German voices and confusing positioning of men’s fashion

Half an hour before the start of the summer edition of Modefabriek in Amsterdam, eager buyers formed a line in front of the entrance. Having to wait outside wasn’t a problem though as the sun was shining and there were food trucks and beach chairs. The mini food festival served as a meeting place and it quickly became apparent that people were dying to get in.

While for the Fall/Winter 2023 edition, meters of colored ribbons formed a curtain in front of the entrance to the exhibition space and highlighted the different areas of the fair, the ribbons, now silhouetted like a chandelier, only adorned the ceiling. They reflected the change in the fair: there were no longer three but only two halls filled with stands and no section for men’s fashion; the focus was on women’s fashion and internationalization.

Of course there was also children’s fashion at the fair, a platform for young companies, The Fashion Gallery and anyone who valued sustainability could visit The Sustainable Stop. Several lectures and master classes took place this year, and trends were highlighted in the trend forum. One thing is for sure: with (again) over 400 brands and a full program there was a lot to do.

Men’s fashion yes or no? confusion at the fair

At ten o’clock sharp, the queue moved from the entrance to the exhibition area. While some buyers went straight to the stands, others rummaged around and indulged in all the impressions the fair had to offer. As for the stands, quite a few brands were there to attract attention. This was the case, for example, with the Dutch brand Barts. Anyone who looked around here is guaranteed to come back with the ultimate holiday feeling. Beaumont also went to great lengths and gave his mannequins a revolving stage, which attracted the attention of the audience.

Other exhibitors quickly gave their stands the finishing touches. At the Guess menswear stand, the plastic was even removed from the stand floor. “Actually, we were only standing here with women’s fashion,” it said. “But then we realized that menswear is welcome ‘separately’ at the show, so we wanted to exhibit something anyway.” The result was a white stand with four shelves filled with clothes. “So, we’re here. Let’s see what we can catch.”

Even with Belgium’s Alain Broekaert Group, which had several brands at Modefabriek, there seemed to be some confusion as to whether menswear was welcome or not. “That should have been communicated differently, because men’s fashion is welcome,” it said. The group had also heard that buyers specifically targeting menswear wanted to skip the Modefabriek this summer season and head to the preview.

The preview was a topic several times in the aisles. A group of men spoke about the relatively new fair. “It’s a really good fair and everyone is there,” it said.

The German menswear brand Indicode took advantage of the scarce supply of men’s clothing. “It’s also a way to stand out,” explained Sales Director Merwin Gilliad. He didn’t even think to switch to the preview and pointed to Hall B, where hundreds of women’s fashion brands are on display. “Then I try to stand out there. I would rather be here as one of the few menswear brands. Modefabriek still works for us after five years. We’ve already had a number of new customers, the atmosphere is good, so we can’t complain.”

German voices in the corridors

Everyone had a different experience of the rush on the first day of the Modefabriek. The rush was noticeable at women’s fashion brand Aaiko and all in all Modefabriek is always a good show for them. Not only existing customers came, but also new ones. The same picture emerged with Soaked (formerly Soaked in Luxury). Sometimes it was a little quieter, but many customers came by and orders were placed. According to colorful brand Fluresk, the fair could have been a little busier.

Another brand celebrating day one of the summer edition was Freedom Moses. “It’s a peak day,” said Bart and Leen, who represent the brand in the BeNeLux countries. “There is a lot going on. We have already won new customers and we have been able to send our digital catalog to others.” The majority of those interested at the Freedom Moses stand spoke German. “The Germans are very interested. We just had someone visiting who has over 100 stores in their portfolio. Of course we hope to see this name again soon!”

