J'N'C 01/2022

JEANSWEAR & CONTEMPORARY FASHION

N° 83 / 1–2022

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p i a s c m s E DENIM TRENDS

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24–26/06/2022 Union Halle Frankfurt

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Excuse me for not ignoring the elephant in the room here, but I think that we were all feverishly awaiting a foreseeable end to the pandemic and mentally preparing ourselves for the post-COVID hangover, despite the fact that we had every right to be exhausted and worn out in its aftermath. But that didn’t stop us from bouncing back and just as we were ready to hit the ground running again, totally out of the blue we suddenly found ourselves caught up in the maelstrom of war. For over three months now, Russia has been waging its war of aggression on Ukraine. Talk of World War III is becoming louder, the suffering is getting worse. And COVID? It seems to have been relegated to the side lines.

But in a time of overwhelming human suffering and a Cold War 2.0. reality, how is it even possible to keep going and still make fashion that brings joy?

That’s assuming that manufacturing and materials can even be secured in the first place. Many brands have their goods produced in Ukraine. And Russia was one of the strongest buyers’ markets – two strong pillars that have collapsed overnight. This kind of uncertainty makes it impossible to plan.

So I started asking myself whether our industry could at least provide a bit of well-deserved escapism. My answer: yes and no. Our industry and its craft, the fashion itself, have always acted as a mirror of society. Fashion is often more philosophical and socially critical than we have given it credit for in the past.

And it offers alternatives to everything else that is going on in the world right now.

Let’s take the metaverse: a digital space where reality is taking on a new form.

Whether or not it’s a better form remains to be seen. Visually, the pixel aesthetic of the 2000s is still rudimentary to say the least and can’t really compete by current graphic standards – and perhaps it’s not even trying to. But the metaverse is creating a parallel world to the offline dystopia we are currently living in. So it’s no wonder there is so much hype surrounding it, a kind of refuge between the Y2K past and the future that is evoking a warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia in all of us.

But the good news amidst all the bad is that at the beginning of the industry’s earnings season, the chances – despite the war, despite COVID and despite disruptions to the supply chains – aren’t actually looking too bad. Because the whole point of fashion is that it’s a catalyst for the beautiful things in life. People will always seek out things that bring them joy and, at the end of the day, it’s of no help to anyone if we take a defeatist attitude and look pessimistically to the future. So let’s help where we can, let’s continue being transparent, let’s meet each other in person again, let’s be there for each other and, above all, let’s be grateful – especially for the peace in the world that we do have.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue – and thanks for accompanying us on this journey!

Cheryll Mühlen & team

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CONTENTS 12

32

BITS & PIECES

14 AUSTRIAN NEWCOMERS

Güç , Florentina Leitner, Jennifer Milleder, Hisu Park, Anna Sedlmayr 16 BRAND FEATURE

Alberto x 140 Fahrenheit 18 MOST WANTED

DressX

METAVERSE FASHION WEEK

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MVFW: The next big thing

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Fashion’s new frontier — Interview with Dr Casimiro Meta(curse)?

From closet to cloud A foray into the new virtual world of fashion 32 COVER SHOOT

THE ART OF DENIM

42 INTERVIEW

WP Lavori 48 BRAND FEATURE

Alpha Tauri 52 INTERVIEW Enzo Fusco

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COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: MARKUS BRONOLD OUTFIT: STYLIST’S OWN, JACQUEMUS, CLOSED

58 INTERVIEW

Raimar Bradt 62 NONA SOURCE 64 DENIM TRENDS AW 23/24

Iskur, Bossa, Orta, Çalik Denim, Maritas˛ Denim, Officina+39, Advance Denim

TRADESHOW PREVIEW

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Denim Première Vision, Texworld, Pitti Uomo, Frankfurt Fashion Week, Neonyt — Interview with Bettina Bär, The Ground 82

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cheryll Mühlen c.muehlen@jnc-net.de ART DIRECTION vista www.studiovista.de

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BITS & PIECES

REBELS WITH A CAUSE DIESEL Diesel has always been disruptive, sexy and fun, but for autumn/winter 2022 they are taking things up a notch – thanks to creative director Glenn Martens, who recently presented his first catwalk show for the brand, where experiments, rebellion and denim – his favourite fabric – took centre stage. While the models wore miniscule sport bras, bulky coats and micro-skirts modelled on wide belts, the use of hook-and-eye fasteners, trompe l’oeil and the energy of asymmetry and contrasting materials were all common denominators in the 69 looks. Certainly an impressive debut!

DIESEL.COM

SPORTY & STYLISH FILA Breaking with tradition and forging new paths – that is the source of inspiration behind Fila’s autumn/ winter 2022 collection that is organised into the categories Sport, Street and Archive. There’s no end to the styling options within the collection, which are already getting us in the mood for this coming autumn season. As always, Fila is clearly on a mission to set new trends and challenge the status quo.

FILA.DE

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A HOMAGE TO TIBET DONDUP For autumn/winter 2022, Dondup is going back to its roots. With its mystical landscapes, vibrant colours and millennia-old traditions, Tibet is setting the scene for next season. The striking colours, patterns and embroidery of this fascinating country and its culture provided the main inspiration for the collection. Dondup creates designs, prints and jacquards that alternate between geometrical and striped looks. And for its knitwear in particular, the brand has worked with different techniques and blends of combed and brushed yarns or with printed threads.

DONDUP.COM

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AXEL ARIGATO True to its ‘Back to the Future’ slogan, Axel Arigato is proudly presenting a new ready-to-wear collection for AW22. Continuing on from SS22, the aim for the new season is to reinforce the label’s modern approach.

The new collection has been massively expanded and wows with new silhouettes and materials. Much-loved classics have been given a reboot in new, surprising colours, with the idea of ‘interaction’ providing the inspiration behind it all.

The collection is being launched in four drops so make sure you don’t miss it!

BITS & PIECES

BACK TO THE FUTURE

AXELARIGATO.COM

IT’S SHOWTIME! GANNI At Copenhagen Fashion Week, Ganni showcased its new autumn/winter 2022 collection with the help of a digital fashion and music clip inspired by a love of music and the 90s. Grunge-style tartan checks, snakeskin prints and spray-painted florals underline the collection’s 90s look. For a variety of styling and fastening options, ribbons and pretty bows also make an appearance. A slim-fit pencil skirt is a nod to Britney Spears’ legendary school uniform look and perfectly bridges the gap between ultra-feminine, sensuous and strong.

GANNI.COM

COTTON CANDY Düsseldorf-based womenswear label Cotton Candy by Just Fashion has made it its mission to react individually and quickly to trends and orders. This strategy has helped to establish the brand as a reliable partner, especially in times of COVID and now, also during the war in Ukraine. They are reporting strong revenue growth with their own online B2B store (a plus of 120 percent from 2020 to 2021). For 2022, the company is also focusing on increasing its brand presence on various channels.

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THE DEFINITION OF ASAP

COTTONCANDY-FASHIONSHOP.DE

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AUSTRIAN NEWCOMERS

AUSTRIAN NEWCOMERS TO WATCH TEXT JENNI KOUTNI

STRONG, COURAGEOUS & BRAVE GÜÇ When Janette Papas worked at Mugler, she soon became aware of the problems with sizing. To this day, clothing designs are still mainly fitted on tall, slim models. But she wants to change that with her label Güç, which she founded in 2020. In Turkish, the name means “strong, courageous and brave”. The designer’s fashionable approach is strongly influenced by her roots: the small village on the TurkishSyrian border, where her great-grandmother lived, showed her that it doesn’t take much in the way of possessions to be happy. That’s why she makes clothes to last and adds details that enable the wearer to easily change the look to match their own personal style. And all garments are made to order, which is unusual, but avoids overproduction, according to the designer. Customers have to wait for up to a maximum of 10 days for a Güç piece – which isn’t actually that long, if you want to help make a difference, right? gucofficial.com

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NOTES ON POP CULTURE FLORENTINA LEITNER Whether it’s T-shirts, an evening dress or her popular catsuits that envelop almost the entire body, Florentina Leitner’s ‘Semi Couture’ has somewhat of a camp vibe about it. Which isn’t surprising really, considering that it’s designed to be fun and remind the fashion industry not to take itself so seriously. Entitled ‘Vertigo’, her final collection at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp was met with inter­national acclaim. The designer mostly works with upcycled materials: lining from old vintage coats, shoulder pads, gloves and even socks are repurposed and have new life breathed into them. Although her designs are often girly and feminine, the newcomer label now also has a male clientele. The Austrian designer draws her inspiration from pop and high culture, as proven by her collections ‘The Royal Leitners’ and ‘Der Zauberberg’. florentinaleitner.com

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AUSTRIAN NEWCOMERS

WEARABLE ART JENNIFER MILLEDER “Proving yourself is challenging,” says the Austrian designer, referring to the hurdles that young labels have to overcome in the fast-paced world of fashion.

But she has certainly mastered this challenge with flying colours. Since graduating from the University of Applied Arts Vienna in 2019, it’s been an uphill ride ever since: her extravagant designs are finding favour with actors and musicians who have worn them in photo shoots and videos. The target group? “I would say: confident, extroverted people with a sense of humour.” Her wearable artworks, which mainly stand out with their abstract prints, are supposed to encourage the wearer to experiment. And even though she is planning on moving in a direction of more wearable readyto-wear garments in the future, Jennifer Milleder’s designs will continue to tell their very own stories. jennifermilleder.com

MATERIAL WORLD ANNA SEDLMAYR “Anna, you still remain the most artistic designer we had on the course,” wrote her former professor Hussein Chalayan as feedback on her graduation collection at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Last year, Anna Sedlmayr established her own fashion label ANN[DONE. In her latest collection entitled ‘What else is there?’, the Viennese designer is reflecting on the current post-COVID situation and the problematic fast-fashion industry. Her responses to the issues of overproduction and excessive consumption are traditional craftsmanship and sustainable innovations such as a digital knitting machine. The best combination of old and new can be seen in her exquisite choice of fabrics, which are the result of extensive material research. From resourceefficient, high-tech fabrics to vintage finds that she breathes new life into, every garment is unique. anndone.com

GOING GRUMPY HISU PARK With her debut collection, the designer, who comes from Korea, managed to land a sought-after bursary from the Austrian Fashion Association. To do this, she invented her alter ego ‘Grumpy Jane’, a sensitive person who has had enough of everyday discrimination and is boldly taking a stand against it. Strong silhouettes and materials like patent leather are intended to act as a suit of armour, providing delicate, smaller women in particular with more strength and power in their day-to-day lives. And delicate chiffon and filigree embroidery are a celebration of sensitivity. This is the designer’s way of dealing with the challenges and prejudice that she has had to face as a woman in her studies and career. Her second collection ‘Grumpy Jane and Gang’ is currently in the works: it will add menswear and unisex designs to the range and delve even further into the inner souls of her various characters. hisupark.com

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BRAND FEATURE — ALBERTO

ALBERTO X 140 FAHRENHEIT:

GREEN JEANS With a new cooperation, German trouser label Alberto has taken another step towards sustainability and is also forging ahead with its vision of encouraging people to move more. This time with an innovative pair of bike pants made of denim.

For its exclusive cycling styles, the family-run trouser specialist has teamed up with start-up 140 Fahrenheit and, coinciding with its 100-year anniversary, is presenting a pair of sustainable jeans with functional details.

TEXT KRISTIN WALZEL

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Under the motto ‘Born & Finished’, Alberto and 140 Fahrenheit have developed a true innovation: jeans made for cycling. Alberto’s Managing Director Marco Lanowy is convinced: “As a forward-looking company, it is important to us to saddle up and bring sustainable cycling trousers onto the market.” ‘Born & Finished’ stands for created and finished and thereby reflects the creation and production of the new model. Designed

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Felix Holtgrave, Managing Director of 140 Fahrenheit and Marco Lanowy, Managing Director of Alberto

at the trouser label’s think tank – where the team has been giving space to their progressive ideas since day one – and finished right next to its headquarters in Mönchengladbach.

LASER, GOTS CERTIFIED ENZYMES, OZONE & ENERGY FROM WIND FARMS Thanks to its collaboration with the GOTS certified start-up company, Alberto has managed to develop a trouser style that is setting benchmarks in sustainability and resource efficiency. The brains behind 140 Fahrenheit are the two brothers Felix & Max Holtgrave, who – thanks to ecological laser, washing and water recycling technologies – have revolutionised the world of denim finishing. For the ‘Born & Finished’ bike pants, the collaborative partners have focused on lasers, GOTS certified enzymes and ozone. As well as reducing water usage by around 75 percent compared to conventional processes, the power used to produce the jeans comes exclusively from regional wind farms and will soon be generated from in-house solar plants.

“A forward-looking approach that leaves everyone with a good conscience: us, our customers and the entire industry.

Especially since 140 Fahrenheit is also based in Mönchengladbach. That saves

long transport distances and, as selfconfessed local patriots, we can also do something good for our city,” says a delighted Marco Lanowy.

DESIGNED WITH CYCLISTS IN MIND 100 years ago, the trouser brand’s aim was to become a dynamic, innovative presence in the fashion world; a goal that is now being manifested in the new bike jeans with their functional details.

Made from 98 percent organic denim and two percent recycled elastane, the new Alberto jeans also have a high-rise back and a stretchy waistband, as well as optimum bi-elasticity tailored to cyclists’ movements and can be worn for thousands of kilometres before they start showing the first signs of wear and tear.

