The fashion scene had been eagerly awaiting the launch of Neonyt in its new location – and it definitely exceeded all expectations. With twice as many visitors, the right brands and the most important buyers, Neonyt highlights the growing momentum of sustainability in fashion.
We see ourselves as the ringleader of a protest movement. Our goal is to take as many people as possible with us on this journey and educate them. So Neonyt is the ideal tradeshow for us. This is where we can meet important buyers and managers, the decision-makers from the conventional retail sector. Our new shop-in-shop concept has been met with great interest and plans for its implementation with retailers are already underway,” says Markus Steinhoff, Head of Wholesale Partnerships, Armedangels.
In addition to the positive mood at Neonyt, the facts and figures also speak volumes: with more than 210 sustainable fashion brands from 22 countries, Neonyt, from 14-16 January 2020, brought together more sustainable fashion brands than ever before and the number of professional visitors in attendance has doubled in comparison to January 2019. Not to mention around 400 bloggers and influencers, more than 50 events in the line-up of international conference Fashionsustain and a large number of conventional retailers, particularly from abroad.
“We have been very impressed after every edition of Neonyt, but this one has really taken things to a new level – thanks to the brands, the buyers and all the key players from the fashion industry who have enriched Neonyt in the last few days and made it the most relevant hotspot. Across the entire board, we’ve felt not only the willingness and the necessity but also the desire for more sustainability,” says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles and Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt.
For increasing numbers of buyers, a visit to Neonyt has meanwhile become a firm fixture on the Berlin Fashion Week calendar. With around 13%, the share of conventional fashion retailers attending the event has more than tripled in comparison to the winter 2019 edition. The list includes: Breuninger, C.J. Schmidt, Dodenhof, Engelhorn, Garhammer, Hellner Moden, Katag, KONEN, Kaiser Mode, Polozek, Ramelow, Stephanies Göttingen, Meyer and Nehls, as well as Amazon and Zalando. According to the feedback questionnaire, around 96% of the tradeshow’s visitors were very happy with their visit to the fair.
Neonyt and the topic of sustainable fashion also attracted a lot of interest from politicians. Germany’s Development Minister Gerd Müller, party whip Katrin Göring-Eckardt (B90/The Greens), MP Renate Künast (B90/The Greens), Nicole Ludwig, Spokesperson for Economy and Sports (B90/The Greens) and Governing Mayor of Berlin Michael Müller took the time to look around the booths and chat to exhibitors.
Highlight: Neonyt Fashion Show at Kraftwerk
A futuristic show at Kraftwerk Berlin with the theme “Outdoor meets high-street fashion”: Taking place during MBFW on 14 January, the Neonyt Fashion Show at Kraftwerk Berlin presented 54 looks curated by Claudia Hofmann. The outfits were inspired by the global protest movements of previous months and featured protective elements and voluminous jackets teamed with long, flowing dresses, all showcased under a veil of fog against the monumental backdrop of Kraftwerk. A total of 99 brands were represented in the looks, including After March, Alinaschuerfeld, Ambiletics, Annette Rufeger, Antonia Zander, Armedangels, Arys, Biker-Zone, Dopper, Ecoalf, Esther Perbandt, Fade Out, Fjällräven, Hessnatur, Høyem, Icebreaker, Klättermusen, Langer Chen, Lanius, Lara Krude, Layla De Mue, Lemon Jelly, Lil’ Lapel, Saheli Women, Mies Nobis, Mimycri, National Geographic, Neubau Eyewear, People Berlin, Phyne, Rhuuma, Sandermann, Scoop, Skarabeos, SKFK, Sonja Tafelmeier Couture, Spatz Hutdesign, Swedish Stockings, Timberland, Tretorn, Vaude, Veja, Wolfskin Tech Lab and Wunderwerk. Music: Robert Dietz. Fragrance: Frau Tonis. Presenting partners: Authentic Beauty Concept, Dr. Hauschka and hessnatur.
Exhibitor feedback:
“We were really impressed by the visitors’ huge interest in our production conditions and the materials we use. That’s what makes Neonyt different to other tradeshows. Our participation in the Fashionsustain conference and the collaboration with NetworkX also gave us the opportunity to chat to high-profile industry players. Seeing our collection pieces presented in such a contemporary, on-trend way by Claudia Hofmann was one of our highlights.” – Markus Dambacher, Sales Manager, ARYS
“We were already happy last July, but this time it was amazing! We were able to surprise and impress the visitors with our Viktor & Rolf collaboration and there were even more visitors attending the fair this time round. Noteworthy press and international buyers were also in attendance, along with our existing customers. And we were able to come into contact with our young, ethically aware target group. The mood among the exhibitors is also fantastic. We had some great brands around us.” – Patricia Schölly, PR Manager, Calida
“This was our first time exhibiting at Neonyt and we’re overwhelmed by the positive feedback. Our whole team have been with us in Berlin and they were all in talks pretty much non-stop. The buyers we met also exceeded our expectations. We’ll definitely be back again in the summer.” – Esther Geue, Product Design, GOT BAG
“We were worried that we would be inundated with visitors – and that’s exactly what happened. Conventional retailers, some of whom had come to Neonyt for the first time to find out about sustainable brands, have expressed a very clear interest in stocking our designs. This is where you’ll find authentic sustainable fashion brands that have always pursued sustainable production and haven’t just jumped on the bandwagon now. So we’re definitely in the right place.” – Annabelle Homann, Marketing Management, Lanius
“We were really pleased that we were able to get a space in the temporary hall at such short notice and be part of Neonyt. Our new textile collection has gone down very well with the visitors. Overall an excellent tradeshow and a breath of fresh air!” – Ralf Breitwieser, National Sales, Pinqponq
“We don’t need music to create a fantastic atmosphere here. There’s just something in the air! There were a lot of visitors on the first two days and we were delighted to see so many of them flocking to our stand.” – Heiko Wunder, Managing Partner, Wunderwerk
“As an outdoor brand, sustainability is embedded in our DNA. After all, why would you destroy the branch you sit on? Neonyt has won us over with its highly topical subject matter and great location. We were able to make more customer contacts here than we did at other fairs last year. An incredibly successful show!” – Ulrike Kleinloh, Head of Sales, Wolfskin Tech Lab
While the next edition of Neonyt will be taking place from 30 June until 2 July 2020 in Berlin, Fashionsustain is already planning its next stop: the conference will be stopping off at ISPO in Munich at the end of January. In a three-hour slot on Sunday 26 January, selected topics will be explored in more depth as part of the CSR Hub. These panels are the first cooperation between the leading trade fairs. Focusing on the topics at hand, ISPO and Neonyt are pooling their strengths to further push the crucial topic of sustainability within their industries.
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