The film wardrobe: a trip to Berlin where the casts of the most famous films dress

A sinistra locandina del film “Niente di nuovo sul fronte occidentale” (2022); Al centro la locandina di “Bastardi senza gloria” (2009); A destra a locandina di “L’angelo azzurro” (1930)

Posters of these films now adorn the walls of the headquarters in Wilmersdorf, which is spread over five floors: the basement houses shoes and weapons, the ground floor is dedicated to men's clothing and the three upper floors to women's clothing. Each section is in turn organised by era and then by occasion. Walking through the first floor, for instance, visitors move from the sophistication of mink stoles to the bright colours of polyester evening dresses from the 1970s, from a selection of Lederhosen for children to aprons of all kinds. An entire wall accommodates traditional headgear and yet another the gloves, stored in boxes marked 'sporty', 'fingerless' and 'lace'.

A sinistra alcune delle migliaia di cravatte della sartoria, a destra copricapi da sacerdote. © Felix Brüggemann

This richness was the salvation of Malgorzata Karpiuk, costume designer of The Zone of Interest. "There was a big party scene where we had to dress 400 extras," she says. "I went to Theaterkunst because I knew I could find the most incredible collection of period costumes there. And indeed, I recovered beautiful dresses and dinner jackets from the 1930s and 1940s'.

Karpiuk has been working with Theaterkunst since the beginning of his career. "I think I first came here when I was an assistant. We were shooting a commercial and needed clothes from the Louis XIV era". Today she tends to regard her visits as important moments of research. "I use it a bit like a library. When I was designing the customised Lederhosen that the children wear in The Zone of Interest, I took inspiration from everything I had seen in its archive'. But it is not only costume designers who turn to this temple of costumes. "Some of the leading global haute couture brands send their teams here," explains project coordinator Svea Sanyó. "Unfortunately, we are not allowed to divulge their names."

Abito realizzato per il film “Povere creature!” (2023), vincitore di quattro premi Oscar, tra cui quello per i Migliori costumi. © Felix Brüggemann

In 2009, the Theaterkunst expanded to occupy two warehouses in Wilmersdorf: if its hanging stands were arranged one after the other, the queue would exceed six kilometres. At the moment, a project is underway to replace the handwritten cards, which currently catalogue the collection, with digital chips - a mammoth undertaking, considering that over 10 million pieces are involved.

La locandina del film “Povere creature!” (2023)

The warehouses are mainly used to store the must-have of Theaterkunst: the uniform collection. "It is very important to dress these uniforms correctly," says Sanyó. "There are so many spectators just waiting to catch a historical inaccuracy. We need to know everything from the correct button for each jacket to the direction of the stripes on an American tie versus a European one." A reference library is also available, with more than 4,500 books on the history of stage clothes and uniform design, ranging from the London Fire Brigade to the soldiers of the American Revolution.

Managing Director Andrea Peters was hired in 2021 'to promote the international dimension', something she says has become increasingly indispensable as Germany struggles to establish itself as a film production centre. "Countries like Hungary and Romania exert a strong attraction on Hollywood thanks to their tax incentive programmes, which allow up to 45 per cent of costs to be recovered. For now, there is nothing similar in Germany (apparently a new incentive is planned for 2025, ndr)'. To counter the decline in local business, Theaterkunst has opened branch offices in Warsaw, Vienna, Prague and Budapest.

Andrea Peters, amministratrice delegata di Theaterkunst. © Felix Brüggemann

Some directors, however, have remained loyal to Germany. Wes Anderson, for instance, was recently only a 30-minute drive away from the tailor's shop. He was busy, at Studio Babelsberg, filming his latest movie, The Phoenician Scheme, for which Theaterkunst was commissioned to provide the costumes. "Our atelier works at a very high level," explains Peters. "We only employ three people, so we are not able to produce clothes for extras on an industrial scale, as other facilities do. Moreover, for greater authenticity, his small team makes the clothes from vintage fabrics and draws on a vast archive of paper patterns and old fashion magazines.

A sinistra accessori per il cucito, tra cui bottoni e fili; A destra teste di mascotte, tra cui l’Orso di Berlino. © Felix Brüggemann

For Peters, it is important that the company carefully considers its possibilities for growth. "Costume designers know that they can come to us for historical pieces, but they may go elsewhere for more contemporary garments. This is something we intend to change. Earlier this year, the 1907_curated initiative was launched, which aims to augment the collection with pieces made in collaboration with young Berlin designers, such as Daniela Harsch and Helena Sölting. "Customers can rent them, usually for music videos and commercials, but also for film and television. For these new brands it is an opportunity to gain more visibility".

La sede centrale della sartoria. © Felix Brüggemann

With the threat of AI looming over the film industry, is it reasonable to believe that the purely analogue Theaterkunst way of working is at risk? "I don't know what will happen in 10 years' time," Peters confesses. 'We don't want to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that the world is not changing. That is why we are thinking of collaborating with companies in the field of digital effects." Having survived two world wars and countless challenges, it is hard to believe that it cannot overcome this hurdle as well.

DIETRO LE QUINTE THEATERKUNST, theatrekunst.de.