As part of the delegation trip of the internationalization project Fashion Forward Network (FFN), the Fashion Council Germany invited people to the first international fireside dinner in New York City. The event took place at the end of October 2023 in Loft 29, Udo Spreitzenbarth’s photo studio, and was catered for by Chef Simon. With the networking dinner, the FCG brought the German-American fashion community together and created space for informal exchange and discussions to establish business partnerships. The 10 selected brands that were part of the Fashion Forward Network delegation trip were also present.
Fireside chats as a networking format
The Fashion Council Germany’s networking format “Firesidechats” has been taking place regularly throughout Germany and at selected international locations since 2018, and since 2023 also in a new form as a dinner series in a more intimate atmosphere. Scott Lipinski, CEO of the Fashion Council Germany, opened the evening with a short speech and particularly emphasized the German-American objectives of the Fashion Forward Network. The aim is to support Berlin fashion brands and tech start-ups when entering the US market and, conversely, to network US companies in Berlin.
In the stylish atmosphere of Loft 29, various industry representatives from the USA and Germany came together to exchange ideas. During their stay in New York City, the participating brands on the delegation trip were given the opportunity to meet US industry leaders such as Women’s Wear Daily, Highsnobiety, the CFDA, eBay US and the Eileen Fisher Foundation and were introduced to showrooms, PR agencies, retailers, press contacts and more networked with additional multipliers to form a basis for their desired entry into the US market.
Highlights of the evening
The highlight of the evening was the exquisite menu by the prestigious German chef Chef Simon. He has lived in New York City for many years and has worked for various star restaurants and in the luxury hotel industry. With his approach “the concept of the German speakeasy dinner” he reinterprets classic German cuisine and conjures up a culinary experience. Among the guests were Alex Badia from Women’s Wear Daily, actress Allison Williams, designer Julia Jentzsch, Michael Ferraro from FIT, fashion photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth and this year’s winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund: Melitta Baumeister.