Spotlight on green fashion at Ethical Fashion Show Berlin

The event organisers were full of praise for the exhibiting labels as well as the growing number of trade visitors: "The second Ethical Fashion Show Berlin and a significant uptick in exhibitors of more than 50 percent allowed Messe Frankfurt to really put the spotlight on green fashion. The number and quality of visitors demonstrate that we are headed in the right direction," sums up Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt.

International fashion labels on the rise

The international character of the exhibitors also increased; nearly half of all exhibitors came from outside Germany – 30 percent more than last year. Fashion labels hailing from twelve different countries, North and South American nations amongst them, enriched the scope of the high-quality brand portfolio. The UK's Bibico joined for the first time: "It has been a successful event for us because everything is more concentrated here. We have met with large retailers as well as small independent shops. Some journalists and bloggers have even expressed interest in us. The trade fair is a breath of fresh air for exhibitors and visitors alike. It offers a nice setting and a good atmosphere. I think we will be back here next time," says Tim Douglas, Managing Director of Bibico.

Coordinator Magdalena Schaffrin also expresses great satisfaction: "The quality and the high level of the fashion displayed really impressed me. Our variety of brands cannot be seen anywhere else in Germany. The supporting programme and the synergies that we were able to generate here complemented our range of offerings and met with a very positive response from visitors."

Extensive supporting programme complements the range of offerings

In addition to the exhibitors' diverse range of products, Messe Frankfurt also created a valuable informational forum with the complementary programme in Hall C.

The Knowledge Lounge offered visitors a place to get in-depth background information about sustainable clothing. Fairtrade, GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), IVN (International Association of the Natural Textiles Industry), the Fairwear Foundation and the Netzwerk Faire Mode ("Fair Fashion Network") were all involved.

The future summit Change Your Cotton focused on the question of how sustainable cotton production might look in 2025. Initiatives for sustainable cotton cast their sights on the future as their projects were presented. Their scenarios were developed as part of a visioning workshop in collaboration with the British Forum For The Future. Experts introduced the widely diverse and thought-provoking alternative futures which were then discussed intensely.