Sustainably produced fashion is making an impact at the heart of the industry and is now also taking centre stage for the upcoming Berlin Fashion Week (16 to 18 January 2018), when Greenshowroom and the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin will move to the setting of the Kraftwerk power station in central Berlin. ‘We are moving to the heart of Berlin Fashion Week with both our fairs and so responding to popular demand from our exhibitors and visitors for better accessibility,’ says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies for Messe Frankfurt. At the same time, Messe Frankfurt is stepping up its cooperation with Premium Group as part of #Fashiontech, which will also be held in the power station in future. Messe Frankfurt is also launching a new conference by the name of FashionSustain.

Hotspot for contemporary fashion and topics that will shape the future

 In January, fashion buyers will be able to gain an overview of the latest trends in sustainably produced contemporary fashion and street and casual wear on the ground floor and first floor of the former cogeneration power plant. The second floor will host the extensive supporting programme for both fashion fairs and an attractive conference. Messe Frankfurt is launching a new conference format – under one roof alongside #Fashiontech, which, as a conference and exhibition, provides information regarding the digital future of fashion.

The additional FashionSustain conference broadens the array of information on offer concerning the future of textiles and also sustainability. The events being held in the power station are therefore a hotspot for the future-oriented topics of fashion, technology, digitisation and sustainability.

 #Fashiontech will be held on the first day of Berlin Fashion Week, followed by FashionSustain on the second day. Both conferences will be held on the second floor of the power station. ‘#Fashiontech is a highly progressive addition to what our trade fairs offer. Our partnership with the conference and exhibition means that we can bring in our knowledge as the organiser of the world-leading Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs. At the same time, the new set-up gives us the opportunity to incorporate our skills from our global Texpertise Network in the interplay between sustainable fashion and innovative technologies. This will enable us, for instance, to take our fringe programme to a whole new level,’ adds Schmidt.

The Texpertise Network brings together around 50 international textile trade fairs that are organised around the world by Messe Frankfurt.

 ‘Berlin showcases the future of fashion, which gives it a unique selling point on the global stage. With #Fashiontech conference offering talks, best cases, stage stories and masterclasses for the industry, we are already providing the platform for emerging ideas and business models.

Future hotspot for the big players

 The cooperation with Messe Frankfurt and the physical proximity of the two themes of ‘Fashion’, ‘Tech’ and ‘Sustain’ is set to make us a future hotspot for the big players in the industry when it comes to discussing and driving forwards industry-relevant issues of innovation and sustainability,’ explains Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner at Premium Group.

Easy to reach during Fashion Week

 The relocation of the fashion trade fairs to Köpenicker Strasse in the Mitte area means much shorter journeys for fashion representatives: Greenshowroom and the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin will in future form part of a convenient circuit with Premium at Gleisdreieck and Bright and Seek at the Arena Berlin. The new location is quick and easy to reach both with the official Fashion Week shuttle and by public transport.

 The former Berlin cogeneration power plant in the Mitte area was built between 1960 and 1964 and supplied heat to the district’s residents. It stood empty for several years before cultural organiser Dietmar-Maria Hegemann developed part of the site for the Tresor techno club, which moved into the power station in 2006. The building has undergone extensive conversion and expansion in recent years and now serves as an event location.