Neonyt Düsseldorf: A Curated Offer With Innovation Leading The Way

Neonyt Düsseldorf took place on July 22-24. The fair once again standed out on the European fashion events scene as the only trade fair where quality and sustainable innovations are no-interesting if they are not sustainable. The Green Product Award, the new area for start-ups with high-quality products, and exhibitors with highly innovative products were well worth a visit.

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Twice a year, Neonyt Düsseldorf licensed by Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH focuses on innovation of fashion with a show about sustainability and responsibility in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Organized for the second time by Igedo Exhibitions with great details and contents, Neonyt is one of the best places in Europe for buyers to find suitable sustainable items. All the brands at Neonyt are certified sustainable brands, and they undergo a sustainability and style checked by the fair before the participation. They are also obligated to provide concrete information on both ecological (materials and design process) and social aspects (fair wage and working condition) of their sustainability.

Neonyt Düsseldorf also supports 17 sustainability goals together with the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network and the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP), and all the brands at the fair are following those values. Thanks to all these strict examinations, visitors of Neonyt could experience the best quality of clothes with great social responsibilities. A stringent analysis by the trade fair organisers ensures that what the exhibiting brands say is 100% real, no greenwashing.

We took the train from Berlin to Düsseldorf. When we arrived at Neonyt in the morning, there were already some visitors like us exploring the fair. The flow of visitors was not enough for some exhibitors. Undoubtedly, the fashion market in Germany is in the doldrums and the trade fairs are a great showcase for what the market is suffering. We already saw this in Berlin, with rather quiet editions of Premium, Seek and Beyond Fashion. We could not have imagined that the sustainable trade fair in Dusseldorf would come out of the fashion crisis in Germany with flying colours. However, the exhibitors who invited their customers and potential customers to the fair told us that they were busy writing down new orders from their clients from department stores, specially stores in Germany, the Netherlands, England, etc. It is always great to see that when you work actively before a fair, you reap the rewards. As Ulrike Kähler, Managing Director of Igedo Exhibitions and driving force behind Neonyt Düsseldorf, declared in an exclusive interview for Luxiders Magazine, opportunities were there: "Numerous shops such as Breuninger, C&A, Leffers, L&T Lengermann und Trieschmann, Manufactum, Robert Ley, Ernst Stackmann, PKZ Burger, Urban Trendsetter and many more visit our conventional fashion fair FASHN ROOM. These retailers now also indicate sustainability as an order interest and also visit Neonyt Düsseldorf. In addition, shops with an interest in ordering only sustainable products, such as Cosh.eco - Netherlands, StudioECO-Fair Goods Concept Store & Agency, Tomo - Netherlands or Weltladen come to the fair."

At the fair, we recognized some familiar brands that we already met during Beyond Fashion Berlin such as Hempage and Zouri, and we also had meaningful conversations with other brands too. We love the time enjoying the new innovations and sustainability from each brand, and getting new inspirations of the fashion future. There were other events that we loved as well, such as Green Product Award Fashion on the first day of the fair, where Belvis Soler, Editor-in-Chief of Luxiders Magazine participated as a jury; and PrePeek where we could find selected best items of the brands and panel talks, also very interesting at The Stage.

“The most important thing for us is not only about the sustainable materials, but also to check every supply chain of production regularly for great traceability, and to make sure everybody is getting fair wage under good working conditions.”- declares Efe, Marketing executive at Hempage.

BRANDS AND PRODUCTS TO LOVE

NAT-2 is an ethical shoe brand based in Munich creating trendy but creative designs with sustainable materials. It is one of the most innovative shoe brands that shows what the future of the shoe industry will be like. During the fair, they presented a 100% natural-dyed collection of sneakers made of organic cotton, plant-based plastic-free sandals, and vegan rain boots with 100% biodegradable materials. Other various materials and innovations such as leather-like algae biomaterial, sneakers made of real fungus and recycled PET bottles, and a coffee line made from recycled coffee, coffee beans.

“The most important thing is that we always follow our design philosophy to make the best combinations in materials. For example, we would never mix cheap synthetics with natural materials and call it ‘sustainable'" – says Sebastian Thies, the owner of Nat-2TM and Thies.

Hempage is a German-based ethical brand that offers basic but elegant designs of business casuals, accessories, and sportswear. Their new collection is made of 100% hemp, and they produce garments using all the advantages coming from hemp. Hemp consumes much less water than cotton, is robust and durable, and offers UV protection and antibacterial effect to wearers. They are also an Organic Content Standard (OCS) certified brand that guarantees a transparent and ecological production of the products.

“As a brand, you have to decide what your missions are in the industry, and what your rules are in your design to be sustainable. We have given ourselves such harsh rules, and that’s how we always stay sustainable.” – says Sjaak Hullekes, Designer of Hul Le Kes.

We were very surprised by their luxurious designs and the ethical stories behind their products. Hul Le Kes is a luxury ethical brand from the Netherlands. The brand is fully focused on circular fashion, avoiding any use of resources coming from synthetics, animals and nature. Most of their items are upcycled, using the existing materials such as bed sheets, antique tableclothes, and secondhand clothes. Avocado seeds and onion peels that are wasted in restaurants are used for their dying process. The minimalistic designs and neutral and earth-toned color selections made us feel like we are back in nature.

““In order to make the clothes to be sustainable, it is important to make the designs that are timeless and can be worn for a long time.” – underlines Sebastian Proft, Designer of Kings of Indigo.

Denim is one of the most widely-used materials in fashion, but also the most polluting in fashion. Kings of Indigo’s mission is to make all denim as sustainable as possible. Kings of Indigo is a Dutch sustainable casualwear brand that offers 100% vegan denims, and other eco-friendly garments. 95% of their collections are made of sustainable materials, and they are working on using as little water as possible in every process, including cotton production, and dying and washing. They save up to 5,000 Liters of water for each jeans they produce.

CONCLUSION

In times of crisis as the fashion industry is currently going through worldwide and perhaps most intensely in Germany, sharing experiences with the other actors in our community makes us move forward and resist in a sweeter way, learning from each other. The excitement of a community drives inspiration, and inspiration moves mountains. Neonyt Fashion and now Neonyt Düsseldorf have been able to withstand the various crises that have hit the sector since that extremely successful edition in Tempelhof Berlin before the pandemic. Always in harmony, with enthusiasm and tenacity, they adapt to the times with lessons in knowledge, sustainability and innovation.

All that is needed is for consumers to regain confidence in their economic stability and shed their fear. Only then will the fashion retailer's accounts be smiling again, and thus the German fashion market will once again deliver good news. Until then, let's continue enjoying the good vibes that only sustainable fashion can bring us.