Other important, innovative details include the reflectors on the turn-ups, the terrycloth-lined pockets and the anti-slip ‘shirt stopper’ integrated into the waistband, which prevents the wearer’s shirt from becoming untucked and riding up. Overall, the ‘Born & Finished’ jeans score points for their various features and sustainable and technical details and are joining the ranks of impressive trouser innovations at Alberto. alberto-pants.com 140fahrenheit.de

BERLIN

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2022 7-9 JULY

A P P LY N O W TO EX H I BI T

MOST WANTED N° 83

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NAVI KAUR IN A DRESS

BY ILONA SONG LUV With her brand, LA designer Ilona Song oscillates between the physical and digital worlds. In addition to contemporary architecture, spirituality and metaphysics, her multicultural background also provides a source of inspiration for her designs. Using digital fashion, Song is broadening her creative horizon by designing futuristic, innovative and elegant garments. The example shown here represents two hearts in one dress. LUV stands for Listen, Understand and Validate.

MOST WANTED N° 83

JULIA DOVGAL IN KSENIA LAZARENKO Ksenia Lazarenko is a fashion and 3D designer who, with ‘Emotional Future’, has created her first collection for DressX. It was inspired by human emotions, which, despite the digitalisation of our lives and the fact that real feelings are often hidden behind likes, emojis and comments, are just as strong and as valid as ever. Bright colours like pink, purple and violet and the fruit and berry print exude positive vibes.

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MOST WANTED

BOOBIE THE DOG IN STUDIO PMS Utrecht-based fashion collective Studio PMS specialises in innovative and sustainable ways to communicate fashion.

Open to experiments and new opportunities for digital fashion development, PMS designs are all about distinct shapes, eclectic prints and rich, structured materials. Their ‘Apparellel Existence’ collection is one collection in three parallel alternatives. Each piece has been assigned its own mood, which the design was then adapted to. The different options show how digitisation is becoming increasingly humanised and integrated into our daily lives. It gives the users options to choose how they perceive and position themselves within each realm.

AR ON THE

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ESSX APP DR

TRY IT ON

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MOST WANTED N° 83

DRESSX SUPPORT UKRAINE — YB DRESSES In response to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the two founders of DressX, who both come from the Ukraine, are calling for international support from the fashion industry and its community with their DressX Support Ukraine collection.

The two co-founders even served as models for the project. (On the left: Natalia Modenova, DressX co-founder COO; on the right: Daria Shapovalova, DressX co-founder CEO). The multinational DressX team stands with Ukraine and aims to generate donations to support the Ukrainians. Their message is loud and clear: no country or nationality in the world should be at war or in conflict. The AR looks by Support Ukraine will be offered for free in the DressX app. All donations will be donated to the country’s Ministry of Defence, as well as 3D fashion designers who have lost their homes, computers and jobs, and various charitable funds.

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METAVERSE FASHION WEEK — THE NEXT BIG THING

THE NEXT BIG THING The metaverse is giving us a whole new way to experience fashion. But that doesn’t mean that we have to turn our backs on real life: virtuality and reality can, and should, go hand in hand. The first Metaverse Fashion Week is showing us how.

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TEXT RENÉE DIEHL

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THE INTERNET: A JOURNEY FROM 3D TO 2D AND BACK AGAIN During the past two decades, the focus has been on the increasing number of options on the 2D market: we can now meet friends and hold meetings digitally (using FaceTime and Zoom) or develop our own online presence with photos, videos and texts (using Instagram and TikTok). In other words: when it comes to digital communication, we have come on in leaps and bounds. That also means that the next technological innovation is just around the corner. And if tech firms like Meta and Microsoft are to be believed, we are indeed on the cusp of the next big thing – the metaverse.

BITCOINS AND NFTS GO FASHION But what does all of that have to do with fashion? The first Fashion Week in the metaverse recently took place, hosted by tech company Decentraland. According to tech expert and investor Matthew Ball, the metaverse should be understood as a “3D version of the internet”. There are currently several providers that are enabling access into their own metaverse and Decentraland is one of them. As NFTs have been playing a role in the fashion industry for a while now – just think of digital Birkin bags or Gucci’s NFT project 10KTF – it’s only logical that a virtual version of the Fashion Weeks follows suit.

So Decentraland has taken advantage of the momentum that the metaverse is currently enjoying in the fashion world and created a new place for fashion to exist in.

PUTTING THE CAT BACK INTO CATWALK Anyone who has access to a computer – preferably one with good graphic capabilities – can take part in the shows of Metaverse Fashion Week. The exciting thing for me as a former user of Habbo Hotel, The Sims etc. is that you can dress your avatars however you want and, depending on how far you are willing to venture into the metaverse, you can even purchase clothing from the shows as NFTs and add them to

As well as the established brands looking to make the most of everything the metaverse has to offer, a whole host of digital-only fashion players like DeadFellaz, The Sevens and 8SIAN also took part in Metaverse Fashion Week. Incidentally, we are already seeing the influence of crypto-fashion on physical fashion trends: for example, clothing made of glass only just recently entered the fashion stage as a digital concept with a Cinderella-like glass slipper and soon afterwards, rapper Doja Cat was spotted at the Grammys carrying a Coperni glass handbag. And silver jewellery is currently celebrating a huge comeback – like it did in the 90s and early 2000s when, inspired by the hardware of the time, the launch of the internet gave rise to the first tech references in fashion.

And even a tech brand like Metaverse Fashion Week organiser Decentraland doesn’t believe that the metaverse can or should exist in isolation from the physical world. Instead, as the Head of Metaverse Fashion Week Dr Graziosi Casimiro explains, both realms really can coexist in the future.

METAVERSE FASHION WEEK — THE NEXT BIG THING

As a millennial, I can still remember playing the computer game The Sims when I was younger and longing for more stylish clothing options to dress my Sims in. Or back to when I was around 13 years old, sitting with my little avatar in the chat­ room of the virtual world of Habbo Hotel and desperately trying to imbue said avatar with a bit of my own personal style – which was obviously doomed to failure because of the lack of options available. It was around that time that I decided to leave the world of video games and virtual 3D worlds behind me.

INSPIRATION IS MUTUAL: FROM DIGITAL TO PHYSICAL

THE PROBLEMS OF DIGITAL FASHION: BUGS & BOTHERS Despite all the new innovations, and not only in terms of the technology, there are still a few bumps that need to be ironed out in the metaverse. While digital fashion is often mentioned in the same breath as sustainability (as it isn’t actually producing any physical waste), we often forget that storing NFTs in the blockchain and simply maintaining the metaverse is a hugely energy-intensive undertaking. Dr Casimiro also sees this as an important challenge of the NFT economy, which is still very much in its infancy. Despite that, she is not giving up hope that these circumstances will change soon, as she tells us in the interview on the following page.

According to tech expert and investor Matthew Ball, the metaverse should be understood as a “3D version of the internet”.

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your avatar’s virtual wardrobe. This seems to have gone down very well at the first edition of Metaverse Fashion Week and not just among the virtual visitors. Participating brands included Etro, Elie Saab and Dolce & Gabbana. Instead of virtual models, the latter even sent cat avatars down the runway wearing their designs.

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METAVERSE FASHION WEEK — INTERVIEW WITH DR CASIMIRO

FASHION’S NEW FRONTIER From 24 to 27 March, virtual reality platform Decentra­land hosted the first-ever Metaverse Fashion Week. This leap from the physical to the virtual offers the fashion world previously undreamt-of opportunities that can be explored for the first time. But it’s not without its challenges either. We spoke to Dr Giovanna Graziosi Casimiro, Head of Metaverse Fashion Week, about visions for the future, sustainability, opportunities and what the metaverse means for real-life fashion.

INTERVIEW RENÉE DIEHL

Decentraland recently played host to the first Metaverse Fashion Week. How was the event received by the participating brands and visitors?

The event was an undeniable success! Participating brands are already asking about MVFW 23 and the visitors had a blast!

There were some technical glitches, as is the case with most pioneering events in Web3, but the overall sentiment was overwhelmingly positive.

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What are your main takeaways from the first edition of the Metaverse Fashion Week for Decentraland? What went well and what could be improved in future editions?

MVFW showed us not to be scared to think outside the box and really push our creativity to the next level. We encouraged brands to do this as well and the result was nothing short of spectacular.

We had runway shows unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, incredible concerts and parties, people dressed their avatars in the most extravagant wearables – the sky truly was the limit.

I do think the user experience could be improved, but we’ll make sure we take all of these learnings on board for next year and deliver an even better experience for our community!

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You told Vogue that “instead of pitting the two against each other, brands should embrace both spaces and use them to amplify their brand narrative and reach new audiences”. How would you advise brands to do that?

This might be the most important takeaway. I encourage brands to explore the power that comes from utilising both the digital and physical realities to tell their story to a wider audience.

Digital fashion and experiences should complement the physical experience and allow brands to express themselves in a more holistic way. We advise brands to come up with authentic ways of telling their stories for a completely digital environment – what can your brand do in a digital space that it can’t do in the real world?

Metaverse Fashion and Metaverse Fashion Week are said to be making fashion more sustainable by eliminating the production

of any physical waste. Nevertheless, the digital garments can only be bought with MANA, an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency. But the Ethereum blockchain eats up a lot of energy.

With that in mind, how sustainable is metaverse fashion?

As an entirely digital technology, blockchain, and therefore the metaverse, does use electricity to power its servers. But the amount of innovation that this space holds to further reduce environmental degradation from point-source pollution is incredible. The NFT space as we know it is just over a year old, having hardly existed in our vocabulary prior to 2021. Things are changing and thousands of developers are working on reducing the energy intensity of the Ethereum blockchain, which is slated to update its consensus protocol soon and will make this whole conversation moot. However, we also recognise the double standards this technology has faced. When mobile phones first hit the market, nobody asked about their energy intensity compared to landline phones. Thanks to economies of scale and the law of diminishing returns, developers have been able to create more efficient batteries and operating systems for mobile phones over time. The same is happening now with blockchain and NFTs. When analysing the energy use of blockchain technology, we need to see it in the context of its social utility and potential for good.

What are your expectations and hopes for Metaverse Fashion Week in the future? What can we expect from meta­verse fashion in general within the next five years?

We have so many wishes and dreams for MVFW and that’s what makes all of this so fun! One of our greatest desires is to bring MVFW out of computers and into the real world. We can do this with AR experiences and filters, VR integration and possibly even having immersive experiences IRL. We aim to expand the reach of this event by collaborating with other platforms and metaverses, pioneering the concept of interoperability. In the short term, we’re planning to gamify the experience and begin the production of next year’s event as soon as possible. Personally, I am a big believer in the expansion of the metaverse beyond screens, and digital fashion is one of the most powerful elements for that.

As XR solutions evolve, it may become part of the physical world as an additional layer of our identity.

DECENTRALAND.ORG

7 - 9 J U LY 2022 BERLIN JOIN THE FAMILY NOW @SEEK.TRADESHOW WWW.SEEK.FASHION

METAVERSE FASHION WEEK — META(CURSE)?

METAVERSE FASHION WEEK

META(CURSE)?

As well as the euphoria experienced by the fans and attendees of MVFW who were overjoyed at being part of this first, historical event of its kind, the event also left us with mixed feelings and a few question marks. Is Metaverse Fashion Week the future of fashion, or just a fun, virtual fantasy bubble?

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TEXT DENIZ TROSDORFF

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Feline models clad in logo-emblazoned outfits are hovering over the runway. Avatars wearing outlandish attire emerge from the jaws of a skull resembling an OTT fantasy version of The Sims. No, we haven’t just teleported ourselves into a digitalised version of Alice in Wonderland, although if MVFW’s descriptions are anything to go by, it would certainly seem like it. Colourful, over-the-top, wonderful and, at times, also pretty bizarre. The scene of the world’s first virtual fashion week was Decentraland, a blockchain-based digital event platform, which opened its doors to the general public in 2020 and, according to its own figures, has up to 560,000 active monthly users. At the inaugural event of MVFW, which can be seen as a symbol of the growing enthusiasm for the virtual fashion market, anyone from all over the world could take part in the events with a customised avatar that they could create on the platform itself. As well as runway shows by the big-name fashion houses, the spotlight was also on a line-up of special

events by pioneers of digital fashion such as DressX and digital pop-up stores of major brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Estée Lauder, as well as live DJ sets like the one with Grimes in the virtual party room of digital couture brand Auroboros. It all sounds like a lot of potential fun and a fantastic new way of discovering, experiencing and enjoying fashion.

But the main aim of the team behind Decentraland is to make fashion more democratic by giving everyone access to it.

THE NEW FASHION REALITY OR NOT QUITE? Full of high expectations and anticipation, the participants of MVFW had to bring plenty of time and, above all, patience.

For many, a sense of disillusionment set in as soon as they started creating their own avatars, because, despite all the tools available to put together your own alter ego, the results were reminiscent of characters from old-school video game formats. Anyone who wanted to kit their avatar out in a trendier outfit had to whip out their crypto wallet to buy fashionable NFTs. Once you had arrived at Fashion Week, you then had to try and find your way around the somewhat disorientating

PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT Let’s take fashion and lifestyle heavyweight Tommy Hilfiger, for example. In its virtual MVFW store, the brand presented three NFT styles from the spring collection that were each limited to quantities of 10. The result: everything was sold out within an hour. Each style cost 20 MANA, the Decentra­ land currency, which is equivalent to around 50 US dollars.

