Though oblivious to most people, the lace curtains send out messages. At first glance they seem ugly, tacky, sometimes even barbaric, the textile equivalent to sauerkraut with bratwurst. But eventually you learn to love them. Because tackiness, when taken to extremes, can acquire a poetic dimension.

The purpose of this lace-curtain fashion show is to delight the eye and intrigue the mind. The 196 pictures in this collection are in reality proxy portraits of Berliners and their lifestyles. To those who will make it to Berlin, it's an appetizer. To the majority who won't, it's the only chance to experience this wonderful example of textile poetry.