 11 shortly after. They were discounting aggressively and pushing sales early, which hurt margins across the board. Since they’re less of a threat now, many domestic customers who used to shop elsewhere have come back to us. Our online sales have actually increased about 40 percent in recent months, partly seasonal but also tied to that shift.

You mentioned you have a second store in San Francisco. The distance must be huge – almost like two different markets. How do you handle that?

It couldn’t be more different. Even culturally, Chicago and San Francisco are night and day. The challenge is serving both customers without losing our point of view.

In Chicago, brands like Rick Owens, ERD, Satoshi Nakamoto and more experimental labels perform best. In San Francisco, it’s quieter luxury – The Row, Our Legacy, Lemaire. We try to balance those tastes without looking inconsistent or schizophrenic in our storytelling. It’s a constant balancing act.

Are there any new brands you’re keeping an eye on?

Yes. One is Mattia Van Severen, who I discovered in Paris. He has an architectural approach to garments, using weatherized taping for construction and modular details. Beautiful fabrics – cashmere, wool, washed canvas – and very thoughtful design. We picked him up for fall/winter 26.

We also added Amomento from Seoul, which offers timeless, minimal pieces at an accessible price point. The brand is great for the contemporary menswear customer. And Taiga Takahashi, a Japanese brand known for salvage denim with a slightly more fashion-forward edge.

Those are the only new brands we have onboarded. Because we reduced our seasonal budget by around 40 percent, we had to edit the brand mix carefully to free up space and stay conservative.

What kind of trends do you see in general for fall/winter 26?

I think quality and ethical construction matter more than ever. Customers are much more educated now – they want to know exactly how something was made and where it comes from. Tactility and visual impact will always be important, but in the US especially, the trend feels more economic than aesthetic. People still want to participate in fashion, but it has to feel attainable.

We saw that with Jiyong Kim, a Korean contemporary menswear designer and former LVMH finalist. We carried him for three seasons, but the prices were very high and performance suffered. Last season he reduced prices by about 20 percent, and sales jumped. The interest was always there – the accessibility just needed to match.

Aesthetically, quiet luxury is still strong. Silhouettes are becoming cleaner and more refined – less exaggerated, more fitted bottoms that elongate the leg. Footwear is shifting away from sneakers toward proper shoes: lace-ups, loafers, hard soles. Overall, it’s a more polished direction.

You’re based in Antwerp. Beyond proximity to fashion weeks, how does that help you compared to US-based buyers?

Honestly, the benefits are huge. As chief creative officer and head of buying, I’ve always wanted the store to feel truly international. You can’t get that from a screen – you have to be immersed in it.

Being here means I’m not just visiting Europe twice a year for fashion week. I’m going to exhibitions, galleries, museums, seeing the broader creative culture – design, architecture, music. That cross-pollination feeds directly into the store’s point of view.

Most US buyers only come for eight days and leave. I’m here full-time, with real boots on the ground. I’m two hours from London, Paris, Amsterdam, Düsseldorf – I can actually live inside that ecosystem. It gives us a real advantage and a more nuanced perspective.

Another practical benefit: some brands show men’s collections during the women’s calendar. Many US buyers can’t afford to fly back out, but I can see everything in person instead of relying on Zoom or lookbooks. That’s invaluable.

Do you ever feel disconnected from the US market because you’re based here?

To balance that, I take a democratic approach to buying. My sales associates sit in on every buy. They’re talking to customers daily, so their input is crucial. It keeps me grounded in what people actually want, not just my own perspective.

We’re in constant communication, especially during the buying season, so I always have a clear pulse on both markets in the ever evolving consumer climate in America that I'm missing out on living abroad.

How has the economic situation affected your revenue compared to previous years?

2023 and 2024 were actually very strong, partly due to post-Covid stimulus in the US that gave people extra spending power. Since then, we’ve definitely seen some slowdown because of broader economic volatility.

What’s kept us afloat is our customer base. A large part of our business comes from VICs and VIPs – clients who are relatively insulated from economic swings. When you’re selling $7,000 jackets or $16,000 leather coats, you’re speaking to a different demographic.

So yes, we’ve felt some slippage, but one strong client can offset a lot. That’s just the reality of luxury retail. A small percentage of customers account for a disproportionate amount of sales, and focusing on that group has helped sustain us.

Ethically, we want to be inclusive and community-driven. But practically, luxury operates at a certain level, and those clients are what keep the doors open.