The buyers could also swap them for physical versions of the garments if they wanted to. Dolce & Gabbana presented 20 complete looks made up of metaverse garments that they had designed especially for MVFW. After the show, the entire collection was showcased in an exclusive pop-up in Decentra­land’s Luxury Fashion District, which was curated

by luxury marketplace UNXD. Dolce & Gabbana recently sold a nine-piece collection of digital NFTs at auction for around 6 million dollars as part of another collection created with UNXD. Beyond that, the Italian fashion house is planning the launch of the ‘DGFamily NFT Community’, which will offer members exclusive access to physical and digital drops and wearables. DGFamily owners will receive airdrops from this MVFW collection.

THE METAHYPE – NOTHING BUT HOT AIR? A recent study, in which investment bank Piper Sandler asked 7,100 US teenagers questions such as how important NFTs etc. are to them, revealed that although the majority is familiar with it all, 48 percent of the respondents admitted that they are either unsure of or not interested in the metaverse. This would suggest that rising efforts by brands to win over mainly young consumers for their increasingly NFT-based brand worlds could be a waste of time, but perhaps the result should serve as a reminder that the mechanisms aren’t in place yet and need to be better geared towards the young target group.

METAVERSE FASHION WEEK — META(CURSE)?

platform to the shows, pop-up openings or other events. If you were lucky, you would reach your destination before being thrown out due to system breakdowns. In addition to the technical glitches, which resulted in users missing the live streams or not being able to find them again, the show’s low-level graphics were criticised. Too flat, too rudimentary, too boring – that was just some of the feedback about the virtual fashion creations that were showcased and the spaces in which the installations or brand presentations took place. Even some of the self-designed avatars of the participants were way more imaginative and daring than the styles showcased on the catwalks. Wings and colourful or even illuminating skin colours are just two examples worth mentioning. The diversity of the participants’ appearance makes it clear just how many users are willing to go beyond the free options to individually dress their avatars. Decentraland has reported that users spent 5.5 million dollars on wearables in 2021. At this point we need to ask the question of whether conventional brands can directly translate their everyday styles from ‘normal life’ into the virtual realm. That might be quite a challenge when it comes to the more die-hard metaverse fans who are really embracing the more outlandish digital outfits, but anything is possible.

To sum up, Decentraland has the charm of a video game with avatars cobbled together with pixels. The technology needs to be improved and many brands that only took part in the premiere with two-dimensional collection images definitely need to up their game. However, the fact is that we have entered a new dimension of fashion, which won’t just play an important role for Generation Z in the future. There’s a reason why brands and fashion houses are willing to pay millions for a piece of Decentraland so they can sell their NFT wares at its virtual shopping locations. In February, the Philipp Plein brand paid 1.4 million US dollars for a plot of virtual land. If that all still sounds a bit crazy to you, or textile clothing is still more your thing, then that’s totally fine too. Because that’s the great thing about the virtual and the real worlds: the decision is yours to make.

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The first ever Metaverse Fashion Week (top left) / A virtual model on the Dolce & Gabbana MVFW catwalk (below)

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PHOTO ISTOCKPHOTO.COM – GESREY

METAVERSE FASHION WEEK — FROM CLOSET TO CLOUD

FROM CLOSET TO CLOUD —

IS DIGITAL FASHION SUSTAINABLE? If the hype is to be believed, digital fashion is being heralded as part of a sustainable future. But isn’t that a bit contradictory? Upon closer inspection, it turns out that we may have to zoom further in for it all to make sense.

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TEXT JENNI KOUTNI

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The triple whammy of climate change, COVID-19 and the accompanying wave of digitalisation has brought not only challenges for the fashion world, but also the opportunity for it to completely reinvent itself over the past two years.

Social distancing and supply chain delays have forced fashion houses to present their collections digitally for the first time. While most fashion brands are still stepping onto new terrain, consumers are already one step ahead: the digital natives of Generation Z are engaging with the whole meta­ verse idea more than ever before. As conscious consumers,

however, they are also demanding sustainability and ethical production methods, as well as supply chain transparency, from their favourite fashion brands. A wild mix of environmentalism and an escape into the digital realm – and more and more companies are getting in on the action. But there’s still a lot of scepticism out there. After all, what’s the point of gimmicks like the Louis Vuitton ‘skins’ that you can buy in the video game League of Legends to wear digitally? And why spend money on a digital NFT of a garment that can only be worn in TikTok videos? Let’s zoom in for a closer look.

Take, for example, our shopping behaviour. Experimenting with clothes is fun and online shopping was booming even before the many lockdowns began. But a lot of what ends up in your shopping cart on a whim can turn out to be a bad buy once you try it on at home, mostly because it’s the wrong fit or simply because it’s hard to visualise garments as part of an outfit. So what if the problem could be solved before shipping? What if you could experiment creatively with styles on your own body without having to produce, order and then send them back again? The online store of the future could well provide us with a lifelike avatar that would make it possible for us to realistically try on new clothes. Materials can be shown in detail and in motion, so we don’t have to order before making a decision.

Although this might initially sound like a bit of fun, it could well have the potential to solve the fashion industry’s biggest problems: overproduction and recycling. Let’s face it, it’s no secret that many companies incinerate returned goods because it’s cheaper than feeding them back into the product cycle. And thanks to free shipping, there is no longer any

METAVERSE FASHION WEEK — FROM CLOSET TO CLOUD

BITS AND BYTES IN YOUR CLOSET DressX, a digital-only clothing company that trades in NFT fashion items and augmented reality looks has been making a name for itself in this sector since July 2020. Unlike a physical counterpart, a DressX garment generates 97 percent less CO2 and requires no water, waste or chemicals whatsoever.

The three percent CO2 emission is offset with trusted partner companies and their application for B Corp certification is already underway. Together with retailer Farfetch, DressX has also designed a pre-order collection that requires no physical materials. This ‘saved’ 346,698 litres of water as well as 2,515 kilograms of CO2, which is equivalent to 10 hours of daily smartphone use for 29 years. Another example is the collaboration between outdoor label Peak Performance and digital fashion company The Fabricant. Here, all physical product samples were replaced with digital ones, which minimised the environmental impact per garment by 96 percent and also simplified internal processes. It could well be a pioneering way of working that would make it financially easier for start-ups in particular to get a foot in the door. After all, high-risk investments have to be made, especially for debut collections.

Material orders, expensive delivery costs, equipment and production costs could all be saved with digital samples.

Production would go hand in hand with lookbook shoots and marketing campaigns – because once a virtual garment is created, it can be worn by a variety of avatars and models.

And best of all: if you take away physical boundaries, the only limit to your creativity is your own imagination.

DRESSX.COM THEFABRICANT.COM

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Digital fashion per se will never be entirely ‘green’.

barrier to ordering as many things as you want and then just sending them back. But imagine a world where realistic selections can be made in an online store before shipping: this would minimise the risk of overproduction. If the samples existed only virtually, there would be no need for physical samples, high retail inventories or sizing margins. This new sector could also satisfy the appetite for constantly new clothing, which, from the production to the disposal, has an extreme environmental impact.

PHOTOS THE FABRICANT

A DIGITAL RETHINK One thing is clear: the creation of digital fashion requires data centres that consume a lot of energy, which, in turn, generates greenhouse gas emissions. The pieces are often sold as so-called non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on blockchain networks that can have a very high ecological footprint, depending on the provider. So digital fashion per se will never be entirely ‘green’. But it could change the way we work within the fashion industry, as well as its production methods.

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THE NEW VIRTUAL WORLD OF FASHION

A FORAY INTO THE NEW VIRTUAL WORLD OF FASHION Balenciaga, aspiring British designer Stefan Cooke, London depart­ ment store Selfridges and Zara all have one thing in common: they are represented in the new digital world, the metaverse. Although Silicon Valley has been abuzz with talk of the metaverse for a while now, the first Metaverse Fashion Week recently celebrated its premiere. But what does this new digital world really have to offer clothing brands?

TEXT KRISTIN WALZEL

READY PLAYER ME Pull & Bear With a new virtual reality project in the meta­ verse, the fashion company has ramped up its digital innovation efforts. Via a web-based adaptation, users make their way into a virtual brand showroom where they can try on the different styles and even play a surfing game. They can also design their own avatar with the Ready Player Me function and navigate their way through the virtual world of Pull & Bear. For the project, the company has digitalised six looks from the Gen Z-inspired collection, which are compatible with apps and games on the Ready Player Me platform such as VR Chat, Sommium Space, LIV and Animaze.

PULLANDBEAR.COM

NFT ART

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Moose Knuckles Together with Portuguese artist Tiago Marinho, the Canadian luxury outerwear brand is making its first foray into the metaverse. Together with the artist, the brand has created a unique 3D NFT artwork that takes the form of a special digital jacket by Moose Knuckles in collaboration with Chinese influencer Mia Kong. The brand has also developed a conceptual short film that shows Mia Kong’s avatar on a journey through a surreal landscape to discover and unlock the Moose Knuckles jacket hidden somewhere inside it.

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MOOSEKNUCKLESCANADA.COM

THE NEW VIRTUAL WORLD OF FASHION

META MASCOT G-Star Raw Diving headfirst into the metaverse, G-No, the rhino mascot of Dutch brand G-Star Raw, has been turned into an NFT avatar made entirely of digital denim. “We’re excited to enter the NFT space with an art project that brings our story to life. We are known for pushing the limits of denim.

By transforming our mascot into a digital denim artwork, we are able to satisfy our target audience’s appetite for innovation and be present wherever they are,” explains Gwenda van Vliet, CMO at G-Star Raw. Each of the 10 virtual G-No designs tells its own story and has been made with different denim fabrics. The limited-edition NFT avatars are now available to purchase in a live auction on Rarible for around 300 euros.

G-STAR.COM

TOMMY GOES ROBLOX Tommy Hilfiger The US brand has joined forces with eight designers of user-generated content (UGC) from the Roblox community to design a digital collection together. The Tommy x Roblox Creators collection consists of 30 garments that people can use to dress their avatars within the Roblox platform, allowing them to access the platform’s multiple experiences while fully kitted out in Tommy Hilfiger.

“I love how the brand has already been unofficially adopted into the Roblox platform, with users creating their own Tommy Hilfiger styles,” explains Tommy Hilfiger. The eight creators were given the creative freedom to reinterpret some of the brand’s iconic pieces both in digital 2D and 3D elements, including a Tommy Jeans backpack, a crossbody bag, a Tommy Hilfiger headset and a skateboard.

TOMMY.COM

Mango The European fashion giant has also jumped on the metaverse bandwagon and is making its debut on the NFT market with the launch of three unique artworks that were created with crypto artist Farkas, a ArgentinianHungarian artist who drew inspiration for the digital artworks from the brand’s clothing. Their aim is to project the artist’s vision, as well as the metaverse into the future. The three artworks were on display for a month in Decentra­land’s Museum District during the first edition of Meta­ verse Fashion Week. By entering the virtual realm of the metaverse, Mango is taking another step in strengthening the ecosystem of channels and partners that its business model is based on.

SHOP.MANGO.COM

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MANGO’S ART EXHIBITION IN THE MUSEUM DISTRICT

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THE ART OF DENIM

PHOTOGRAPHER VALENTIN MÜHL CONCEPT CHERYLL MÜHLEN & DENIZ TROSDORFF STYLING KRISTIN WALZEL HAIR & MAKE-UP CHRISTINA GORIS @21 AGENCY

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MODEL RANA O. @MODELWERK

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EARRINGS SWAROVSKI TOP URBAN OUTFITTERS SHIRT & JEANS DRYKORN BELT STYLIST’S OWN

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THE ART OF DENIM

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EARRING BIMBA Y LOLA BRA FENDI FROM APROPOS THE CONCEPT STORE DÜSSELDORF OVERALLS MAC JEANS JACKET WOOD WOOD

THE ART OF DENIM

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EARRINGS STYLIST’S OWN COAT & PANTS DAMUR SANDALS BOTTEGA VENETA FROM APROPOS THE CONCEPT STORE DÜSSELDORF

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THE ART OF DENIM

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EARRINGS SWAROVSKI TOP URBAN OUTFITTERS SHIRT & JEANS DRYKORN BELT STYLIST’S OWN

THE ART OF DENIM

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EARRINGS & RING SWAROVSKI TOP OFF-WHITE FROM APROPOS THE CONCEPT STORE DÜSSELDORF VEST CLOSED JEANS SAMSØE SAMSØE SANDALS BIMBA Y LOLA

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THE ART OF DENIM

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EARRINGS STYLIST’S OWN TOP & JACKET COSTER COPENHAGEN JEANS & BAG PEPE JEANS MULES BALENCIAGA FROM APROPOS THE CONCEPT STORE DÜSSELDORF

THE ART OF DENIM

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EARRINGS & HIGH HEELS STYLIST’S OWN TOP JACQUEMUS JEANS CLOSED

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THE ART OF DENIM

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N° 83 TOP URBAN OUTFITTERS TROUSERS WANDLER SANDALS BIMBA Y LOLA

NECKLACE STYLIST’S OWN TOP CLOSED JEANS VALENTINO FROM APROPOS THE CONCEPT STORE DÜSSELDORF SANDALS WANDLER

THE ART OF DENIM

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T-SHIRT BALENCIAGA FROM APROPOS THE CONCEPT STORE DÜSSELDORF NECKLACE VEERT SHORTS CLOSED DENIM JACKET BIMBA Y LOLA

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THE ART OF DENIM

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INTERVIEW — WP LAVORI

INTERVIEW — WP LAVORI

HOW WP’S CRISTINA CALORI BECAME THE QUEEN OF HERITAGE

40 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE There’s a lot we have WP Lavori to thank for. Over the course of its 40-year company history, the Italian company has established countless noteworthy brands on the European market and helped to shape and define the entire industry. On their anniversary, J’N’C was the first magazine to be allowed a glimpse inside WP’s impressive archive and sat down with its President/CEO Cristina Calori for a chat about the past, present and future.

