#Sustainability
The Fashionsustain Conference brings thought leaders to the Neonyt talk stage
The Stage @ Alte Schmiedehalle is the centrally located, atmospheric location of the conference format in the middle of the former steelworks Areal Böhler and at the same time the link between the Neonyt licensed by Messe Frankfurt, organised by Igedo Exhibitions, and its FASHN ROOMS. Both fairs will be opened on 28 January 2023 by Dr. Stephan Keller, Mayor of the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia.
"The Fashionsustain Conference by Messe Frankfurt is our independent, international conference format with a clear focus on the crucial sustainability issues of the fashion and textile industry. As part of our worldwide Texpertise Network with 50 textile trade fairs, Fashionsustain brings industry-relevant talks, impulses and workshops to the stage at changing locations and docked onto attractive platforms. As Messe Frankfurt, we are thus intensively driving forward our sustainability efforts in the textile sector. At the end of January 2023, the Fashionsustain Conference will accompany the Neonyt licensed by Messe Frankfurt in Düsseldorf. For this purpose, we have been able to attract well-known voices from European textile companies with vision, trend companies and trade journalism. We are looking forward to a unique, three-day content format live on stage at the Areal Böhler", says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies, Messe Frankfurt.
The entire programme – including all speakers involved – can be viewed on the Messe Frankfurt website:
http://Neonyt.messefrankfurt.com/fashionsustain-programme
All buyers interested in sustainability can look forward to the one-on-one interview "This is how retail creates positive impact", powered by Textilwirtschaft with journalist Anja Probe and Thomas Ganter (Managing Director of Lengermann & Trieschmann GmbH & Co KG).
Transparent disclosure of one's own supply chain is time-consuming and actually knowing it all the way down to tier 3 is a challenge for fashion brands. However, not only consumers demand transparency, but also legal regulations such as the German supply chain due diligence act increase the pressure on companies to disclose their supply chains. Abdelkader Amouche (Commercial Director of Haelixa), Anna Cañadell (Co-Founder of BCOME CERTIFIED, S.L.), Kutay Saritosun (Marketing and Communication at bluesign technologies AG) and Edu Uribesalgo (Innovation and Sustainability Director of Ternua Group (Import Arrasate S.L.)) talk about this with Fashionsustain presenter Andrea Greuner (CEO of Juna Studio).
Also highly relevant: the panel discussion "Collaborate and communicate. How sustainability brings retailers, brands and consumers together in a new way" with the far-sighted speakers Sylvia Happel (Head of Business Development Europe at Lenzing AG), Annabelle Homann (COO & Head of Marketing at Lanius GmbH), Tanja Kliewe-Meyer (Founder and CEO of like a bird lifestyle GmbH) and Marco Schütte (Project Manager of the EK Fashion Sustainability Platform – EK Servicegroup).
Fitness and yoga wear have not only been a topic for the treadmill since the pandemic at the latest. Athleisure wear has found its way into everyday life and social media. With a view to sustainability, innovative technologies and textile materials ensure an ever better balance of functional everyday companions. The world's leading ingredient brand ISKO and fitness and yoga fashion manufacturer Lando Studio present a joint best case at Fashionsustain.
Sustainability begins in the design process, because resources can be conserved if, for example, the design of a collection is aligned directly with available materials. Made-to-measure and Made-to-order reduce inventories to a minimum and approaches such as inclusive and adaptive fashion create more sustainable alternatives for customer groups that still often have to resort to fast fashion due to a lack of supply. The Fashionsustain talk that will take place will bring clarity to aspects of sustainability that go beyond the usual certifications and shed light on the important role of the design process. Melina Bucher (Founder of Melina Bucher), Majken Kalhave (Managing Director of C Creative Denmark), Michaela Leitz (Plus Size Luxury Fashion Stylist & Size Inclusive Fashion Expert at Michaela Leitz – Confidence & Style) and Katja Schwarz (CEO of Dress to measure UG) will speak about this.
Purchase intention and purchase behaviour of (fashion) consumers are still contradictory – the well-known Value Action Gap. Although sustainability aspects are repeatedly mentioned as purchasing criteria, purchasing decisions often turn out differently. Especially in the case of more sustainable fashion, consumers lack an easily available choice as well as transparent and comprehensible information about the product and its production. Retail is therefore an important multiplier and knowledge broker. The workshop "Sustainability at the Point of Sale" with Tanja Kliewe-Meyer (founder and CEO of like a bird lifestyle GmbH) is aimed at employees in stationary and online fashion retail. Among other things, the most common textile labels and the most important terms related to sustainability in fashion will be presented.
"Spotlight Portugal" (with António Braz Costa, General Manager of CITEVE – Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias téxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal) and "Spotlight Denmark" (with Majken Kalhave, Managing Director of Creative Denmark), which will be held on 28 / 30 January 2023 respectively, promise more country-specific insights and thematic accents with regard to sustainability, fashion and retail. Claudia Brück (board member of Fairtrade Deutschland e.V.) will also talk about why minimum wages are not enough.
In addition to the talks and workshops at Fashionsustain by Messe Frankfurt, the FASHN ROOMS will present selected trend lectures, awards ceremonies and discussion rounds: for example, (1.) an awards ceremony presented by the Verband Deutscher Mode- und Textil-Designer e.V. (VDMD), (2.) the panel discussion "Sustainability in the shoe business" together with the Schuhkurier and (3.) the trend lecture "Should we slow down or speed up?" together with the Deutschen Modeinstitut DMI.
Messe Frankfurt's popular Fashionsustain conference format inspires innovation and product managers, sustainability and CSR experts, marketing and brand strategists, buyers, HR experts and young professionals from fashion, textiles, sourcing, retail, technology, NGOs, certifiers and start-ups.
As part of Neonyt licensed by Messe Frankfurt, the Fashionsustain Conference will take place in Düsseldorf from 28 to 30 January 2023.