The managing director of the trade fair, Caroline Krouwels, had previously confirmed that buyers from Germany and Belgium are visiting the trade fair more and more frequently. That was also true of this edition. For example, a buyer from the German fashion retailer Kress Modezentrum, a fashion company with around 30 stores in its portfolio, was present. It sells women’s, men’s and children’s fashion and is looking for women’s fashion labels that are in the middle price segment. “It’s good to see the collections in person. This way you get a feel for it and you can touch the fabrics. We have enough brands like Desigual, Guess and Esprit in our portfolio, but if we come across a new, beautiful brand today, we are definitely open to it,” explained the buyer, who was there with her aunt. “My aunt first went to Modefabriek 15 years ago and has now brought me to the fair. I definitely find what’s on offer interesting and it’s not too crowded so you can really take your time at the stalls.”

Hall B of the fashion factory. Image: Sylvana Lijbaart/FashionUnited

Inspiration, orientation and trends

In addition to German buyers, there were of course also Dutch visitors. You were at the fair to get your bearings. For example, two buyers from the women’s fashion store Bebob from Rhenen said that they stopped by the Summum stand and also visited Gustav and Pom Amsterdam. “What is remarkable is that this edition is very colourful.”

Sander van Buiten, manager and buyer at Dutch fashion chain Arthur & Willemijn, wanted to learn about the trends and stories behind the fashion brands’ collections. “When you go shopping, you have already made your choice,” says van Buiten, “that’s the moment you look at the brands and their collections, feel the fabric, get to know the philosophy behind the collection and start following the trends of the coming season.” He doesn’t visit the Modefabriek for nothing. “Here you have everything under one roof. For example, we have just come from a lecture and find the trend forum very interesting.”

“At the stands we try to find out the history of the collections. This is ultimately something we want to convey to consumers. The stationary retail landscape has changed enormously in recent years. A customer walks in with an idea of ​​a dress and then says, ‘I want that.’ If she then puts the dress on and it doesn’t meet her expectations, she is quickly disappointed. It is then up to the shop assistants to find a suitable alternative. “We find it very important that a customer wears a piece of clothing at least 30 times and feels comfortable in it. It is therefore very important to know the philosophy of the brand or the collection and to be able to convey it to the customer.”

The Sustainable Stop gets a new look and platform for vintage resellers

The newly interpreted The Sustainable Stop was also striking in this edition. The green, rectangular platform led visitors past sustainable stands. Among others, the brands Kings of Indigo, Komrads, Love Sophia and Oska were there. The platform featured a blue hub, the clothing or “Kloffie” market: a place where innovative and up and coming Vintage resellers can showcase their collections and sell them directly. The latter didn’t seem to be clear to everyone, said the owner of Nyn Vintage. “When I see people just looking, I tell them about it because I can tell they don’t really know yet.”

“I am mainly here to introduce visitors to my brand and the way I work. I also think it would be super cool to work with retailers who have the same vision when it comes to sustainability in the future.” The owner explained that not much has happened so far. “Maybe the start of the holiday season and the upcoming storm play a role. In any case, I hope that the area will attract a little more attention on Monday.” Other brands in the blue heart of the sustainable center included Re-Nou, Céno Classics, Rennelier and Fitolojio Workshop.

Modefabriek’s Kloffie Market. Image: Sylvana Lijbaart/FashionUnited
Modefabriek’s Kloffie Market. Image: Sylvana Lijbaart/FashionUnited

The ‘Young Entrepreneur Platform’ was also there again and was located in Hall A. Eighteen young entrepreneurs were offered a stage here. Among others, the works of Lotte van Stijn, Melissa Oosterwolde and Zoë Detrez were on display.

All in all, Sunday was a “pleasantly busy” first day. It may have been a bit too hectic for some brands, while others were happy to see everyone at the booth. As for buyers, the summer edition was all about inspiration, guidance and spotting trends. The topic of internationalization seems to be taking shape more and more, as numerous German visitors were spotted at the fair and the focus on women’s clothing could not be overlooked. While some brands lacked clarity when it came to presenting menswear, others jumped at the opportunity by luring inquisitive shoppers to their stands and taking orders.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.nl. Translated and edited by Simone Preuss.

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