INTERVIEW CHERYLL MÜHLEN & PIERRE D’AVETA PHOTOS MARKUS BRONOLD

Congratulations on your 40 th anniversary! It’s such a great achievement. What do you look back on most with pride so far over the past 40 years?

That’s a good question! After 40 years, I’m still here! (laughing) But seriously: it feels good, because 40 years is a long time, and I started WP with my father back in 1982. Although I’m unfortunately doing it on my own now, a new and younger generation is waiting in the wings, which, again, reminds me of my age, but at least I am still as curious as ever!

That is the most important thing. Will you be celebrating this special anniversary?

Oh, yes! We’ll start celebrating our anniversary at the next Pitti Uomo. And after September we’ll organise something special.

You just mentioned that you started this business with your father. How did it all come about?

My father was already working in several fields, including oil trading. One day this guy came up to him and made an offer for some products that were imported especially from the US. My father wanted to do something with me anyway, and at the time I was working for an agency because I had previously attended art school. That was basically the beginning.

I was very young, so having him beside me was so important because he helped me a lot. But yes, the company started with just the two of us and has kept growing ever since.

Do you think he wanted to be close to his daughter or do you have the impression that he wanted to leave something for you?

Perhaps both.

I am very happy with our progress.

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“Defining culture, trends and styles since 1982. We are restless and unstoppable. Walk with us.” What at first sight might seem like a typical company claim is actually a vocation and a promise that Cristina Calori continues to uphold to this day. Together with her father Giuseppe Calori, she founded the family business exactly 40 years ago, not knowing that she would one day be responsible for the distribution of the most iconic and promising brands. Today, 70 people work for WP, whose portfolio includes Desert Sons, Vans, Barbour, Paraboot, Columbia, Kiehl’s, Nautica, Eagle, Hanes, Spiewak, Barena, Avon Celli and, once again, Filson. Cristina Calori tells us what she is planning for the brand and what her secret passion is. A small hint: it’s not fashion!

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INTERVIEW — WP LAVORI

WP LAVORI A total of 50 employees are part of the core team in Bologna.

In addition, 20 employees work in the shops and showrooms they have around the world.

Did you enjoy working with your father?

Oh, yes. A lot. But it’s not always easy working with a parent.

Still, I am very happy about how things went.

Luck or not, I bet you know exactly where to look. But you probably won’t share your secrets with us, right? (laughing) No! They’re my trade secrets!

You two seemed to work well together and were very successful.

Our first big success was Vans. We were the first ones to bring Vans to Italy – the licensing and distribution. After Italy, we moved on to France and other European countries.

Then let’s talk about something obvious: WP worked with Filson back in the 80s but you just recently reactivated the collaboration. It’s already a well-known brand in Europe with a huge fan base and now you’re starting all over again.

It’s also a brand with a huge archive. What are you planning for Filson?

We want to work with the company to improve the collection.

We’re not interested in creating something special just for Europe but for the whole world. That’s what’s most important to us.

What happened after Vans?

After Vans came Parachute. Back then, it was a very famous fashion brand from New York. And thanks to them, we got into the best stores where we started selling our other products as well.

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The foundations of WP Lavori are in Corso. We are sitting here in your archives, in the midst of your own rich heritage, which, by the way, is pretty mind-blowing! And it shows that WP Lavori is specialised in scouting as well as developing historical and authentic international brands. What’s the attraction of these kinds of brands for you?

Well, it’s easier to work with a historical brand because they always have a good story to tell. That makes it all the more fascinating.

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But you also have to have a talent for finding the right treasures.

Where do you find them? (laughing) Sometimes by luck and sometimes by travelling!

I heard that you also want to produce for Filson in the future.

Yes, but here the same applies: not just for us, but for the US customer as well. We set to work around two months ago.

They came to our archive to pick out some pieces.

So what will the goal for Filson in Europe be in the next few years? Easier access for retailers and customers, perhaps?

Or do you want to make their e-commerce stronger?

On the US market, Filson generates 60 or 70 percent of its turnover from e-commerce. So of course that’s something we’d love to do here too. But we’ve only just started so we still have a lot of work ahead of us.

INTERVIEW — WP LAVORI

I feel like cooperating with Filson was an emotional decision that really came from the heart. How fast you think the brand can excel in Europe and reach the same level as in the US? I hope it does in a very short time, just like all of the other brands have. What can I say? I’m very happy with our progress thus far. Take Barbour and Baracuta, for example.

How has your work or approach changed over the past 40 years?

A lot. It’s completely different. Everything is very digital now and the way we connect with other people has totally changed.

We are living in a different world. And the pandemic has accelerated the process. It’s incredible. Something else that has changed for me are young people. They think so differently from my generation. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to understand them, but it’s important to make the effort. After all, they are the future.

Are you planning any mono-brand stores for Filson in Europe?

Yes. Perhaps in two or three years.

Which city will be the first?

Milan.

That answer came fast. And after Milano?

London, perhaps.

Is the UK a major market for Filson?

Yes, the UK, Germany and of course Italy.

It’s exciting to see that Filson will be more structured and easier to buy in Europe thanks to you guys. An important step, because I remember it being difficult to get certain pieces from Filson in the past. Most of the time you had to order through the US. But when you’re home to so many good brands, it makes me wonder if there’s a brand you’ve been hopelessly searching for so far?

I’m very passionate about real estate, so it’s not really a brand that I’m dreaming about. Actually, I am very happy with what I have now.

That sounds enviable. But until then, let’s return to fashion and talk about the responsibility of preserving the tradition of your brands while at the same time translating it into contemporary collections. How do you balance this fine line?

By finding younger people who are able to interpret the ‘old’ brands in a new way. We need more young people.

Speaking of which, where do you see the target group of future Filson buyers?

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It’s important to understand the younger gene­ rations. They are the future.

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INTERVIEW — WP LAVORI

They’re not so young right now – around 30 to 50 years old in America. As for here in Europe, I’ll be able to tell you more next year.

It’s a challenge to get the younger consumers on your side.

They are also very interested in sustainability. How does the growing awareness of ecological and fair fashion influence WP’s strategies?

We are just at the beginning of this process. We started with Spiewak because it’s a new brand where we can be creative.

But yes, we’re trying to understand sustainability in its entirety first because it’s everybody’s future. It’s important to get started. Just like this archive. I started collecting samples and pieces that I liked and it grew bigger and bigger. Thanks to my daughter, it is now very organised as well.

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Its value must be huge.

Yes, it is.

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Is the archive open to others?

Except for you and our partners, it’s not open to the public yet.

Perhaps in the future. For now, we want to take pictures of the styles or work with a university, but it’s not ready to be viewed by the public just yet.

To conclude our conversation, I’d love to know if you have a wish for the future…

Basically, I would like to go back to the past because it’s quite difficult to work at the moment. I hope we can go back to how the world used to be. I get a bit nostalgic, but for me the best years were the 80s and 90s. When it comes to business, of course, I always strive for improvement. And I would love to be successful with my brands in the US. WPSTORE.COM

Only three years after WP Lavori in Corso (which means Work in Progress) was founded, they opened their first concept store in Bologna in 1985. In addition to WP’s retailer network of eight stores, they also run the mono-brand stores for Barbour and Baracuta in Italy. Beyond that, WP can also rely on its large network of showrooms, as well as a system of wholesale shops that ensure the best possible positioning worldwide.

Today, WP Lavori’s portfolio comprises around 30 brands.

y a w n a i l a t i e h T e l y t s of

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BRAND FEATURE — ALPHA TAURI

FUTUREWEAR

BRAND FEATURE — ALPHA TAURI

Alpha Tauri has been producing clothing that blurs the boundaries between technological innovation and fashion since 2016. Always at the focus: high functionality and smart features. The independent fashion label, which belongs to energy drink giant Red Bull, takes its inspiration from the early days of the brand and creates unique and original products that the world has never seen before.

TEXT RENÉE DIEHL

This year, Alpha Tauri is continuing its innovative approach, which has been a key strategy for the brand ever since it was launched. But they’re not just innovative when it comes to their products: for the first time, Alpha Tauri is launching a hybrid campaign that combines virtual and real-life elements.

Ahmet Mercan, CEO of Alpha Tauri, explains this step as follows: “Our goal is always to create a flowing transition between the digital and the physical worlds.” This fusion also aims to highlight the premium fashion brand’s strategic positioning.

HYBRID CAMPAIGN To produce the hybrid campaign, they used ‘Unreal Engine’ technology, which, until now, has been used mainly in the fields of film and gaming. The technology enables you to create completely digital three-dimensional backgrounds on LED walls in a studio, which Alpha Tauri then used as a backdrop to shoot actual items from the collection on real models.

This resulted in an entirely new visual experience that, according to Mercan, “really conveys the tech aspect of the brand” – because the products from the collection stand out with their technical features, which really sets Alpha Tauri apart on the premium clothing market.

BREATHABLE AND WATERPROOF

Our goal is always to create a flowing transition between the digital and the physical worlds.

summer 2022 collection. It was developed in cooperation with textile innovation experts and combines comfort and breathability with waterproof properties. Taurobran can be found in a variety of garments in the collection, such as parkas and jackets, as well as blazers, sweatshirts and trousers.

With this, Alpha Tauri is demonstrating one of its core skills, which, according to CEO Ahmet Mercan, lie mainly in the outerwear sector.

KNITWEAR EXPERTISE But Mercan assures us that it’s not just outerwear that is a core area of their expertise, but also their 3D-knit technology, which comes to the fore in the second part of their hybrid campaign. Their 3D knitwear is made with 3D knitting machines belonging to Japanese company Shima Seiki, one of Alpha Tauri’s strategic partners. Thanks to its seamless circular knitting tech-

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Alpha Tauri’s hybrid campaign is divided into three parts that each highlight one of the company’s special textile technologies. The first part of the campaign focuses on the Taurobran technology, which was mainly incorporated into the brand’s

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BRAND FEATURE — ALPHA TAURI What is real? The hybrid campaign seamlessly merges two worlds

nology, it saves up to 30 percent of yarn because there are no off-cuts or waste – a welcome sustainable approach to production. It also has other additional product and design advantages, including the on-demand production of seamless 3D knitwear designs. Individual collection items can be produced with a variety of different yarns like merino and cashmere wool, as well as performance yarns. All of the brand’s knitwear products are made in Europe.

STAYING WARM IN WINTER Part three of the hybrid campaign is centred on the ‘Heatable Capsule Collection 2.0’. Alpha Tauri already launched a line of heatable outerwear styles last year and is building on this success in the second part of their capsule collection. As Ahmet

Mercan explains: “We’re launching a second edition of our Heatable Capsule Collection this autumn, which we developed in cooperation with Deutsche Telekom and Schoeller Textil AG. There will be a unisex commuter jacket as well as a trench coat for women and men, each one controlled via app.” Here too, Alpha Tauri is showing its innovativeness and prescience as a response to the field of smart wearables becoming an increasingly hot topic in fashion. An app allows the wearer to control the warmth of their jacket exactly to their own needs – with two heating zones in the pockets and kidney area and four different heat settings. The Schoeller E-Soft-Shell heating technology, as it is called, is woven directly into the fibres, which are made of a heat-retaining, sheep wool filling (Lavalan), along with an isolation layer of cork granules (corkshell) and a heat-conducting lining (E-Soft-Shell). An integrated battery ensures that there is enough energy to keep you cosy, finished off with a water-repellent membrane to protect both the wearer and the technology.

EXPANSION INTO THE VIRTUAL WORLD

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But Alpha Tauri’s expansion into the virtual world doesn’t stop at this year’s hybrid campaign concept. For the latest F1 race in Miami, they have been working on an exciting art project with artist Jay Bellicchi, who goes by the pseudonym of Remote.

He designed graffiti for one of the F1 show cars that was inspired by the Alpha Tauri SS22 collection. Two of the racing drivers also came up with a graffiti design for their own helmets.

The helmets were then digitalised as NFTs and can be bought as one-offs on Alpha Tauri’s website. The profits from the project will be donated to the ‘Wings For Life’ charitable foundation. In this field, too, Alpha Tauri is merging physical and virtual elements into one – perfectly reflecting the brand’s innovation ambitions.

Ahmet Mercan, CEO, Alpha Tauri

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ALPHATAURI.COM

21. – 24. 6. 2022 Frankfurt am Main

TECHNOLOGY. EFFICIENCY. PROGRESS.

Your Space.

More Progress.

NEW CLOTHING. Concentrated inspiration for the textile processing of tomorrow: Experience the hotspot for innovative technologies around the processing of clothing in a hybrid trade fair environment.

And with the additional digital platform, you benefit from the best of both worlds: face-toface discussions at the fair, plus virtual networking with exhibitors and the international community, for instance through matchmaking before, during and after the event. texprocess.com

in parallel with:

powered by:

INTERVIEW — ENZO FUSCO

NO RISK, NO GLORY N° 83

Even though Enzo Fusco needs no intro­ duction, he still deserves one anyway.

A visit to Padua and Montegalda in Italy.

