FASHION FUTURE FRANKFURT
Shamin Vogel
INTERVIEW
In 2020, Messe Frankfurt announced that they would partner with Premium Group to launch Frankfurt Fashion Week in 2021. Due to Covid-19, the event has been postponed by six months. Although it will take place later than planned, we should not lose sight of the fact that the desire to bring new events, initiatives and ideas to the industry calendar is not only innovative but essential. WeAr speaks to the Premium Group’s Anita Tillmann and Messe Frankfurt’s Detlef Braun.
What trends might we have expected to see at Frankfurt Fashion Week?
Anita Tillmann: Frankfurt Fashion Week revolves around themes of sustainability and digitization. This and upcoming seasons’ trends are no different. Stella McCartney, adidas and Kering are using plant-based leather grown from mycelium; H&M has started integrating cactus leather; Puma is creating collections that are dyed using bacteria while eschewing chemical dyeing processes, and ASOS is working in partnership with Kornit Digital to print fabrics in an eco-friendly manner. Virtual fashion is another interesting trend, especially in the world of gaming. With life restricted by lockdowns, people have few opportunities to get dressed up. Avatars are an area where we can reinvent ourselves in the digital world.
Detlef Braun: Although the trade fairs are postponed, we’ll still be busy this summer. July will see the launch of a digital Frankfurt Fashion Week in the shape of FFW STUDIO, a progressively curated and designed platform. FFW STUDIO creates a holistic user experience at frankfurt.fashion that represents the entire ecosystem of the new Frankfurt Fashion Week. It means the industry can still enjoy our trend highlights in July even if they can’t meet in person.
What highlights can FFW STUDIO viewers look forward to?
Anita Tillmann: This summer’s FFW STUDIO will be a central digital space for all. We create content in the FFW STUDIO with our guests: pioneers from the worlds of fashion, politics, industry and the media. We’ll be discussing issues set to shape our future with prominent decision-makers within the industry in our exclusive Future Talks series. Following the live stream, the content will be made available to all stakeholders on-demand.
Detlef Braun: There are two highlights that we’re especially looking forward to: Frankfurt Fashion Week’s flagship conferences, i.e., the SDG Summit presented by the Conscious Fashion Campaign in partnership with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and ‘The New European Bauhaus – Workshop of the Future’ conference organized by the Fashion Council Germany in cooperation with Frankfurt Fashion Week.
Are there any fashion trends that you have already spotted?
Anita Tillmann: Sustainability is the issue of the future. Denim proved its worth during the pandemic, yet from cotton production to denim manufacturing and design, jeans don’t have a good track record. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Lenzing, for example, incorporates the indigo pigment directly into the fibers of its jeans, saving vast quantities of water during manufacturing. And by using recycled cotton, offering repair services and recycling waste into new pieces, MUD Jeans and Nudie Jeans are leading the way for change.
Detlef Braun: Once the pandemic is over, the issue will be how to formally and stylishly reimagine trends alongside firmly established streetwear. In Frankfurt, we interweave fashion, new technologies and sustainability to create a modern, contemporary format that sets itself apart from existing fashion weeks.
Why should we all make sure we have the dates for the upcoming Frankfurt Fashion Week in our diaries and how do you stay connected to the market?
Detlef Braun: Our planned trade fairs, shows, conferences and events make up a holistic fashion ecosystem presented in a unique and unprecedented format, bringing the world of fashion together in one place. The aim is to link industry B2B formats intelligently while transforming the entire city into a stage to showcase progressive brand experiences. Our mission is to make Frankfurt Fashion Week an event that sets the pace in the fashion and textile sector and to ensure issues relevant to the future are on the industry’s radar.
Anita Tillmann: In addition to the Premium Group’s Premium and Seek shows and Messe Frankfurt’s Neonyt, we have developed a new format to celebrate its launch in January: The Ground. The Ground will be a “business-to-people” event that presents iconic brands and covers the entire supply chain: from ingredient and direct-to-consumer brands to denim, sneaker, lifestyle and performance labels. Formats such as the Community Space and the Community Content Stage will offer brand new opportunities to showcase brands, products and processes.
We stay connected to the market by standing together! Over the past year, we have seen tremendous solidarity, received so much encouragement from the industry and understood that we’re not only missed, we’re needed.