I first discovered Berlin Fashion trade shows two years ago when I moved from Canada to Switzerland and started working for a prestigious Swiss luxury fashion retailer. While visiting my first Berlin Premium show in January of 2018, I noticed two smaller fairs dedicated specifically to sustainable and ethical fashion, called Greenshowroom and Ethical Fashion Show Berlin. But ... I didn’t go visit as I thought to myself: most of the “green” brands kind of look “hippyish” or not quite trendy or high end, so there is not much I could find there. I thought that it would take a while for fashion to fully embrace the sustainability trend.
And how I was wrong!!! I didn’t realize then how quickly this movement was going and how important sustainability would become. Not only with smaller, independent brands experimenting with new, recycled or organic materials, sourcing locally, or setting up ethical trade practices but also with the biggest fast-fashion companies and luxury conglomerates. Today, more and more companies - from H&M to LVMH – are making sustainability and social responsibility a short and long term priority. They are investing heavily in solutions to reduce their environmental impact and build more sustainable, circular business models.
In July 2018, Neonyt was born by merging the two above-mentioned sustainable fashion fairs. Together with the FashionSustain conference and the #Fashiontech conference by the Premium Group it became the new international hub for sustainability, innovation, and fashion.
I visited Neonyt in July 2019 and just came back from the January 2020 edition and could not believe the transformation!!! Here are some facts and figures from their website:
“With more than 210 sustainable fashion brands from 22 countries, Neonyt brought together more sustainable fashion brands than ever before and the number of professional visitors in attendance has doubled in comparison to January 2019. Not to mention around 400 bloggers and influencers, more than 50 events in the line-up of international conference Fashionsustain and a large number of conventional retailers, particularly from abroad”.
Why every fashion buyer should visit NEONYT
No matter what fashion sector you are from - luxury, premium, mid-price or fast-fashion - whether you are buying for a large traditional department store, an e-commerce retailer, a hip concept store, or you are a small boutique owner, I encourage you to visit the next edition of Neonyt and Berlin Premium to witness for yourself the incredible and unstoppable change happening in fashion industry.
Even if you are not yet planning to buy a particular brand at the show, you can see and learn about all the exciting innovations and technological developments happening in fashion: new recycled or biodegradable materials, water-saving production methods, new digital platforms aimed at enabling circularity and traceability in the supply chain, etc. You will be able to attend multiple keynote speeches, panel discussions, and masterclasses from future-minded fashion players and industry experts, where you can network with like-minded professionals. Or if anything, just come to be inspired by the creators and designers sharing the wonderful stories behind their brands and product.
Oh and also, Neonyt’s new location at the Tempelhof Airport could not be cooler… especially with the final party featuring various DJ and special bars, food, and drinks!! It’s Berlin after all, and there is no better place to party in Europe.
And hereby my personal
top 5 brands from the January 2020 show...
Mud Jeans
Mud Jeans – one of the pioneers in circular denim production and design, this brand if often a highlight at Neonyt and rightfully so! Since its inception in 2013 in the Netherlands, Mud Jeans has truly been striving to change the fashion industry with their innovative products and service-based business model. Their goal is to become 100% circular.Today, their jeans contain up to 40% post-consumer recycled denim. In 2020, however, MUD Jeans wants to introduce a pair of jeans made from 100% recycled cotton. They eliminated PP spray, they use Cradle2Cradle indigo dye and their factory’s laundry system recycles 95% of its water. They will take back your old jeans (from any brand!) wich contain +96% cotton, recycle them into new denim and give you €10 towards your next purchase. They offer free repairs to their member-based community. They upcycle some of the worn jeans and after a little TLC they are sold as part of their Vintage Program, where each pair of jeans is named after its previous owner . And probably the most interesting and innovative concept MUD is known for is its “Lease a Jeans” program – a business model where for a small monthly fee of €7,50 you can “rent” jeans and return them after a year of use!! (click here for more info on “Lease a Jeans”)
Norden Project
Norden Project – Maybe I am being a biased Canadian here but I can’t help mentioning this awesome outerwear brand from Montreal! Founded in 2018 by Mayer Vafi (with whom I actually worked in the past, as a buyer, back when I lived in Canada), this brand is a perfect example of how a beautiful and functional product can be made of recycled plastic waste and be both sustainable and truly stylish! To “close the loop”, Norden Project also offers an end-of-life program for all their coats. After 2 years of wear, you can return your coat and receive 30% off your next purchase. Your returned item will then be either repaired and resold, or donated if still in good condition. If it is not in good enough condition, then it will be 100% recycled into new materials. After a successful launch in Canada and having gained a spot at many high profile retailers, Norden Project showcased their fall collection at Berlin Premium for the first time ready to expand to the European market. And just a few weeks ago, their Anja parka was given an Ispo Award for "Most sustainable parka". Congratulations!!
Nuuwai
Nuuwai – a great, innovative brand from Germany that offers a collection of pretty, everyday urban bags made from a “delicious” sounding fabric called AppleSkin, made for 50% from apple industry leftovers! All fabrics used for the bag linings are from ECOALF, made of recycled ocean plastic waste. The brand is {PETA-Approved VEGAN} and collaborates with various animal protection programs.Their creative and playful display most definitely attracted lots of attention and hungry visitors at the trade show… They clearly got my attention. Thanks, the apples were delicious!
Nat-2
Nat-2 – if there was an all-in-one award for the best “tech innovation + sustainability + futuristic imagination + style” brand at this trade show, I bet Nat-2 would have won! There was something fascinating about the display of this German sustainable luxury sneakers brand that included lab bottles filled with various fibers, dry weeds, coffee beans, liquids, and (rather strangely), red peppers. Well, it turns out there is nothing strange about it as founder and designer Sebastian Thies, and his team, figured out how to create new materials out of many different plant-based ingredients, and use them to make their uniquely cool sneakers!One item made of a particular plant awoke lots of curiosity. You can probably guess... it was the sneaker made out of cannabis plant!
Zylo
Zylo – an eyewear brand from Greece that chose to use wood instead of plastic for their beautifully handcrafted frames. I absolutely loved the storytelling behind the brand: from the inspiring and almost romantic description of “wood”, the main resource they work with, to the stories of Greek fishermen whose old boats were used to make the limited edition “The Fishing Boat” collection (click here to discover the story of Gregos the fisherman and his boat “Maria”). Each pair is unique and only 150 pairs can be made from one boat.
Tatsiana Shanina is a fashion retail professional with 15+ years of experience in buying, product development, and strategy management of designer brands. Visit her member profile