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INTERVIEW — ENZO FUSCO

Kenzo, Versace, Armani, Lancetti, Iceberg, Moschino and Yves Saint Laurent – you can’t help but be in awe at the many prestigious fashion brands the designer worked with as a design consultant for many years. But a glimpse at the list also reveals the extent of Enzo Fusco’s influence on the fashion industry.

With his company FGF Industry and the brands Blauer USA, Blauer HT, Ten C, Prince Tees and BPD, Enzo Fusco achieved icon status a long time ago.

Along with his Italian warmth and kindness, his understanding of timelessness, his passion and expertise and his know-how of textiles still make him one of the best in the industry to this day.

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INTERVIEW CHERYLL MÜHLEN PHOTOS MARKUS BRONOLD

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INTERVIEW — ENZO FUSCO

ENZO FUSCO A total of 100 employees are part of the FGF team, including at the headquarters, the style office, the Milan showroom and in its stores.

To achieve as much as he has, you can’t be the type of person who stands still. Enzo Fusco is inquisitive, always on the go, never doing nothing. Of course he’s very well-travelled, which is something that has really helped him in his work, as he goes on to tell us. He still draws on his rich experiences today. But he’s also started taking things a bit slower – at least by his own standards. His family meanwhile actively supports him in the company, leaving him more time to devote to his hobbies: not far from his estate, Enzo Fusco grows his own wine, which is celebrating its 25-year anniversary this year. In his 17th century villa, close to the Italian city of Padua, which he has turned into a creative atelier, he proudly shows us the labels for his bottles. It doesn’t take us long to realise that there’s a very fine line between work and private life for him. We sat down with Enzo for a short interview to find out how he solves problems, what inspires him, how he wants to shape the future of Blauer USA and Ten C and where he sees himself in a few years.

FGF’s brand portfolio comprises five brands in total, including Blauer and Ten C. What’s important to you when it comes to differentiating the brands?

First and foremost, it’s important to differentiate in the first place. Not only does each brand offer different products in general, but they are also different in terms of their price ranges, distribution and target groups.

You have been in the business for a very long time now. How do you still keep surprising the industry after decades?

When you’ve been in the industry for so long, it all comes down to experience. But I also put in a lot of work and a lot of passion, as well as research and innovation.

Your passion for military styles along with your vast knowledge of fabrics and their history, attention to detail and commitment to fashion are the key elements of what sets you apart.

Longevity and timelessness play a major role for the consumers of your brands, which in turn reflects a fundamental ecoawareness. How do you address the issue of sustainability?

What do you already offer?

We started addressing the issue of sustainability early on. By using fillings with recycled materials or high-performance Repreve or Sorona, for example. 10 of our 50 Blauer jackets are lined with Sorona, a high-quality alternative to natural down that is just as effective in terms of filling power, warmth and lightness.

Many in our industry know you mainly through Blauer. Your flagship brand, if you will. Blauer is all about classic American design with Italian passion. Apparently, you own over 40,000 of their archive pieces, which continue to inspire you. What do you think distinguishes the brand to this day and where do you want it to go in the coming years?

Being the owner of an original brand is certainly a source of inspiration and its spirit also remains authentic in its evolution.

It’s all comes down to real products with great, tried-and-tested

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TEN C

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In its own words, Ten C believes in products that are so perfect and so beautiful that they defy obsolescence. Designed by Alessandro Pungetti, its collection of outerwear and knitwear are devoid of any logos or labels, yet still have the fashion factor. Ten C’s ‘forever collection’ principle is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fable ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’. Its USP: the Original Japanese Jersey (OJJ fabric) – a jersey fabric with unique properties that is used and manufactured by Ten C. The material is known for its relative stiffness, becoming softer when worn and adapting and moulding to the wearer’s body. OJJ is made exclusively in Japan and then cut, sewn and dyed by Ten C in Italy.

REPREVE – PUTTING PLASTIC TO GOOD USE Repreve has recycled more than 25 billion plastic bottles and is one of the leading and most trusted branded performance fibres made from recycled materials (including plastic bottles). Repreve fibres are already being used by leading worldwide brands, including Enzo Fusco’s FGF Industry, to produce sport, outdoor and fashion clothing. Its process embeds properties like moisture wicking, warmth and cooling, water resistance and lots more in the fibre. Repreve is not only finding a new, meaningful use for plastic waste, but compared to the production of new (or virgin) fibres, also uses less petroleum, fewer greenhouse gases, less water and less energy.

Compared to Blauer, Ten C takes a very progressive approach fashion-wise. This shows that function can be translated in a versatile way. What target groups are you aiming for with Ten C? Where do you see the brand within the market?

Today, Ten C is sold in the top 300 stores all over the world – we plan to double that in a short time and also want to start thinking about a retail development that could boost the brand image. Its positioning is similar to that of brands such as Moncler, Stone Island and Prada, but the target group is wider due to its unique styles and fabrics, which make it very wearable and attractive for a broad range of age groups.

How do you evaluate the development of outerwear in the past decade and where do you think the market is headed?

During this past decade, a great evolution has changed the style and increased the amount of research in high-performance and technical materials for maximum comfort. Customers are looking for lightweight, warm and versatile garments. The trend, also due to the climate, is to dress in more layers. Customers are always looking for items that can guarantee the right technical features in addition to a fashionable style.

You once said, “I’m not a traditional designer, I’ve learned more on the streets than in any classroom.” How does that approach still benefit you these days?

You can really learn a lot if you love to travel and observe people all over the world. I was so lucky to have the chance to travel. That ongoing research helps me to this day. I created a really unique archive, which is still a continuous source of inspiration thanks to all the garments I collected around the

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fabrics and details that only military-inspired garments can have.

That remains the winning concept of the brand and the USA/ Italy mix has worked very well so far. In addition to the brand’s DNA, our garments are excellent value for money, which guarantees excellent sales in turn. In the future, the goal is to develop the Asian markets that we haven’t ventured into yet.

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INTERVIEW — ENZO FUSCO

BLAUER Founded in 1936 by Louis Blauer in Boston, the company supplied the police, marines and other armed forces with technical clothing.

Over the decades, Blauer gained a worldwide reputation as the best producer of uniforms for public-service organisations – which it still has to this day. Nowadays, Blauer is reinterpreting the concept of the uniform in a modern, fashionable way. In 2001, Enzo Fusco’s holding company FGF Industry signed a licensing contract with Blauer to launch the brand on the fashion market. In 2017, FGF Industry acquired a 50 percent share in the brand.

globe over many years; that’s really important and fundamental for my work and the archive includes years of my research, with different styles from key moments in fashion from different eras using fabrics that you can’t get anymore.

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There have been many disruptive periods within the industry recently. What have you been able to learn from them for your family business?

No risk, no glory. I learned to deal with problems without anxiety – also thanks to the support of my family. I discuss crucial strategies and decisions with them and they always end up being the right ones. I learned that good results come from working as a team.

Looking back on such a successful career, what are you most proud of?

I am very proud of what I have achieved and the joy that this work still gives me. I hope to continue playing a role in this wonderful world of fashion for a while longer.

BLAUERUSA.COM TENC.COM FGF-INDUSTRY.COM

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SORONA – PLANT-BASED FOR A BETTER FUTURE Since the early 1900s, DuPont has been revolutionising the world of fibres and polymers: from the first plastic-coated fabrics developed in the 1910s to ground-breaking fibres like versatile nylon, neoprene rubber, bullet-resistant Kevlar and even Tyvek. Sorona is the latest innovation from the US company and also meets the current global demand for sustainably produced fabrics. The fibre is 37 percent plant-based, uses up to 30 percent less energy and emits 50 percent fewer greenhouse gases than the production of nylon from non-renewable resources. And as the Sorona polymer is partially plantbased, it reduces the reliance on fossil-based materials.

21. – 24. 6. 2022 Frankfurt am Main

PERFORMANCE. FUNCTION. FUTURE.

Textile Solutions for

Future Clothing

Discover future-oriented developments and solutions for the clothing and shoe industry. Exhibitors from all over the world will be presenting ideas, trends and innovations in a hybrid trade fair environment. And with the additional digital platform, you benefit from the best of both worlds: face-to-face discussions at the fair, plus virtual networking with exhibitors and the international community, for instance through matchmaking before, during and after the event. techtextil.com

in parallel with:

eRBe — RAIMAR BRADT

INTERVIEW — RAIMAR BRADT N° 83

THE HOTTEST NEW SHIT

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Raimar Bradt is a retailer with all his heart and soul – and has been for almost 20 years. He is one of the founders of the Bube und König stores in Nuremburg and has recently fulfilled a dream with his own store, eRBe, in Fürth’s old town. We used the store opening as an opportunity to talk to Raimar about his experiences over the past few months. But what does the hottest new shit, an irregular yarn and the irrepressible desire for fun and personal development have in common with eRBe? We sat down with the fashion connoisseur to find out.

INTERVIEW DENIZ TROSDORFF WITH PIERRE D’AVETA PHOTOS MARKUS KECK

Raimar, after being involved in Bube und König in Nuremberg, you decided to come up with a new concept and open your own store. How did that come about?

I’ve always enjoyed the close proximity to the producers, the feeling of being in the middle of the action. That’s what keeps me going. It was always my aim, if I ever did open a new store, to do it with people who can still get me excited after almost 20 years in retail. I spotted the store premises after walking past them with my daughter and I was instantly impressed. I’ve always had a thing for Fürth. The town planning here over the last decade has really come on in leaps and bounds. But at the time, the idea of opening my own store and stepping away from Bube und König wasn’t really on the cards.

What does your logo mean?

I had originally wanted to dedicate the store to my daughter.

Then I took the first two initials of my name and added an ‘e’ at both ends to read ‘erbe’ (editor’s note: ‘Erbe’ means legacy in English). Basically, the store is our legacy. The irregular thread symbolises the connection to one another and the craftsmanship that holds everything together. It can be read as a life motto, not necessarily to be perfect but to improve every day.

As you like to emphasise, your focus is on the ‘hottest new shit’! What does that actually mean in specific terms?

Everything that is involved in this project: my customers, my products, my people, the things they make. That was also the motivation to open a store where everyone is in it with all their heart. And I can guarantee that everyone involved is fully behind it. I didn’t think too much about opening a new store.

I’m just having fun and really want to turn my ideas into a reality and I am more than aware that I am starting from zero. But I’m in it with all my heart and soul.

What is your actual concept?

I try to work with only German brands and producers to ensure short transport routes and direct contact. That automatically results in more sustainability. The same is true when you work with people who work more traditionally and set great store by quality. Companies that have been around for generations and are unique in what they do.

Searching for suitable partners, whether in sourcing or buying, is surely a lot of work. Are there even enough brands in Germany that can fulfil those high standards?

In the beginning I was slightly concerned about that too, but I discovered quite the opposite was the case. Researching these companies is a lot of work of course, but it’s my hobby and I enjoy it. If you enjoy something, then it’s not really work, it’s more like a holiday.

How do the partners you work with here see your concept?

And how are they responding to your idea?

I am getting a lot of positive feedback. But for me it’s also about making my partners aware of German quality. Many products are simply sold below value when you think of the work that is involved in producing them. The textile sector is sadly really messed up in this respect.

So you want to get your customers excited about products from Germany?

Yes, exactly and also about the stories that are being told with these products. Thankfully the ‘Made in Germany’ stamp still represents quality. We can also come up with the goods but the only thing holding us back is sustainability. An increasing number of companies are producing in Europe, but we don’t even have a minimum wage in Europe like we do here in Germany. If we aren’t prepared to support our own people, then we’re not doing the German economy nor the textile sector any favours. And what’s worse: old craftsmanship skills are gradually falling by the wayside.

How are you bucking the trend for fast fashion?

I go by the motto ‘nobody’s perfect’. I make mistakes, I have bad habits. But I reflect on them and basically know when I make a mistake that it’s not okay. A lot of people don’t even think that far ahead. I can understand people buying fast

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You opened eRBe this February. How have things been going so far?

It has been amazing. I was really surprised at how well the store has taken off, although it was a lot of work in the beginning. I’m working step by step on the store and also myself.

Basically, I was surprised and, at the same time, happy that those first few weeks were so successful and sales were through the roof.

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INTERVIEW — RAIMAR BRADT

After 18 years of working in retail, I can say that there’s no such thing as a bad customer. store for 5 euros and one for 89 euros. Your first question is going to be why is the T-shirt so expensive? You need to tell the story behind the product. As retailers, we are responsible for delivering information to the customer. If we don’t do that, the customer simply leaves thinking, “Why does this store sell such expensive T-shirts?”.

When are you planning an event on the topic of repairing, perhaps also with Wabi Sabi denims? How much potential is there in the repair service?

I love the whole idea of repairing things. Currently I’m mainly selling raw denim, unwashed jeans. When you wear them in, the actual beauty and patina of the denims come to the fore.

The great thing about raw denim is that it’s manufactured without being washed. Without the use of chemicals, artificial washes and the loss of quality that goes hand in hand with those processes. With raw denim, you get the real deal.

fashion, but the one thing I don’t understand is buying cheap and assuming that that’s a fair deal. It’s a double standard that is sadly part of our mentality.

Is it hard to teach customers new ways of seeing things?

It’s not hard, it’s fun. That’s my job. It’s my entertainment. A lot of retailers complain about their customers. After 18 years of working in retail, I can say that there’s no such thing as a bad customer. The question the retailers should be asking themselves is if they are good enough for the customers.

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What are the criteria when curating your portfolio? What do the brands and collections need to have?

