Before IVY OAK, Caroline Gentz honed her craft at Alexander McQueen. Later, she moved to Zalando, shaping its design and creative direction. In 2016, from her base in Berlin, she finally launched the wardrobe she could never find. The name itself is a promise: ivy for growth and endurance, oak for strength and stability. A decade later, IVY OAK is a global name, yet its creative heart remains in the Berlin atelier.
Before Berlin, there was Alexander McQueen. Caroline Gentz began her design career with the British fashion house, moving through various industry roles before arriving at Zalando, where she focused on design and creative direction. The seed of her own label matured over several years, and around 2015, she began building the project from her living room. IVY OAK was officially born in Berlin in 2016, with a philosophy far removed from the chase of passing trends: to create garments crafted with enough precision and quality to endure. The name itself holds a world: Ivy for growth and permanence; Oak for stability and strength.
Caroline naturally seeks inspiration in vintage shops and fashion history books, convinced that creation means looking at what came before to bring it into the present. Even her bridal gowns are designed first as evening wear, ensuring they live on long after the wedding day. Today, every collection still begins in the Berlin studio and atelier, amid research, draping, and pattern development. Ten years since its inception, the philosophy remains beautifully unchanged: style over season.
Taste
IVY OAK · Caroline Gentz · Alexander McQueen · Berlin · London beginnings · From McQueen to Berlin · German design · Tailoring · Impeccable coats · Evening dresses · Modern classics · Ivy & Oak · Ivy and oak
