What a change: In the early 1990s, at the Böhler site it was steel that was produced, processed and traded - now, at the end of July 2023, this former site of heavy industry will once again be the setting for two of the most important B2B fashion platforms in Germany. FASHN ROOMS and Neonyt Düsseldorf will take place there, running concurrently. "We are very pleased that after stops in Paris, Berlin and Frankfurt, we were able to take Neonyt to Düsseldorf at the beginning of this year. As an established event, it sets the pace for a greener, fairer and more climate-neutral fashion business and complements FASHN ROOMS as a conventional and reliable order platform," explains Ulrike Kähler, Managing Director of Düsseldorf-based organiser IGEDO Exhibitions. While FASHN ROOMS offers a platform for numerous conventional brands in the mid- to upper price segment - from women's and men's wear to shoes and accessories - Neonyt is home to exhibitors who are demonstrably committed to the theme of sustainability, for example through strict neutral curating.

“We want to show that anyone and everyone can set out to become more sustainable within their own framework. It is an investment and there are no short cuts – but it is possible”

Ulrike Kähler, Managing Director of the Düsseldorf-based organiser IGEDO Exhibitions.

Ulrike Kähler sees a lot of potential and synergetic effects in the lively exchange between these two parallel events: "Neonyt lives above all from great start-ups with innovative ideas that are often not quite ready for retail. Conversely, established brands at FASHN ROOMS can experience and be inspired by what can be done to make their own brands even more sustainable." For example, sustainability certifiers are deliberately not placed at Neonyt, but at FASHN ROOMS: "Because there the need for information is much greater. We want to show that anyone and everyone can set out to become more sustainable within their own framework. It is an investment and there are no short cuts – but it is possible," says Kähler.

At the end of August 2023, another fashion highlight will follow at Areal Böhler: SHOES DÜSSELDORF, another event in the portfolio of IGEDO Exhibitions and Germany's largest shoe fair. At the event, shoe retailers will also be given ideas on how to enhance and emotionalise their business with fashion and accessories. "As with FASHN ROOMS, the idea of the concept store is increasingly gaining traction. This includes, for example, the presentation of complementary products such as handbags, gloves, scarves, jewellery or beauty articles," explains the IGEDO boss.

Moving on from the special industrial charm of the Böhler site to the fashion district around Kaiserswerther Straße: this is where the Supreme Women&Men Düsseldorf - another long- established event - will take place at the same time as the Düsseldorf Fashion Days. The organiser, Munich-based The Supreme

Group, describes the event as a "the place to be for ordering high-quality, exclusive and progressive collections for top retailers from all over Germany and abroad". This year there is room for even more creativity: Supreme Women&Men has moved to the location KWS 117 - 119. "We have come to stay! The new location offers all key participants the 'front row' for the presentation of their collections available to order for the coming fashion seasons", says Managing Director Aline Müller-Schade. On two floors and a total of 4,500 square metres the trends for the coming fashion season will be presented in new ambience and in a compact way. The new space offers new possibilities in terms of layout and thus allows for more exhibition space, so that an increase of 10 percent in exhibitor numbers is expected. "In the new location, too, the focus will be on top national and international labels and their collections and aims to provide important impulses for the spring/summer 2024 ordering season," says Aline Müller-Schade, who is also Chairwoman of the Board of the Fashion Net association, which is committed to the exchange between the leaders in fashion and the expansion of the location.

“Networking and active exchange are extremely important for the contributors working in our segment - it is and remains a people business!”

In her experience, the importance of a physical order platform in the fashion business is becoming increasingly obvious, especially against the backdrop of increasing digitalisation, reinforced by the pandemic: "It's obvious that digitalisation simplifies the process of reordering and gives the stationary trade another distribution channel through online business. Nevertheless, the charisma of ordering on location, the experience and the emotionality of the fashion business should not be underestimated. Networking and active exchange are extremely important for the contributors working in our segment - it is and remains a people business!" This is very much appreciated by the retailers and buyers who come specifically to Düsseldorf to place their orders. Or to place their pre-orders two weeks later at Supreme Women&Men Munich, especially for Southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Since the beginning of 2023 now in Düsseldorf, parallel to FASHN ROOMS: the Neonyt as a trade fair for a greener, fairer and more climate-neutral fashion business.

In addition to trade fairs, Düsseldorf also offers two fashion highlights in the conference sector this year: the Beauty & Business Summit 2023 on October 18 and the TW Summit 2023, which runs from 28 to 29 November. They will be organised by the dfv Conference Group from Frankfurt am Main. It is a subsidiary of the dfv Mediengruppe, one of the largest independent trade media companies in Europe - its portfolio includes the important fashion trade magazine TextilWirtschaft (TW). "With our B2B formats we, on the one hand, rely very heavily on content, which we can convey impartially through our editorial teams, and on the other hand on the close exchange between decision- makers on location," explains Christian Kuhn, Managing Director of the dfv Conference Group.

The Beauty & Business Summit, which is taking place for thensecond time, primarily addresses decision-makers and marketing managers from the fashion, beauty, cosmetics and lifestyle industries. This ranges from the classic fashion trade, drugstores and pharmacies to the manufacturing industry, especially in the cosmetics and perfume sector. "An increasing number of brands and retail concepts are entering the beauty market. This can also be viewed as an opportunity to revitalise the trade," says Kuhn. With the event on October 18 at the Forty four by place to be, this particular development within the market will get an important B2B platform - one that does not yet exist in this form elsewhere in Germany. The current plan is to cater about 150 congress participants.

“It’s obvious that digitalisation simplifies the process of reordering and gives the stationary trade another distribution channel through online business.”

Aline Müller-Schade, Managing Director of The Supreme Group and Chairwoman of the Fashion Net association.

Between 250 and 300 participants are expected a few weeks later at the TW Summit 2023 in the listed location of Classic Remise. The fashion industry`s strategy congress is a re-branding of the established fashion trade congress, which has already taken place 16 times before. "With the new branding, we want to offer the industry a highlight at the end of the year. In addition to interactive formats, there will also be Deep-Dive sessions on location, dealing with very specifi c topics such as luxury or shoes," explains Kuhn. In addition, exclusive fi ndings from the live congress will fl ow into the TW business analysis "Status 2023 - Scenario 2024", which will appear in TextilWirtschaft a few weeks later. "With the congress we have deliberately returned from Frankfurt to Düsseldorf. We want to create a focal point in North Rhine-Westphalia with this, because a lot of the main people from the textile and fashion industry are already here and the location can be reached easily by a high number of people." •

“With the congress we have deliberately returned from Frankfurt to Düsseldorf. We want to create a focal point in North Rhine-Westphalia with this, because a lot of the main people from the textile and fashion industry are already here”

— Christian Kuhn is Managing Director of the dfv Conference Group,

Words Tom Corrinth
Pictures PR

People Business – Live and on Location