In principle, I decide things relatively intuitively. For example, I see an image of a blouse, read two sentences about it and I already know that it suits my concept, even though I haven’t seen the rest. The great thing about the selection process is that I am always learning new things. Like currently with a brand that sells Japanese fabrics made in Germany. I have learnt that you can tie a kimono on two sides. Tied on the one side, it’s a sign of mourning and on the other side, it’s your everyday kimono. That kind of knowledge really blows my mind.

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There’s a big question mark above a lot of people’s heads regarding sustainability in fashion, but also a certain hesitation in getting to know sustainable labels and coming to terms with their price ranges. What tips can you give these people if they want to consume more consciously?

Well, basically the higher pricing is completely justified; it’s just a question of how to communicate this to the customer in a plausible way. Here’s an example: you see a T-shirt in a

Your store is in Fürth, so your customers who travel to you from elsewhere must be true connoisseurs. How would you describe your community?

My customers are really a mixed bunch, the lawyer from Munich, the rocker guy from Leipzig or just your average customers from Fürth. I’ll get a 10-year-old coming in with his parents and telling me he’s a fan of mine. These young customers tell me they love the fact that I treat them as equals. I’m honoured by that because my founding principle is that everyone is welcome here. @RAIMARBRADT

LIVE IN FRANKFURT 21. – 24.

24.6.2022 6. 2022 At the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles.

ER M M SU CIAL SPE

Parallel with: Techtextil & Texprocess All aspects of yarns, technical textiles, nonwovens, manufacturing + processing technologies

www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

NONA SOURCE

NONA SOURCE

SLEEPING BEAUTIES

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With the Nona Source project, luxury goods conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is creating a platform for recycling deadstock from its fashion houses.

These high-quality textiles then have new life breathed into them by young industry newcomers.

DIGITAL DOES IT Planningof the Nona Source project posed one major obstacle for the developers: when it comes to choosing materials, look and feel are always key. To allow people to discover the textiles without having to travel all the way to the warehouse in France, they came up with a technology that enables particularly highquality visuals and lets you see an accurate rendering of a fabric’s texture on your smartphone without needing to hold the fabric in your hands. Videos show the textures in action and draping them on wooden mannequins demonstrates the way a material falls and its sheen.

NONA SOURCE

Once upon a time in the Loire Valley, southwest of Paris, there were bolts and bolts of the finest French lace, buttery soft Italian leather and robust Shetland wool from Scotland, piled all the way up to the ceiling, that had fallen into a deep slumber.

How else to describe these exquisite materials other than sleeping beauties, languishing away in the cavernous warehouses belonging to luxury corporation LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. After all, even high fashion and haute couture aren’t impervious to miscalculation and over-ordering, resulting in swathes of excess fabrics. Although the realities of resource scarcity are slowly seeping into the consciousness of even the luxury brands, reusing older fabrics for newer models is still unheard of. The premise of the luxury sector is that everything has to be the newest of the new. The exclusive LVMH Fashion & Leather Goods segment comprises 14 brands in all, including prestigious names like Loewe, Berluti, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Christian Dior. And all of them generate a vast amount of fabric surplus that ends up neglected and forgotten in warehouses. So what’s the best way to tackle all this textile waste? Marie Falguera, Romain Brabo and Anne Prieur du Perray have come up with a solution that sounds logical and pragmatic but is completely new: they founded Nona Source, the first platform for reusing the major corporation’s luxury surplus materials. All experts from different departments of LVMH, they established the start-up as part of the DARE programme (Disrupt, Act, Risk to be an Entrepreneur) that aims to accelerate and support innovative and environmentally friendly solutions. In April 2021, the Nona Source platform started offering treasures that would otherwise still be gathering dust in warehouses. As the warehouses are in France, the platform is currently only active in Europe and the UK. The aim is to simplify logistics, as well as keeping the ecological footprint small. But the real secret to success lies in their pricing structures: because what newcomer to the fashion industry can afford haute couture prices for fabrics?

Silk, lace and the like would simply just be left on the shelf.

That’s why they decided to offer the fabrics at new and competitive prices – slashed to as much as 70 percent off the original amount. Nona Source is open to everyone, from major competitors to emerging designers, who can currently choose from around 1,000 different materials.

How much of each fabric or leather is then actually available depends on the deadstock quantities. But it is exactly this approach that is becoming increasingly important in the world of fashion. Because in a world where our resources are steadily growing scarcer and more valuable, we need all the creativity we can muster. And despite the technology being modern, the inspiration behind this project is as ancient as can be: Nona is one of three goddesses of fate from Roman mythology. As the youngest of three, she spins the thread of life, while Decuma weaves it, and Morta cuts the thread that ends every life.

NAMES TO REMEMBER Nona Source is now celebrating its first year in business. And the project is hugely successful – countless exciting newcomers and established brands are reaching out to make use of the ‘sleeping beauties’ of the world of couture. So you could soon be wearing brightly coloured silks by Emilio Pucci or the finest leather by Fendi – without even knowing it. Not that it would really interest the clientele of this project, as they are so very different from the usual customers in the luxury fashion universe. Take, for example, young fashion brand Vesqmojo, which has built its entire concept on the unconventional use of recycled fabrics. Its new collection called ‘Dysmorphic Diving’ embraces futuristic cuts that combine high-tech with industrial materials. And London-based fashion label Anciela celebrates Colombian culture: for its latest collection, ‘The Dance of the Migrant’, it used yellow tricotine and blue silk from Nona Source and paired them with biodegradable buttons made from nut shells. And, with her eponymous Parisian label, Jeanne Friot is showing us how the fashion of the future should look: genderless, environmentally friendly and manufactured only in limited quantities to avoid overproduction.

Her vision – the struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights and the revival of French artisan tradition – is palpable in every design.

Designer Benjamin Benmoyal is also a recycling expert: for his latest designs, he has not only used recycled VHS tapes, which is how he made his name, but is also breathing new life into fabrics from Nona Source.

THE LUXURY BRAND OF THE FUTURE? Projects like Nona Source are part of LVMH’s new ‘LIFE 360’ plan. Their strategy for environmentally awareness and resource-efficiency is based on four main tenets: protecting biodiversity by researching solutions with UNESCO; fighting climate change by reducing CO2 emissions that are not directly linked to product manufacturing, but result from other stages in the product lifecycle, including transportation, procurement and use, by improving the energy performance of its sites and stores; ensuring more transparency to address the expectations of society for better traceability; and last but not least, strengthening the circular economy through initiatives such as recycling unsold products, upcycling by making garments from existing stocks, as well as researching alternative materials.

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TEXT JENNI KOUTNI

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DENIM TRENDS AW 23/24

DENIM OF THE FUTURE D E N I M T RE N D S AW 2 3 /24

TEXT DENIZ TROSDORFF

ISKUR DENIM

THE AUTHENTIC DENIM LOOK

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ISKUR.COM

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These challenging times have really pushed the denim industry to its limits. One of the biggest hurdles it faced was delays in the supply of cotton and chemicals. Demand was high, but the supply was either not met or held up. There were also price hikes, production delays, energy price increases and machinery supply issues – all of which had a noticeable impact on distribution channels. All too aware of these issues, Iskur Denim is taking the opportunity to focus even more on its company code of conduct: to protect nature and maintain the authenticity of denim. This explains why their AW 2023/24 trend line is all about authenticity. The colour palette includes pure indigo, shades of green and contrasting blacks. And soft fabrics that evoke a sense of wellbeing are a must. But to live up to the look and feel of authentic denim, the cosy, feel-good vibe comes through the softness of the fabric, ensured by the use of elastic fibres with excellent bounce-back capabilities. As part of its ‘Indigo Plus’ concept, the company is also presenting high-quality fabrics made of cashmere blends. Another highlight of this collection are cosy, fleece-lined fabrics. Also making an appearance are super-soft cotton materials in trendy vintage looks. ‘Iskur Contrast’ offers all shades of black in different finishes with the added bonus that all of the black tones are laser friendly.

DENIM TRENDS AW 23/24

THE POWER OF INNOVATION It all started with an idea – this is Bossa’s attitude to incorporating contemporary, cultural trends and influences into its denim creations each season. Not only does the company meet the exacting demands of its consumers, but also provides inspiration and drives innovation.

For the new AW 2023/24 season, the Turkish denim manufacturer has divided its fabrics into three categories: OUTDOOR LIVING Mother Earth is at the centre of this trend theme, which references not only the planet but also the respectful treatment of it and the admiration of its natural wonders. In terms of the fabrics themselves, this is interpreted in weatherproof materials that are designed to be both functional and comfortable.

EASY DOES IT Effortlessness and lightness are important keywords for the AW23 season, translated by Bossa into casual silhouettes and staying true to traditional blue washes. ‘Easy Does It’ highlights a more refined side of casualwear, with elegance and quality at the fore. The styles are designed to be gender neutral and can therefore be enjoyed by everyone.

DECONSTRUCTED DELIGHT A modern take on casualwear, this category is all about the diverse and, above all, creative potential of denim upcycling to create the newest and most exciting silhouettes possible. Patch details and reconstructed garments simplify the tailoring process. ‘Deconstructed Delight’ also borrows from the architectural and intellectual approach of ancient Japanese deconstruction techniques and the deconstruction of the clothing codes in your own wardrobe.

BOSSA.COM.TR

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DENIM TRENDS AW 23/24

ORTA

I AM A BLUESKYER For the coming season, Orta is embracing the topic of sustainability. That’s why their AW 2023/24 collection is called #IAMABLUESKYER and aimed at a particularly young target group.

‘Blueskyers’ are the new generation who are determined to put an end to climate change, avoid waste and cultivate diversity in flora and fauna as well as improving social equality. With this new collection, the denim connoisseurs are addressing various trend scenarios that explore their philosophy in different ways. Authenticity and style integrity are the keywords when it comes to ‘Gen H’, where the focus is on the workwear of eco-rebels. The focus here is on hemp, which boasts antibacterial, antimicrobial, biodegradable and breathable features, as well as having many other environmentally friendly properties that make it the eco-raw material of the moment. But cotton also plays a significant role in the collection. Under the title ‘Gen R’, Orta is presenting a functional denim that, for the first time, is made of biodegradable cotton from regenerative agriculture. ‘One fabric for all!’ is the ‘Huxley All Season’ claim.

Here Orta is offering a fabric that allows unlimited creative scope for different washing processes, from stiff to stretchy, from raw to heavily bleached, and with treatment options for traditional washing processes or innovative environmental technologies. Zero synthetics is the name of the game for ‘Torque’, an eco-friendly mono-material that contains no artificial fibres, microplastics, spandex or PET. With this concept, the denim manufacturer has come up with an innovative alternative to the use of synthetics in the stretch sector. One of the biodegradable products from the Torque family is the ‘Magical Comfort Stretch’.

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TECHNOLOGY AND ECOAWARENESS COMBINED

DENIM TRENDS AW 23/24

ÇALIK DENIM

A future in which responsibility and progress are all-important and technology focuses not only on communication and production, but also brings together the physical and online worlds. This is the inspiration behind Çalik Denim’s ‘Togetherness’ collection for the AW 2023/24 season. The theme of comfort is still going strong, as reflected in the new season with ‘Flextend’, bi-stretch products that combine the appearance of authentic 90s denims with salt-and-pepper effects. Thanks to their ‘Rawtech’ technology, Çalik Denim is providing raw denims with a very low shrinkage value – even after countless washes at home. The concept also includes products with Dyepro, Çalik Denim’s completely water-free technology that eliminates wastewater as well as chemical waste. Circular product group ‘E-Denim’ is serving up three new products for AW 2023/24: Rigid, Comfort and Powerstretch. E-Denim uses a big part of recycled yarn as the core with its uniquely developed production technology, while also providing traceability for everyone involved. The core yarn is then wrapped with recycled cotton and recycled Tencel is added to it to achieve the maximum amount of recycled material that can be technically made using the ring spinning process. ‘D’enovated’ pays tribute to the authentic denim look. This season, it’s even available in the form of denim shirts in brand new colours. This family of fabrics, offered in all finishes, has a wide range of products with alternatives that contain 20 percent recycled materials.

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DENIM ON MY MIND For the upcoming AW 2023/24 season, Turkish denim expert Maritas˛ Denim is focusing on a variety of concepts with themes of innovation and sustainability at their core. And the same applies to collection highlight Cycle-fx, a circular stretch technology that allows jeans to be recycled at the end of their life. The fabric contains only cotton or recycled cotton and spandex and no other synthetic fabrics. In keeping with the currently popular authentic denim look, Cycle-fx fabrics deliver the sought-after, relatively rigid ‘core-spun’ look combined with the added benefits of elasticity.

Speaking of authentic denim: with its ‘Spin Off’ concept, Maritas˛ Denim is taking up the vintage denim theme and focusing on sustainable dye options, contrasts and striking blue tones from dark to icy, all available in rigid stretch fabrics.

Marble looks are shifting towards orange-peel effects, just like in the old Levi’s 501 days. With ‘Aged Finish’, the company is presenting denims in used, worn and second-hand looks, which appear softer and more relaxed. Under ‘2/1 Revolution’, Maritas˛ is focusing on workwear styles in light to medium fabric weightings with finishes that are compact and more tightly woven. As part of its ‘Terra Denim’ project, the denim aficionado is continuing to come up with products that are biodegradable and ideal for sustainable washing processes such as ozone laser treatments. For this collection, Maritas˛ Denim is taking its cue from traditional dyeing methods, minus the chemicals. That means that the wastewater produced during the process can be used for agricultural purposes without any additional treatment. Terra Denim uses clay as a dye base and bio-resin.

