In a world where fashion and reality occupy two distinct but separate spaces exists GmbH’s 2021 Autumn collection. This year’s show is titled “Welt Am Draht,” which translates from German to “World on a Wire.” The name comes from a German sci-fi television series from the 70s which confronted the thought that our world existed inside another, a computer, a simulation, and that what we were doing wasn’t for our own specific existence.

Similarly, the collection’s aim was to create a line of clothing that aimed to veer away from the mundane and pragmatic approach of real life and provide items that would work in that simulation, distinct from reality. That was the approach that creative directors Benjamin A. Huseby and Serhat Isik took with this line.

In a way, the dark and industrial setting of the line does suggest an almost dystopian backstory to the clothing, as the first half features mostly structured and tailored looks, completely in black. A general disregard for the separation of masculine and feminine shapes gives way to an element of androgyny being present throughout the line, a concept that seems more steeped in what we consider to be clothing of the future.

As the collection display progresses, it starts diverging from the industrial style and pops of color start to make their way in, including white, brown, and canary yellow. Fur coats, snakeskin (or, at least, snakeskin-patterned) boots, and sweaters with cut-outs start appearing more often and showcase some more variety that a completely black line-up would start losing. Silver and gold accents throughout also bring some bling to the largely monochromatic set.

The silhouettes feature a blend of structured, cinched waistlines with flared leather trenches and loose coats. A particular highlight of the collection is the repeated focus on the collar detail, a strapped shoulder-to-shoulder shape that draws attention to the collarbone. It shows up on the shirts, sweaters, even the coats.

A low register middle eastern soundtrack, with the eerie oudh playing constantly, and the setting add to the industrial theme. The show is set in an empty factory or mall, with the models almost emerging as thieves who broke in and strutted away with the spoils. Directed by Matt Lambert, the show reads as a response to the pandemic, featuring only a single model on-screen and on the runway at a time and a limited production crew with no audience.

It’s a collection that teeter-totters on the boundary between “form” and “function,” and intends to remain that way.