#Textiles & Apparel / Garment
Greenshowroom – meeting point for fashion’s avant-garde
- Change is possible – selected international labels showcase sustainable fashion
- Start on 2 July with the Catwalk – an exclusive Salonshow featuring new and established brands
In this context, sustainable production means that the brands not only keep the environment in mind during their manufacturing processes but also ensure compliance with high social standards. The eighth edition of the Greenshowroom will feature 29 exhibitors. “All in all, more than 100 organisations will exhibit at our two green fashion shows, the Greenshowroom and the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin. Together, they have evolved into the largest platform for sustainable fashion in Europe,” says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President for Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt, the organiser of the Greenshowroom. The participation of a total of 19 labels from abroad – including Estonia, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Spain and the Ukraine – is proof of the Greenshowroom’s internationality and features a balanced mix of established and new brands. Even in the pre-season, designers including Aleks Kurkowski, Elsien Gringhuis, Katharina Kaiser and Myuli joined the event. Among the newcomers are Henrieta Duffner/Swiss Affaire, Løndstrupp, Issie Collection, Tatjana Prijmak, and many others. The labels represented show a high level of quality both in the design and the workmanship of their exhibited products. “The young Page 2 Greenshowroom designers truly are pioneers for green fashion,” says Magdalena Schaffrin, co-founder and coordinator of the Greenshowroom. “We can look forward to strong collections that stand for an exciting symbiosis of sophisticated design and contemporary materials and, at the same time, keep ecologic and social production criteria in mind.”
Focus on social standards
The key focus of the Greenshowroom will be on the conditions during the production of the showcased collections. With numerous examples, the participating labels will demonstrate how progressive, clean textile manufacturing is possible. Reet Aus, for example, procures its products in Bangladesh where it co-operates with the Awaj Foundation that fosters better working conditions for local seamstresses.
Cocccon breeds its own silkworms in a rebelcontrolled region of India and pays fair wages to underprivileged groups of workers. In line with tradition, silk is produced manually here. Katharina Kaiser co-operates with a social project in Germany and has parts of her collections produced in a workshop for physically and mentally challenged people. The Schreif label is active in El Salvador where its collection is manufactured in a small factory with a staff of 14 who earn fair wages and are covered by insurance.
Outstanding up-and-coming fashion
In addition, visitors to the Greenshowroom will be introduced to outstanding fashion designed by young professionals. The three winners of the Humanity in Fashion Awards presented by hessnatur – howitzweißbach and Stefanie Stohwasser of Germany, and Hellen van Rees of the Netherlands – will present their collections in the Adlon suites for the first time. Also, master students of Sustainability in Fashion at the Esmod Berlin will exhibit their works. Anaïs Guille, one of the participants, is supported by the French luxury group LVMH as an outstanding young designer.
Trade fair start with the Salonshow
The highlight of the Greenshowroom – the Salonshow with its collection highlights – has been moved to a new time slot: the first day of the trade fair, 2 July at 3:30 p.m. This is where Greenshowroom exhibitors will introduce their 2014 spring/summer collections. Scheduled exhibitors at the Catwalk include Aleks Kurkowski, Anaïs Guille, Deepmello, Dutch Basics, Edelziege, Elsien Gringhuis, Henrieta Duffner/Swiss Affaire, Katharina Kaiser, Katlen Thiel, Luxaa, Reet Aus, Royalblush by Jana Keller, Tatjana Prijmak and Vilmava plus three of the labels exhibiting at the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin, Alma & Lowis, Lanius and Monica Schneiter.
GreenLounge – the green fashion soirée Innatex, the Greenshowroom and the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin will welcome their guests to the GreenLounge at Umspannwerk Kreuzberg on 3 July. At the central soirée dealing with green fashion, trade visitors and media representatives can watch presentations relating to the two Messe Frankfurt events and to Innatex. Orsola de Castro, a pioneer of British ethical fashion, will inaugurate the Networking Party for invited guests at 8:00 p.m. with the showing of fashion films made by British designers and by exhibitors at the Greenshowroom and the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin.
Shuttle service and registration On the three days of the event, the Mercedes-Benz shuttle service will connect the Greenshowroom at Hotel Adlon Kempinski with the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin at ewerk, the Premium at Gleisdreieck and the tent of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin to ensure visitors can move among the events quickly and conveniently. Interested trade visitors and media representatives who have not yet obtained a ticket can register online at www.green-showroom.net.