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DENIM TRENDS AW 23/24

MARITAS˛ DENIM

DENIM TRENDS AW 23/24

OFFICINA+39

THE AQUALESS MISSION For years now, Italian company Officina+39, which also offers ecological innovations in chemical applications in the textile sector, has been promoting technologies that provide more environmentally friendly solutions. Their approach is based on honesty, transparency and social responsibility and is perfectly summed up in the company’s sustainability drive, which they have named ‘Trustainable’. Efforts to establish greener manufacturing processes in the textile industry include the conscious conservation and use of water: bundled together under the ‘Aqualess Mission’, Officina+39 offers a combination of technologies that make it possible to reduce water consumption by 75 percent during garment laundry processes. By comparison, conventional systems typically use 52 litres of water for one pair of jeans, while Officina+39’s technology requires only 12.5 litres for the same pair of jeans, without compromising on quality. Officina+39 has recently developed and expanded its Aqualess Mission with Aqualess Fade. This allows the creation of a chlorine-like bleaching effect on fabrics, while drastically reducing water consumption and using products with a low environmental impact.

So far, the process comprises three environmentally friendly technologies: ‘Novascraper Indigo’, a laser finishing technique that gives denim garments a natural vintage look, ‘Aqualess Aged’, a water-free compound that provides denim with a used look, and ‘OZ-ONE Powder’, which allows garments to be bleached in an eco-friendly way.

The result is a worn and distressed look.

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ON A SUSTAINABILITY MISSION As well as plenty of new trends, Chinese denim weavers Advance Denim have lots of innovative and sustainable technologies and concepts at the ready for their autumn/winter 2023/24 collection. Under the heading ‘Novelty Texture’, the company is presenting cotton fabrics with interesting structures and looks, including dobby, broken twill, indigo canvas, jacquard looks and rainbow neps. ‘Fancy Coatings’ includes a range of high-quality and fashionable surface finishes. In its ‘Advance Performance’ category, Advance Denim has developed a denim called ‘Cross-Tech’ that combines antibacterial properties, temperature regulation and moisture management. And 37.5 Technology is a dynamic thermostatic technology that interacts with the body and is triggered by humidity, combining naturally active particles with improved biodegradability and options for recycled yarn. ‘Warm Cosy Fashion’ offers material innovations that, as the name suggests, ensure a feeling of wellbeing. In addition to ‘Wool Denim’ and ‘Faux Sherpas’, the company is presenting its newly patented technology ‘Merino Peach’. The fabric has a very soft feel that gets softer the more it is washed. The softness and ‘peach’ effect are achieved by brushing the front and back of the fabric. ‘Merino Peach’ also provides thermal insulation. In addition to the fashion factor, sustainability is also on Advance Denim’s radar for the coming season – with a focus on innovative technologies that bring the company closer to its goal of creating a more sustainable future.

Concepts such as ‘Bio Blue’ or ‘Botanic Dyes’ are just a few examples of what the coming season will bring. And ‘Big Box’ is presenting a sustainable indigo dyeing process that is more efficient and environmentally friendly: conventional indigo dyeing needs eight to 13 dye baths compared to the big box dyeing process, which requires only one. In contrast to conventional dyeing, it reduces water consumption and wastewater quantities by up to 99 percent.

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ADVANCEDENIM.COM

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PHOTO UNSPLASH.COM — USGS

DENIM TRENDS AW 23/24

ADVANCE DENIM

Partner-up for fashion sourcing 4 - 6 July 2022 Paris Le Bourget, France www.texworldevolution-paris.com

TRADESHOW PREVIEW

DENIM PREMIÈRE VISION Berlin

17 — 18 May 2022

denimpremierevision.com

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BERLIN IS CALLING

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After four years of preparations and a pandemic, Denim Première Vision will be taking place at Arena Berlin for the first time on 17 and 18 May 2022.

When we catch up with Show Manager Fabio Adami Dalla Val, he and his team are busy preparing the finishing touches for the event. More than 80 renowned exhibitors, exciting trade fair highlights and new innovations are ramping up the anticipation among the visitors. And Fabio himself seems pretty excited too.

Fabio Adami Dalla Val, Show Manager, Denim PV

INTERVIEW CHERYLL MÜHLEN

You have the crème de la crème on your exhibitor list, including Isko, who last participated in a fair around five years ago.

What message are you sending with this?

Yes, we even have some digital exhibitors as well, but I’m very happy that we are returning with our partners from all over the world. It means a lot to us because it shows that they recognise the importance of our show. We are very honoured that they trust us and want to be a part of our comeback.

You’re celebrating your return in a new city for Denim Première Vision: Berlin. What does the German capital have to offer you that other cities don’t?

Berlin is cosmopolitan and has huge creative potential. Creativity can be found all over the city, which you don’t often get elsewhere. This is also what makes Berlin so inspirational. We see a lot of opportunities here, which is why we also hope to come back again after this show. We like to create synergies and make a strong connection with the city. And I expect that it will be very attractive for German brands too.

Are you expecting more German visitors than ever in Berlin?

Our experience has taught us that no matter where we are in Europe, it’s always around 50 percent national and 50 percent international visitors. So since we’ve already noticed a big increase in the number of German registrations, we are expecting the same in Berlin. Another reason for this could be that Denim PV will be launching the season in Germany (as Bluezone unfortunately won’t be taking place), so we are currently the only denim trade fair in the country.

TRADESHOW PREVIEW

the opportunity to work with our exhibitors’ materials to create a connection between their own brand and our partners. We offered them the opportunity to look around, explore and form new partnerships. Also in terms of sustainability, this cooperation gives them the best opportunities and direct access, which they wouldn’t have had otherwise. Everyone is running around frantically trying to get finished right now because they’ve only had around two months to create a collection that would usually take up to six months, plus they are working remotely with people that they may have never met before.

That’s very challenging but interesting, too. And in my opinion, it’s part of our duty as a trade fair to promote young, new brands and be a platform for everyone – exhibitors, brands and visitors – where everyone can find new partner collaborations and research new materials or new production methods.

What is your advice to anyone coming to Denim PV? Usually, people go to the show and only visit their current partners. But I would say: don’t be afraid to broaden your horizons!

Like many others, you have started a digital alternative show that you’re planning to continue. How will the symbiosis of the physical and the digital trade show work?

The concept of the physical show is easy to understand and therefore easier to execute. The digital format, on the other hand, needs to be better developed because the physical contact is also missing. For the Berlin edition, we will have a live sourcing event that will be a mix between physical and digital.

The exhibitors can showcase their products and each product will be connected directly with their page in the marketplace.

We see it as a synergy or a complementary interface between the physical and digital worlds. Unfortunately, some exhibitors can’t be with us physically so they will present themselves as purely digital exhibitors. And during the digital week we will also have some interesting presentations, perhaps two a day where we highlight specific themes like traceability in short 10-minute videos. But overall, the connection between our digital and physical platforms is really important to us. Last year alone we had five million page views on our digital platform. Whether online or offline – there are so many things to look forward to.

DENIM.PREMIEREVISION.COM

The 10 ready-to-wear and accessories brands include Denzilpatrick, Fade Out Label, Peppino Peppino, Blue Of A Kind, Gimmi Jeans, Milena Andrade, Von Dutch, Braves & Co, Jonathan Christopher and A New Kind Of Blue.

Don’t be afraid to broaden your horizons!

What highlights do you have in store?

For the first time at Denim PV, our list of exhibitors will include 10 ready-to-wear and accessories brands from all over the world who are specialised in denim and will be showcasing their own capsule collections inside the venue. They each had

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TRADESHOW PREVIEW

TEXWORLD EVOLUTION Paris

4 — 6 July 2022

texworld-paris.fr.messefrankfurt.com

DISCOVER THE FUTURE OF TEXTILES Twice a year, Texworld Evolution Paris brings around 1,500 exhibitors from the global fashion industry to the French capital. The event offers buyers from all over the world a sourcing platform with a wide and varied product palette, ranging from basics to the most creative and high-quality products. After a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus, it is returning from 4 — 6 July 2022.

TEXT CHERYLL MÜHLEN

The special thing about Texworld Evolution is that it encompasses four exhibitions: Texworld, Apparel Sourcing, Avantex and Leatherworld.

Once again, Texworld is presenting a swathe of international weaving mills from Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Turkey and many other countries. And the whole gamut is covered: cotton, draping and tailoring, embroidery and lace, jacquard, knit fabrics, linen and hemp, prints, shirting, silk, silky aspects, sportswear and outdoor, trimmings and accessories, as well as wool and woollen fabrics. It also has a large denim area where around 70 leading manufacturers will be showcased.

The organisers have set out to bring the entire spectrum of denim together in one place: from the raw materials to the finished product, from sportswear to leisurewear.

Apparel Sourcing is one of the biggest meeting places for sourcing in Europe, from the finished product down to apparel and fashion accessories. It brings together international manufacturers who combine quality, creativity and com­ petitive pricing – for menswear, womenswear, kidswear and accessories.

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With a more progressive and sustainable focus, Avantex is a hotspot for start-ups, innovators and the industrial gamechangers who are committed to innovative solutions as well as efficient, transparent, circular and ecological fashion.

From upstream to downstream chains, Avantex brings together the players shaping tomorrow’s fashion and also hosts the Avantex Fashion Pitch every year.

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And last but not least, the fourth event is Leatherworld.

Dedicated to leather and the leather goods industry, around 60 manufacturers of raw materials and finished leather goods are represented here.

To make it easier for visitors to find the products, many areas and sections are highlighted with signs, such as the ‘Handmade’ category that aims to elevate the finest artisanal products by Texworld Evolution’s exhibitors. There is also a ‘Small Quantity’ category, which lists exhibitors who offer the option of selling smaller quantities to designers, while the ‘Sustainable Sourcing’ category speaks for itself, offering environmentally friendly, ethically manufactured textiles.

It’s obvious that the trade fair has really made the best of the past two years to further establish its position as a renowned hub for sourcing and inspiration. Miss it and miss out!

TEXWORLD-PARIS.FR.MESSEFRANKFURT.COM

ALPHATAURI.COM

Florence

14 — 17 June 2022

uomo.pittimmagine.com

FLORENCE: THE BEST PLACE FOR MENSWEAR ON THE PLANET

PHOTO MALICK BODIAN

TRADESHOW PREVIEW

PITTI UOMO

From 14 — 17 June 2022, the 102nd edition of Pitti Uomo will be taking place live and in person in the Tuscan capital. Pitti’s Communications Director Lapo Cianchi is predicting an exceptional event and expecting a slight rise in exhibitor and visitor numbers compared to the previous edition.

Grace Wales Bonner is guest designer at the 102nd Pitti Uomo.

TEXT WOLFGANG ALTMANN

French Vogue recently declared Pitti Uomo “the most important men’s fashion tradeshow on the planet”. An accolade that even COVID couldn’t take the shine away from. On the contrary: despite the pandemic, the most recent events in January and last July attracted many visitors. While all fashion fairs here in Germany were cancelled due to COVID, the Florentine team confidently went ahead with their in-person events. And they were a resounding success, even though exhibitor and visitor numbers didn’t quite match pre-COVID levels. “Around 600 brands exhibited in January. We are expecting a slight increase at the upcoming edition,” says a cautiously optimistic Lapo Cianchi. The next edition will run over four days again, like it used to. “We believe that the exhibitors and visitors really need these four days,” Cianchi says.

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A LOT GOING ON And that’s no wonder, considering the many exhibitions and presentations that are taking place alongside the actual tradeshow. “Our schedule is packed full of events that start as early as the evening before,” says Cianchi. A particular highlight is the fashion show by special guest Grace Wales Bonner.

The English-Jamaican designer, who has already won numerous awards, will be showcasing her menswear collection for spring/ summer 2023. “We have been familiar with the work of Grace Wales Bonner since she first debuted and have followed the evolution of her menswear fashion proposal, the gradual grafting of the elegant sartorial structure on the development of fashion design and sportswear elements,” enthuses Cianchi.

“A style which, if borrowed from the world of music, could even be called soul.”

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Another highlight is the presentation by Ann Demeulemeester, which was actually supposed to take place last January, but ended up being postponed to June. Pitti Uomo knows exactly how to attract all the right attention on social media and the ‘Pitti Peacocks’ – the extravagantly dressed, style-obsessed men

who flock to the streets of Florence to show off their preenedto-perfection looks – are meanwhile famous in their own right.

Pitti Uomo has successfully positioned itself as a mix between a men’s Fashion Week and a traditional fashion tradeshow.

THE FIRST PORT OF CALL FOR PROFESSIONALS But, more than anything, Pitti Uomo is a B2B platform for international retailers on the lookout for stylish menswear. Around 8,000 professionals visited the last event – mainly buyers from Italy and its neighbouring European countries. Cianchi is also expecting visitor numbers to increase and promises an interesting portfolio. He’s especially pleased about the large numbers of Italian designers who are participating. “A lot of the big brands will be there,” says the Communications Director, including Brunello Cucinelli’s team, who cancelled at short notice last time. The ‘Sustainable Style’ area is expected to be very popular too. This is where interesting newcomers like Figure Decorative, Junk and Ukrainian label Ksenia Schnaider will be presenting their sustainable styles. “Sustainability is a topic that can no longer be ignored,” says Cianchi, predicting another strong edition of Pitti Uomo ahead.

