Ethical Fashion Show Berlin and Greenshowroom welcome a new format, new conferences and a new supplier pavilion—all in a new location.
The shows, which will take place Jan. 16-18, 2018 will be held at the Kraftwerk power station, a central location for buyers between Berlin Fashion Week appointments. The space, which offers a raw charm, will host the green fashion fairs downstairs and a robust schedule of conference events upstairs under the FashionSustainBerlin and FashionTechBerlin banners. Collocating the events provides stakeholders from all parts of the supply chain to come together to exchange ideas and learn about the rapidly evolving processes and technologies driving this sector of the apparel industry.
Ethical Fashion Show Berlin and Greenshowroom are known to provide buyers with a comprehensive collection of fashionable, statement brands that embody ethical ideals. The shows will once again welcome a wide range for fashion and lifestyle brands offering sustainable goods, including handbags made from pineapple leather, blouses made of non-violet silk or shoes made of stone. The exhibitors at the show represent trendsetters in both fashion and sustainability, who are willing to try new future-facing processes in pursuit of a more ethical industry. The conferences will allow these attendees to dive deeper into the topics related to their areas of interest.
Sourcing & certification
Innovative sustainable materials as well as certification processes and seals are among the central topics at the Greenshowroom and the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin. Before being able to showcase at the trade fairs all exhibitors have to pass their specific sustainability check. At the trade fair itself the exhibitors provide comprehensive information on the materials used for their collections as well as on their production processes.
This edition will also include selected exhibitors from the field of sourcing as well as exhibitors representing some key sustainability certifying bodies.
The sourcing exhibitors show components and accessories such as materials, leather, fabrics, buttons etc. This way the visitors are given an impression that sustainability begins with the material and the components and is not only limited to readymade garments. Among the sourcing exhibitors will be Texool, which upcycles waste fabric from the U.S. and Europe and converts it into yarn used for blankets, car insulation and construction materials, as well as bags to replace plastic and paper options. Kanaka, which will also be on hand, specializes in GOTS-certified eco-friendly dyeing, washing and bleaching practices. Wet Green offers an environmentally friendly tanning agent made from olives plus a sustainable tanning method for leather. The company holds the distinction of being one of only five firms to be awarded with the Cradle to Cradle certification at the Gold level.
Related Stories
In addition to the sourcing resources, the shows will also host certifying bodies so that exhibitors and attendees can gain a better understanding of the standards used to gauge whether products are truly sustainable. Among these companies will be GOTS, Fairtrade Germany, Design for Circularity and PETA.
Conferences
By including an array of stakeholders, Greenshowroom and the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin hope to foster a community atmosphere to encourage collaboration and innovation. With this goal in mind, the shows have also partnered with the #Fashiontech and FashionSustain conferences, which will take place on the second floor of the event space.
The conferences will kick off with #FashionTech, a Premium Group production, which will focus on digital solutions for marketing and retail. Presented by Messe Frankfurt, FashionSustain, which will take place on the second day, will feature brands, developers, innovators, producers and researchers discussing the latest developments as they relate to materials, processes and the industry’s quest for circularity.
“#Fashiontech is a highly progressive addition to what our trade fairs offer. Our partnership with the conference and exhibition means that we can bring in our knowledge as the organiser of the world-leading Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs. At the same time, the new set-up gives us the opportunity to incorporate our skills from our global Texpertise Network in the interplay between sustainable fashion and innovative technologies,” said Olaf Schmidt, vice president Textiles & Textile Technologies for Messe Frankfurt.
Running concurrently with these two events will be a two-day Thinkathon, a design thinking challenge through which interdisciplinary teams will brainstorm on ways to tackle industry issues. These events will be complemented by a smart fashion showcase.
“Berlin showcases the future of fashion, which gives it a unique selling point on the global stage. With #Fashiontech conference offering talks, best cases, stage stories and masterclasses for the industry, we are already providing the platform for emerging ideas and business models,” said Anita Tillmann, managing partner at Premium Group.
The conferences, when combined with the high-quality, innovative designs on display on the show floor below, are designed to make the exhibition a one-stop destination for all apparel industry professionals.
For more information about Greenshowroom and Ethical Fashion Show Berlin and to register for the shows, visit ethicalfashionshowberlin.com or greenshowroom.com.