The 50th INNATEX will open its doors from July 29th to 31st, 2022 in Hofheim-Wallau near Frankfurt for the Green Fashion trade visitors. Over 200 labels will be exhibiting at the anniversary fair and a wide range of experts and initiatives will gather in the Rhein-Main Exhibition Center. The outdoor area will be lavishly furnished, including a live act for the anniversary party. After two years of pandemic-related restrictions, the organizing MUVEO GmbH wants to implement a lot. “Yes, we are busy, but our beloved INNATEX will only be 25 years old once,” admits MUVEO Managing Director Jens Frey. “You can say that we are focusing more on three areas with this summer edition: community and knowledge exchange, order and business and also a nice time together with a festival feeling.”
Exchange and debate are important drivers of progress
According to INNATEX project manager AlexanderWärmel, a highlight is the community area, which brings together a number of experts. In short lounge talks, they provide insights into their current work, and a dialogue format invites personal exchange. Mirjam Smend, known from Greenstyle Munich, represents her recently launched sustainability magazine Pureviu and moderates the morning talks.
In addition to standard providers such as IVN and GOTS, which have accompanied INNATEX for many years, more recent projects such as the digital platform Retraced and Fairmodel are also part of the special area. You can also find Fairtrade Germany, Femnet and the VDMD there. Almost everyone takes part in the “Ask Me Anything” dialogue format. Interested parties can book slots of up to ten minutes in advance for a personal conversation with the experts of their choice.
Heatl: “We want to celebrate 25 years of green fashion, but we’re also here to work.”
“The INNATEX is not just an order fair, but a community that is characterized by versatility,” saysWärmel. “The fact that the catalog serves so many different styles, generations, occasions and product categories is of course also an advantage for retailers, which we are involving with new measures this year. we
communicate in the back office specifically what INNATEX has to offer and the advantages for the buyers. Depending on demand, we offer orientation aids or guided tours.”
The funding concept, which had to be suspended during the pandemic, is celebrating its comeback at this year’s summer fair: Five INNATEX newcomers are presenting their projects as DesignDiscoveries in a second special area. Vegtus from Barcelona produces, among other things, sneakers made of cactus leather. The label for yoga fashion Lounge Cherie uses natural textiles such as organic cotton.
Suitable for children to seniors, classic and streetwear, shoes and accessories
Nordlicht also relies on recyclable, renewable natural fibers for its outerwear, bags and accessories. The other two Design Discoveries cover the topic of circular fashion. Both Nature is Future with handmade sneakers and Freibeutler with functional backpacks use mostly recycled materials, but also pay attention to other aspects of sustainability.
As always, the regular INNATEX exhibitors include pioneers such as Lana, Chapati and Didymos, all of whom are also celebrating anniversaries. For the first time, the labels Anokho with colorful accessories made of jacquard fabrics and Angel Circle from Denmark with plus-size fashion will be exhibiting.
“INNATEX is like vacation”, say some exhibitors
As far as the festive offensive of the anniversary INNATEX is concerned, MUVEO GmbH does not want to be stingy. A lavishly designed outdoor area is a reference to the festival season and offers zones for relaxation during the fair. The summer party with a DJ and live act takes place on Saturdays. “The environment here is already relatively nice and green for a trade fair site, and now we’re making it even nicer,” says Hitzel.