Sustainability was the hot topic of Berlin Fashion Week. At Neonyt (2 to 4 July 2019) representatives from the worlds of retail, industry and politics all came together to drive change in the fashion sector.

Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt:

“Ten years after Neonyt’s predecessor Greenshowroom was initiated, the industry is on the verge of a breakthrough and change is within reach. Over the years, we have increased the awareness and acceptance of sustainable fashion in Berlin and, with Neonyt, turned it into a topic that is making Berlin Fashion Week stand out worldwide as a pioneering platform for sustainability.”

Dr Daniel Terberger, Chairman of the Board at Katag AG:

“The momentum is there. If retailers and brands now start pulling together, it will be possible to bring sustainable fashion to the mass market.”

Conventional retailers are opening up to the idea

With its exciting line-up, Neonyt also managed to address conventional retailers and make them enthusiastic about sustainable fashion. The Gerber department store from Stuttgart contributed with a showcase entitled “Econic Goods of Gerber”, thereby setting a clear signal for transparency and sustainability in retail. And with top talks and panels, numerous noteworthy speakers encouraged a dialogue on the topics of retail, digitalisation, denim and the conservation of resources.

Pointing the way to a sustainable fashion future

International organisations and politicians also provided the fashion industry with additional momentum at Neonyt. The United Nations Office for Partnerships was represented with the Conscious Fashion Campaign and presented the UN’s Agenda for Sustainable Development (Sustainable Development Goals). And Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) was also in attendance, choosing to launch its new Grüner Knopf (Green Button) sustainability standard at the event.

Dr Gerd Müller, Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, gained an overview of the on-trend labels during a tour of the show.

“Neonyt has been leading the way for ten years now – and showing us that fair fashion can be chic too! Anyone who wants to buy socially and ecologically produced fashion will soon be able to look out for the Grüner Knopf. This is our way of making sustainable fashion visible for the consumers,” said Müller during the event.

Cool looks with lots of denim at the Fashion Show

Blue, white and black denim were combined with leather, silk, patchwork and layering: the Neonyt Fashion Show during MBFW at E-Werk Berlin styled sustainable denim pieces as part of multi-brand looks – ranging from bohemian, western, motorcycle and skater to streetwear, elegant, folklore down to sport and tech. The editorial fashion show presented a best-of featuring around 80 national and international sustainable fashion labels. Claudia Hofmann’s styling also included references to the 70s and 90s. Presenting partners of the show were Dr. Hauschka, Lenzing and Oeko-Tex and the show was also supported by the European Regional Development Fund.

The next Neonyt Berlin will be taking place from 14 to 16 January 2020.