The fashion location Berlin is regaining shape after the turbulence caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. For the first time in three years, the Fashion Week fashion shows took place at the same time as the Premium Group trade fairs last week – and, despite some upheavals, offered the many trade visitors the varied program they were used to from before Corona.
“We are glad that the industry came together again in Berlin with us and as part of the Fashion Week,” emphasized Jörg Arntz from the Premium Group in the exhibition company’s seasonal balance sheet published on Friday. “There was a lot of discussion about whether and why there is little cohesion in the industry in Germany, although everyone supports it. It has been shown that we need a common platform to exchange ideas, to get information, to be inspired, to discover new things and, above all, to spread optimism.” This goal was achieved in the season that just ended: “The voices are mostly positive. Berlin is set and we’re looking forward to the summer,” emphasized Arntz.
The Premium is once again more manageable
The Premium also had a special reason to celebrate last week: the main trade fair celebrated its 20th anniversary. For the second time after the comeback in the capital, it took place on the grounds of Messe West under the radio tower. There, however, it became clear again that the situation is no longer the same as before the pandemic. According to the organizers, around 500 brands showed their current collections at the Premium and the sister fair Seek – only about half as many as in previous heydays.
Accordingly, the Premium presented itself in the most recent edition – especially since the trade fair had moved from the labyrinthine rooms in the old buildings of the exhibition center to three of the voluminous modern halls. Many of the exhibitors – including German medium-sized companies such as Gerry Weber, Olymp, Herrlicher or Fynch-Hatton as well as international brands such as Mango, Steve Madden, Floris van Bommel and Fabienne Chapot – used the expanse to present their new products on extremely spacious stands , but there was still a lot of air for the visitors in between.
According to the final report on the new concept, the trade fair company has complied with “the desire of the industry to restructure the halls” and is pleased “with the positive response”. “The walking distances were shorter, the catering was expanded and the segmentation of the brands was optimized.”
The Seek is internationally popular
The sister fair Seek, which specializes in streetwear and accessories, appeared more compact, more focused and busier. This time it was also clearly separate from the main event and could only be reached by shuttle bus or by a longer walk. As with the restart last summer, numerous sustainable brands such as Ecoalf or Lanius enriched the range as part of the “Conscious Club” initiative.
According to the organizers, the Seek range was very popular with well-known retail companies from Germany and abroad: Buyers from “Galeries Lafayette (France), Jelmoli (Switzerland), The Room (Spain), Dapper (Norway), Tomorrowland (Japan), Smallable (France), Urban Outfitters (UK), JD Sports (UK), Estnation (Japan), Chaos (Japan), Itk (Estonia), Sportivo (Spain), Marubeni (Japan ) as well as national giants such as Breuninger, 0519, Engelhorn, About You, P&C, KaDeWe Group, Allike, Zalando, Fast Forward, Outfittery and Wöhrl”.
Exhibition boss Tillmann sees “unprecedented change” in the industry
Exhibition boss Anita Tillmann drew an overall positive conclusion after three days of the event: “We are satisfied with the result and grateful for high-calibre guests and many visitors. A significant volume of orders was reached at both events,” she explained in the closing statement. “It was very emotional overall and much better than some had expected.”
However, it has also become clear “that our industry is in a phase of unprecedented change and structural restructuring,” emphasized Tillmann. “Our events reflect this transformation,” she explained. “As a trade fair organizer, we can of course only outperform the market to a limited extent in times of crisis.”
