Uli Richter Revisited: Fashion Hot Spot Berlin

1940 – First successes after the war

When Uli Richter after his apprenticeship as a Diplom-Textilkaufmann begins his practical training at the Horn fashion house in Berlin in 1948, he soon realises that he wants more: he wants to design clothes. In 1949 he produces his first model dress – Marcelle.

(Illustration of summer dresses by the fashion house Horn, 1941)

The Marcelle
1949
Before designing the Marcelle dress, he seeked advice from individual dressmakers about what the customers liked. The result was the Marcelle dress, which became a bestseller and Uli Richter a fashion designer at Horn as time goes by.

1950 – S & E Modelle Uli Richter

After four years at Horn, Uli Richter becomes the Head Stylist and, at the same time, the manager at the fashion house Schröder & Eggeringhaus in 1952. The fashion thinker has his international breakthrough in Venice in 1957 when he wins first prize at the International Cotton Festival ("Primo Mondiale del Cotone"). Due to his great success the company is re-named S & E Modelle Uli Richter.

Tomato-red evening gown
ca. 1958

The typical style of Uli Richter is already obvious in the creations for S & E Modelle. The sporty elegance and understatement, which characterise the tomato-red evening gown, run through the whole of the designer’s creations. This radical simplicity in cut and material was unusual, especially for evening wear.

1960 – Uli Richter Modelle

Together with Dorothea Köhlich, who he had met at Horn, Uli Richter already starts his own business in 1959, under the name of Uli Richter Modelle GmbH. As the first German fashion designer he introduces a less expensive prêt-a-porter collection under the name of uli richter special.

Sketch of coat and dress by Uli Richter
Gusti Kämmerling, 1960

The target group is young, fashionable women. The materials and colours relate to his couture collection.

Reversible coat with Norwegian pattern
1960

The pieces for the uli richter special collections like this graphite-coloured doubleface coat and the princess dress are produced industrially abroad. Uli Richter got an exclusive right to use this Norwegian knitwear used for this coat.

1970 – Development of potential

Uli Richter expanded his business worldwide up to his 20th company anniversary in 1979. After Richter creates the outfits for the Japanese hostesses for the German Pavilion at the World Exhibition in Osaka in 1970, the Asian market is also open to him. From 1971 onwards Richter extends his product range to include bags and suitcases to complement his idea of the total look, the aesthetic union of clothing and accessories.

Burda

Magazines like Burda, with whose founder Aenne Burda he had a long lasting friendship, spread his style to an ever-growing public.

uli richter men

In his men’s fashion collection of Autumn/Winter 1973/74 Uli Richter devotes himself to the new interpretation of the classical man’s suit for the first time. He feels that something has to be done about the ill-fitting suits and he hopes that his customers’ husbands will also let themselves be inspired by him.

Suit for uli richter men
1973

The style is elegant but casual, with classical colour combinations such as beige-brown and high-quality materials such as silk, new wool and velvet.

1980 – New start

After more than 30 years as a fashion designer Uli Richter closes down his company in 1982. To say a fitting farewell to his customers he goes on tour throughout Germany and Switzerland between 1986 and 1989 with his interseason Charity Collection. At the same time a completely new field of activity is opened up to him when he is appointed to a professorship at the College of Arts, the present Berlin University of the Arts.

Paris the city of inspiration

Rolf Horn already takes Uli Richter with him to the Parisian Haute Couture shows in France during the latter’s time as a trainee. From 1952 onwards Richter travels regularly to the shows of Christian Dior, Nina Ricci, Cristóbal Balenciaga and Givenchy. For decades he maintains a professional relationship with Hubert de Givenchy.

Visiting magazine editors with students
ca. 1990

It is Richter’s approach not merely to teach Haute Couture as a theory. Through cooperation with industrial companies, visits to fashion editorial departments and excursions to the Haute couture shows in Paris he offers the students many opportunities to come into contact with the fashion scene.

Photographic projects with F.C. Gundlach
ca. 1990

The pieces which the students produce in the projects with Uli Richter are regularly recorded photographically in photographic projects with F.C. Gundlach. For this the students travel to Gundlach’s PPS-Photographic Studio in Hamburg…

…or they move around together with the models in urban space in Berlin.

1988 – Herbstlicht

Uli Richter regularly provides materials for the projects with which the students can work. In the project Herbstlicht wintery materials of suede and new wool from Uli Richter’s atelier are used. The students create timeless pieces which still possess a certain topicality today.

Model by Carmen Müller, 1988/89

1988/89 - Disco Look

In the brash project Disco Look the students examine the going-out fashions of the past decades. Unusual interpretations are created, between the decorous polka-dot dress and the outrageous striped jumpsuit with items borrowed from the bondage scene, such as a patent leather corsage.

Black patent leather corsage with black-and-white striped jumpsuit by Antje Drinkuth, 1988/89

1989 – Unikat – Kleinserie – Großserie

Through his long-time cooperation with the company Bianchini-Férier Uli Richter receives exceptional silk fabrics and decides which colours the students are to work with.

By means of design collages…

…together with a written report on these, the young fashion designers show under what conditions production will be worth it.

Evening gown by Ali Thompson
1989

Material selection, design drawings, cutting plan and model by Ali Thompson, 1989.

Cystallized ornaments

Material: silk organza, polyester

Paper corsage

Material: wool, paper