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…
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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