8 July 2026

From Space Age Packaging to the Runway: When Fashion Becomes Advertising

Model wearing a sculptural silver dress inspired by Capri-Sun pouches during the 'Outer Space' Spring/Summer 2027 runway show at Berlin Fashion Week.

Quick Read

• One of the most discussed looks at Berlin Fashion Week SS27 was not only about fashion but also about brand communication.
• Austrian designer Marina Hoermanseder transformed Capri-Sun drink pouches into a sculptural runway piece presented during her "Outer Space" collection.
• The collaboration illustrates a growing trend: fashion shows increasingly serve as platforms where design, storytelling and commercial partnerships meet.
• At the same time, the collection revisited a theme that has fascinated designers for decades — humanity's imagination of space travel.

Berlin Fashion Week has long been more than a presentation of seasonal collections. Increasingly, it has become a stage where brands seek cultural visibility through fashion. Austrian designer Marina Hoermanseder, whose Spring/Summer 2027 collection "Outer Space" premiered on 3 July, has become one of the best-known examples of this development. Over recent years, collaborations with companies such as LEGO, BWT and Vuse have become a recurring element of her runway presentations. This season, Capri-Sun joined that list with its first appearance on her catwalk.

When the runway becomes an advertising platform

Rather than treating brand partnerships as separate marketing campaigns, Hoermanseder integrates them directly into her collections. Her signature leather craftsmanship, sculptural silhouettes and buckle constructions remain recognisable, while familiar consumer products are transformed into couture-like objects.

For the SS27 show, the silver Capri-Sun pouch became the starting point for a corset dress with oversized accessories and boots decorated with the pouch's blue caps. The result functioned somewhere between fashion sculpture, performance art and product communication. Instead of appearing as a conventional advertisement, the product became part of the visual narrative of the runway.

Why the space theme fits

The collaboration also worked because the product already carries associations with space technology. In 2010, specially modified Capri-Sun pouches were used by astronauts from the European Space Agency (ESA) aboard the International Space Station, demonstrating that the flexible packaging could function in zero gravity. While this was a technical application rather than a marketing stunt, it has since become part of the brand's history. More recently, limited-edition "Moon" themed Capri-Sun products in the United States have continued this connection between packaging and space exploration.

Hoermanseder's "Outer Space" collection expanded these references into a futuristic universe populated by astronauts, alien-inspired silhouettes and sculptural garments. One of its most striking looks, the shimmering green "Alien Vase", echoed the experimental spirit of Alexander McQueen's landmark Spring/Summer 2010 collection "Plato's Atlantis". Having previously trained at McQueen, Hoermanseder translated that influence into her own design language of leather, buckles and rigid architectural forms rather than digital prints.

A signature strategy beyond fashion

The Capri-Sun collaboration reflects a broader strategy that has become part of Hoermanseder's label identity. Unlike traditional sponsorships that remain outside the creative work, many of her collaborations produce physical runway pieces designed specifically for the collection. Previous examples include LEGO Botanical-inspired couture, Vuse-inspired runway looks and BWT design projects.

This approach blurs the boundaries between fashion, sculpture and commercial communication. The runway becomes both exhibition space and advertising medium, while familiar products are reinterpreted as wearable art. For audiences, the result is more than product placement. It offers a glimpse into how contemporary fashion increasingly operates at the intersection of craftsmanship, storytelling and brand strategy, demonstrating that marketing itself can become part of the creative performance.

Image: A model presents a sculptural silver corset dress inspired by Capri-Sun pouches during the Marina Hoermanseder 'Outer Space' Spring/Summer 2027 runway show at Berlin Fashion Week. Image © Thilo Wilcke (@thibilosoph).