Haute Couture ... directly from prison

Stuck for a new look this summer? Many people wanting to revamp their wardrobe are turning to fashions created, worn and sold by inmates at the Tegel prison in Berlin.
The fashion world is a fickle one. No one with any sense of what's hot and what's not would be seen dead in anything other than the latest collections. In an industry where black is the new brown, which was in turn last year's green, and where the label means more than the common sense and practicality of the ensemble, a new trend is hitting the streets of Berlin and spreading fast. This summer, those trend-conscious Europeans can be inspired by a new look: prison chic.

Don't be fooled. Anyone taking to the streets in suits emblazoned with arrows, manacles or Death Row orange overalls will be making a fashion faux pas of disastrous proportions. Subtlety and authenticity are the key here. The range that's rapidly becoming the latest in cult clothing comes not from the boutiques of Paris but from the very workshops of the Tegel prison in Berlin.


more here: From the Jailhouse to the Runway