As the FW26 season wraps, many are left with an all-encompassing fatigue. For some, the relentless cycle of campaigns, shows and activations no longer feels triumphant; it’s starting to feel hollow. With a constant rotation of creative directors and new directions, shouldn’t everything feel fresh and exciting? The Berlin-based designer behind the label ioannes has a theory - and a proposal.
A few weeks back, in a lesson on ancient Greek language, Johannes Boehl-Cronau explained the term ‘Apokalypsis’ to his audience. While the modern English term ‘Apocalypse’ conjures images of nuclear bunkers and undead predators stumbling down empty streets, the German designer uses it in the literal, original sense. He refers to an unveiling, and maybe even, a realisation. In an interview with Archived Dreams, available on YouTube, he speaks about new paths for his brand moving forward.
The Story Behind ioannes
Boehl-Cronau founded his namesake brand ioannes in 2019 in Paris after graduating from Central Saint Martins with a Womenswear MA. The name is a latinisation of his own signature, inspired by the renaissance painter Giovanni Bellini. Moving his practice from the French to the German capital, he has quickly risen to be a figurehead label at Berlin Fashion Week, representing the potential of a new and elevated era of German fashion.
Ahead of his Berlin show debut in summer of 2025, the designer had already reached international acclaim. Dressing the likes of Rihanna, Kylie Jenner and The Kimbino, his label was already well-established in fashion. Collaborating on a capsule collection for Kylie Jenner’s Khy, he cemented himself as the dresser of LA’s most stylish personas. “The ioannes woman is… a bad bitch,” he says when asked who he designs for. Then he laughs and quickly corrects himself, saying that this description is too simple.
“I like to think the woman who wears ioannes is so beautiful and confident, it just emanates from her, she doesn’t have to scream about it. There’s nothing to prove.”
His designs merge romantic silhouettes with firm certainty, lending his pieces a mature and feminine narrative. Skirts and dresses are flowy and asymmetric but never come across as frilly. Leather tassels are reconfigured as modern and sleek. Mesh and knits reveal just enough to be sexy but never so much they would risk inconvenience.
A loft in Central Berlin doubles as the designer’s atelier and residence. His approach is modelled after the maisons of 20s and 30s couturiers — think Charles Frederick Worth and Coco Chanel — who lived on top of their workshops and salesfloors. The main space is anchored by tall bookshelves, offering a glimpse into Boehl-Cronau’s mind and the references behind his work. Volumes on Martin Margiela, Issey Miyake, and Rei Kawakubo are stacked above titles on David Bowie, Helmut Newton, and Isamu Noguchi.
A Quiet Revolution
Despite Boehl-Cronau’s clear devotion to his work, he seems exhausted and disillusioned with the current pace of the industry. Apokalypsis will be his last runway show, at least in the traditional sense. When asked whether his elaborately produced runway shows have ever truly paid off, he laughs and says “No, they have not.” While shows allow him to present his creations in the context and universe he intended them for, with potential for social media virality, the financial reality never quite catches up to the investment.
Boehl-Cronau’s new approach is a quiet revolution: ignoring the industry calendar to release collections only when they are truly ready. He will be focused on moulding your own niche rather than modeling his label after what is already in existence. Clothes are much simpler than consumers have been led to believe. Boehl-Cronau himself says it best:
“Ultimately, I am producing a garment that I hope will find its owner and its home, that people will love and cherish.”
Watch the Full Interview
In the full conversation, Johannes Boehl-Cronau expands on the ideas behind Apokalypsis, his decision to step away from traditional runway shows, and what comes next for ioannes. A path that prioritises clarity over noise, and longevity over pace.