PITTI CONNECT AS AN ADD-ON The virtual version of the 102nd Pitti Uomo has been online since mid-May. On the online platform Pitti Connect, customers can already discover new trends, research brands and contact exhibitors. This makes it the perfect link between the physical and digital worlds with countless tools to help visitors prepare for and also follow up after the event. And the great thing about it is that Pitti Connect remains open to logged-in users for six weeks after the tradeshow. Around 7,200 buyers took advantage of the digital offer in January. The organisers are also expecting an increase in online traffic, showing that Pitti Connect has now become an integral part of the Pitti Uomo world.

UOMO.PITTIMMAGINE.COM

FRANKFURT FASHION WEEK Frankfurt

20 — 26 June 2022

frankfurt.fashion

NEW, BUT STILL FAMILIAR

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The time has finally come: Frankfurt Fashion Week is taking place from 20 — 26 June 2022. From 21-24 June, the focus will be on the comeback of textile fairs Techtextil, Texprocess and Heimtextil at Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds and, from 24 — 26 June, Neonyt at the Union Halle venue in Frankfurt’s Ostend district. The tradeshows will be accompanied by an interesting line-up of fashion and culture-related events.

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After three years, Techtextil, Texprocess and Heimtextil are back, along with Neonyt and a whole bunch of other public events. A welcome addition with added value or a classic case of too much going on at once? As Meike Kern, Director of Heimtextil, puts it: “FFW offers unique synergies under one roof. Exhibitors will profit from cross-selling opportunities and can build new business relationships in brand-new constellations. All together in one place, visitors will be able to find global trends, products and innovations along the textile supply chain, ranging from yarns and fibres to functional textiles, textile technologies and finishing processes to finished products for textile furnishings, performance textiles, functional clothing and fashion. Due to the increasing awareness of sustainable circular economics, modern recycling processes will also be pre-

sented.” Awaiting visitors to Techtextil are other forward-looking technologies including various sustainable materials and recycling and upcycling options. Exhibitors at Texprocess will be showcasing their sustainable processing technologies such as water-efficient dyeing processes and innovative cutting technologies with minimum waste. For the first time, a digital extension of Techtextil and Texprocess will also be offered, starting on 13 June and available until 8 July 2022. It will include services like streaming, numerous networking opportunities and digital showrooms – so even if you can’t make it to Frankfurt, you can still take part remotely.

TEXPROCESS.MESSEFRANKFURT.COM TECHTEXTIL.MESSEFRANKFURT.COM HEIMTEXTIL.MESSEFRANKFURT.COM

THE ‘BURGER PRINCIPLE’

TRADESHOW PREVIEW

NEONYT GOES NEONYT LAB

the end consumers and taking the cross-sector relevance of Neonyt to the next level. Because only together can we drive long-term change in the fashion sector: authentically, directly and transparently. Neonyt and its cross-sector community represent fashion and lifestyle, curiosity and future orientation, an affinity for technology and sustainable awareness – and that doesn’t just include the business side of things, but also the broader public.

Bettina Bär, Show Director, Neonyt

TEXT & INTERVIEW CYNTHIA BLASBERG

This will be Bettina Bär’s second Neonyt as Show Director and she and her team have come up with a new concept: the Neonyt Lab – made up of Prepeek, Fashionsustain, including the Showcase and Knowledge Lounge, as well as the cooperation with Greenstyle The Store. The concept here is: ‘Build your own experience’. To find out what awaits visitors and what burgers have to do with it, we asked Bettina Bär in an interview.

‘Build your own experience’ – the upcoming summer edition of Neonyt with the Neonyt Lab follows this principle. What can we expect?

We want this summer’s Neonyt Lab to be a real experience and offer something to suit everyone’s taste. Amongst ourselves, we are calling it the ‘burger principle’. A veggie burger, of course! The Neonyt Lab, the framework for the summer event, is the burger bun, and you get to add your own toppings, i.e. the individual elements of the Neonyt Lab, as you wish. Visitors can take part in the Fashionsustain conference, the corresponding Showcase where there will be practical, more in-depth information on conference topics to do with technologies, materials, change-maker campaigns and research projects, or attend a presentation in the Knowledge Lounge, where standard and certification companies like GOTS and Oeko-Tex will be on hand. Prepeek, on the other hand, is our popular content creator event, where collections are shown off by professional stylists and content creators with a high reach. And last but not least: the cooperation with Greenstyle by Mirjam Smend, where her D2C contacts will meet the cross-section of Neonyt brands.

‘New Patterns’ is this summer’s motto. Can you tell us what this means?

With ‘New Patterns’, we want to make it clear that it’s time for a rethink, to break with old habits and create new thought patterns. Patterns are a learned way of acting, continuing or anticipating something. The inbuilt default system allows us to make decisions intuitively and instantly weigh up the pros and cons. But it can also lead us to jump to conclusions and stay in our comfort zones. So if we can change the pattern, we can also change the path – and nothing is more constant than change.

It’s a fact that not only describes the very essence and core of fashion, but also the current sign of the times: systematic change requires us to push the boundaries of (sustainable) fashion and to join forces to rethink old patterns and create new ones. And together we want to also help end consumers to rethink their behavioural patterns and encourage them to make more conscious purchasing decisions when it comes to textiles and fashion.

You certainly haven’t had an easy start as Neonyt Show Director. What are the more positive moments you’ve experienced and what are your hopes for the future?

With Neonyt and our aspirations, we – and by that I mean me, the entire team, our exhibitors and partners and everyone involved with Neonyt – have something that we are passionate about and which we are all more than willing to go the extra mile for: regardless of how many bumps there are in the road!

Holding onto that enthusiasm, continuously challenging the status quo and keeping our finger on the pulse: that’s what I hope lies ahead for the future of Neonyt. That, and fewer bumps in the road!

NEONYT.MESSEFRANKFURT.COM

For the first time, Neonyt is consciously opening itself up to end consumers and positioning itself as a direct-to-consumer event. What’s the idea behind that?

Over the last few seasons, we’ve been seeing a growing interest from consumers and we have made it our aim to constantly develop. With our formats, we want to make it possible for people to share knowledge and swap ideas on the overarching topics of sustainability within the most diverse target groups.

That’s why we are opening up our community even more to

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TRADESHOW PREVIEW

THE GROUND Berlin

7 — 9 July 2022

theground.fashion

N° 83

EVERYONE IS A CONTENT CREATOR

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In July, the Premium Group will be back in Berlin with the B2B tradeshows Premium and Seek – not to mention another trade fair concept that will be making its debut at the Messe Berlin exhibition grounds. The Ground is the first D2C tradeshow during Berlin Fashion Week and heralds the start of a new future. In an interview, Show Director Kai Zollhöfer explains to us why it’s so important for the industry to get consumers on board too.

TRADESHOW PREVIEW

on the other hand, is open to everyone, which will result in exciting synergies and a whole new dynamic. What makes it really exciting is that different personalities from the industry, the brands, buyers and the press will be coming together with influencers and end consumers in one place. After all, all these groups together form and represent the fashion industry’s ecosystem. And we want to reflect and facilitate that. These days, there are a lot of companies for whom B2B fairs are no longer relevant for various reasons; because their collections follow a different, new rhythm or because ordering isn’t a focus for them. At The Ground, these brands have the opportunity to present themselves in a totally different way, beyond displaying packed rails of clothes. Of course professional visitors will also be keeping an eye on what brands are coming up with to galvanise their communities, so The Ground is just as much a marketplace of ideas and inspiration for our B2B visitors too.

Kai Zollhöfer, Show Director, The Ground

A number of noteworthy brands such as Drykorn, Hugo, MCM and Puma have already confirmed their participation in The Ground. How did they react to the new concept?

The aforementioned brands have one thing in common: marketing and communication power! The Ground is an exciting platform for these brands to showcase precisely these strengths and demonstrate their relevance to the target group.

INTERVIEW RENÉE DIEHL

What makes Generations Y and Z so interesting as consumers?

And to what extent is The Ground tailored to the needs of this target group?

These days, anyone who uploads a photo to Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat is automatically a content creator and therefore also a brand ambassador. To get to know the interests, values and lifestyles of these people better and to meet their needs, brands have to enter into direct contact with them. And that’s where The Ground comes in. Here fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands have the unique opportunity to tread completely new paths in terms of marketing and storytelling, to generate attention, both online and offline, and to mobilise young customers and ensure their loyalty. We are working with a big influencer agency, activating our network and addressing the entire ecosystem of the industry. Berlin is dominated by Gen Z and cultural pioneers like no other city in Europe – so in that respect The Ground will be something of a home fixture!

THEGROUND.FASHION

PHOTO UNSPLASH.COM — ARTYOM KIM

From B2B to D2C: can you talk us through your decision to start directly addressing consumers with The Ground?

Times have changed! After two and a half years of living with the pandemic, we all need a bit of new inspiration, action and fun again. With the integration of the new direct-to-consumer festival for style and culture, The Ground, alongside the established larger B2B fairs Premium and Seek, the entire industry is celebrating the start of a new era of organised industry gettogethers and fashion events.

As far as visitor numbers and feedback are concerned, what are your hopes for the premiere of The Ground?

I can’t imagine anything other than positive feedback! Nobody wants to miss the big industry reunion after the pandemic and the chance to go to all the different events happening in one place. It’s July, it’s Berlin and we’ll be at the exhibition grounds with lots of green spaces and outdoor areas. And so the shows will also be accompanied by plenty of entertainment: a music stage, new food concepts, dinners, parties and so on. The number of registrations is increasing daily and we all can’t wait! It’s going to be amazing!

There won’t be a mix of B2B and D2C within the tradeshows Premium and Seek.

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I am sure that the new model offers benefits for professionals too. How will B2B and D2C be merged at the three fairs?

Just to make one thing clear: there won’t be a mix of B2B and D2C within the tradeshows Premium and Seek. The Ground,

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OPINION PIECE

Y2K – WHY GEN Z IS RELIVING THE MILLENNIAL ERA Trend experts have known it for a long time, but no one wanted to believe them.

Perhaps out of sheer denial? When it comes to reliving fashion highlights, the noughties are the most recent decade in living memory that still seems a little bit too close for comfort. But everyone – well, almost everyone – is in Y2K fever right now. Gen Zers in particular are celebrating the millennium comeback more than ever – and the brands are reacting. A closer look at the differences of opinion on the low-rise, corset top, cargo pant, midriff-baring, tinted sunglasses revival.

TEXT CHERYLL MÜHLEN

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The relaunched pop culture of the noughties couldn’t be any more visible. So it’s no wonder that the looks from this iconic decade are also making a comeback.

Many of us, the actual ‘eyewitnesses’ of the era, aren’t exactly over the moon about it and would prefer not to sport the souvenirs from our own too-recent history ever again. Trigger warning: low-rise jeans and bare midriffs!

Those of us that couldn’t quite carry off the look back then, or chose not to, won’t be keen to see its return. But interestingly, the generation born in Y2K are thrilled about the trend and brands are proving more than happy to oblige, with ready-towear labels like Miu Miu, Connor Ives, Missoni, Blumarine and Versace leading the way, as well as 2000s icons like Von Dutch, Ed Hardy, Buffalo and Juicy Couture. The only one missing is Miss Sixty.

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From long-forgotten to vintage For some, it might be a shock to hear that the 2000s were already more than 20 years ago. Just like the 70s were back in the 90s – also from a fashion point of view. So what we might consider to be cardinal styling sins are actually cool and vintage in the eyes of today’s ‘kids’. But even the biggest critics have to admit that the sight of some of the newly launched fashion pieces might have an element of nostalgic joy to them, reminding us of a time that, from today’s perspective, certainly seemed more innocent. The digital era came at us like a tidal wave, at a time

when social media platforms were just getting into their stride and friend requests were still from people we actually knew. The first iPhone revolutionised our understanding of what a mobile phone could do back in 2009, and the first female German Chancellor was elected, swiftly followed by the first black American President: a sense of progress and hope permeated life, promising better times. With the benefit of hindsight, we know that underlying important issues were ignored for far too long, but the pandemic, the climate crisis and the current political situation were all far off and unimaginable back then. No doubt we were more naïve, but also more carefree.

Between fast fashion and second-hand These days, we are more mature and also more honest with ourselves as a human race. This is palpable in the changing perceptions of our own bodies and the drive to save the planet. Anyone who wants to flaunt their midriff is free to do so – whether they have a six-pack or not. And when it comes to buying fashion, we’re also doing a little better than we used to: what started as a TikTok trend during lockdown could well be the beginning of a lucrative resale market. There are a lot of treasures still piled up in people’s basements just waiting to be resold.

So anyone who is ready to leave their memories behind and make young fashionistas happy can sell their gems on one of the many second-hand platforms. But great noughties must-haves from the Y2K era are not just confined to private resale. Companies like Urban Outfitters are bringing ‘old pieces’ back by recycling and repurposing items from their archive.

After all, it’s not like anyone is going to be reinventing the wheel anytime soon. As we know, fashion has always been cyclical, so ultimately it was only a matter of time before the 2000s were the next big thing. The reason why it seems different for us is that it’s the first round of many. So why not settle in and enjoy the trip down memory lane?

PHOTO ALANA O’HERLIHY FOR ED HARDY

Anyone who experienced the turn of the millennium might currently feel like they are suffering an endless case of déjà-vu.

The fourth part of The Matrix is showing in cinemas, Tobey Maguire is reprising his role as Spiderman and even Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are back to being Bennifer again. Britney Spears is hitting the headlines with her #FreeBritney movement and, yes, even Paris Hilton is making an appearance every now and again. So hot!

3 – 5 | 9 | 2022 OFFENBACH

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EDITION #156