It’s an exciting time for Modefabriek, as the Dutch trade fair, which has existed since 1996, has undergone some changes in recent editions. She showed children’s fashion again in 2023 and abolished the separate men’s area in the summer of the same year. This caused confusion: was men’s fashion welcome or not? The focus now is on Women’s fashion and internationalization. While this was not entirely clear in the Winter 2023 edition, it is taking serious shape in the Winter 2024 edition.
Last summer month, Modefabriek announced that focusing on pure women’s fashion was an opportunity to expand its offering. “We really enjoy what we do, and the fashion industry thrives on catering to the modern woman. It’s a world of women,” Caroline Krouwels told FashionUnited at the time. Consequently, this change also brings with it adjustments on the exhibition grounds: the winter edition of 2024, which recently ended, only barely filled two halls with 380 exhibiting brands. This is of course a development that comes with the loss of men’s and children’s fashion, but it is still significantly less than pre-pandemic spending, when there were still three halls with women’s fashion.
The focus on women’s fashion also brings with it new concepts. The trend forum was given a new face and the well-known “Young Entrepreneur Platform” made room for a “spotlight area” in which 30 new fashion and lifestyle brands could be found. In addition, the “Sustainable Stop” no longer existed; Visitors were able to follow a “Responsible Route” instead. Also new: “The Next Closet” – a pop-up store on the Vintage platform that offered second-hand clothing from brands and high-end designers.
Modefabriek focuses on women’s fashion, exhibitors see this positively
On Sunday morning it is still quiet at the Rai exhibition center in Amsterdam, but the exhibitors are ready to enthusiastically present their FW24 collections to visitors. If you think we won’t see any bright colors next winter, you’re wrong. The Dot label is showing a collection full of purple and orange tones, Fluresk has brought back its well-known prints and colors and the Barts stand is full of colorful hats. In contrast, stands with neutral collections such as JcSophie featured nude colors, grays and blue accents.
If you make your way through the 380 exhibitors, you will notice that the trade fair seems less massive because the stands are divided into smaller blocks. Brands were encouraged by Krouwels to opt for smaller stands to save money. They seem to stick to this, which makes the Modefabriek an oasis of calm. This is appreciated not only by visitors, but also by exhibitors.
The Lolaliza brand has been present in the Dutch wholesale landscape since May 2023 and presents its collection on a simple, white stand. “We are here to make new customers aware of us and to introduce them to our way of working through our collaboration with Fashion Cloud convincing, where no pre-orders are necessary,” says wholesale manager Yves Rassaert. Lolaliza has about 30 wholesale addresses so far and is at the fair to increase this number. On Sunday, the wholesale manager noted particular interest from the Dutch and German public. Refined Department is also at the fair to grow, as they say on the stand.
In addition to the more reserved stands, there are also brands that like to put in the spotlight. Giacomo The Jacket has turned his stand into a veritable disco ball, Beaumont has put his mannequins back on a rotating platform and Pom Amsterdam has a mini-exhibition in honor of its collaboration with Claes Iversen.
At the C&S Fashion Group, the focus on women’s fashion is particularly well received. The fashion group is represented at the trade fair with its brands C&S the label, Exxcellent, Fluresk and G-maxx. “We now know what the visitors come for. This works very well for us,” says operational director David Zheng at Fluresk’s stand. “Boutique owners can find everything to spruce up their boutique here, from clothing to jewelry to accessories. This is very good for us.” “Fluresk is a baby that is growing very quickly,” adds Zheng. The fashion brand has been around for around three years and is growing by 30 to 40 new customers per year. Fluresk has a total of 150 sales points and its own shop.
A similar story can be heard at the G-maxx stand. The brand continues to grow and will expand to Canada and Belgium this summer. The plus-size brand Exxcellent’s focus on expanding women’s fashion is particularly praised. “There used to be no place for Exxcellent at the trade fair,” says Sarah Chen, creative director of C&S Fashion Group. By midday the Exxcellent stand was already well attended. “The demand for diversity and inclusion is growing, and we can see that in the number of people at the stand. We are happy to be here with all of our brands.”
Europe comes to the fashion factory
The theme of “internationalization” comes to the fore in the winter 2024 edition when you take a look at the audience. In addition to German visitors, who already dominated the SS24 edition, this time there are also visitors from the rest of Europe. In addition, the trade fair manages to attract the attention not only of buyers, but also of manufacturers and (future) fashion students and exhibitors.
Lin Noort, for example, is based on the number of professions that exist in the fashion industry. She may want to do training in this area and through Modefabriek she will get an idea of what the industry has to offer. A representative of the Slovakian brand Suchanova also takes part in the fair to get to know the fashion factory. “This way I get to know other brands, and today I got a good impression of whether Suchanova is a good fit for this trade fair,” she says. She would rather keep it a secret whether that is the case. Also at the fair is Maria Kikis, producer of the Kikis Fashion Group from Greece. Kikis visits the trade fair to visit her customers and address potential customers. The manufacturer describes the winter edition as a successful trade fair that was better organized than the previous year.
As far as buyers are concerned, the men’s department is still missed here and there, but the women’s fashion focus is understood, Melanie and Nadja Goldener from the Swiss Goldener Mode AG tell us. “There are a lot of new brands and we find that interesting. Plus it’s not too crowded so everyone takes the time to chat with you. However, we serve the women’s and men’s segment, so we miss men’s fashion.” A buyer from Fobie Womenswear and Maurice Mens Fashion from Belgium shares this observation.
For the owner of the women’s fashion house Pol Mode from Hengelo, Selma van Essen, the first day of the Modefabriek was very successful. “I’ve been walking around here for over four hours and was able to orientate myself very well. For me: no shopping without a trade fair. It is now very nice to find all aspects of women’s fashion under one roof; from dresses to shoes to earrings and other knick-knacks.”
New brands shine in the spotlight
A special feature of this edition is the spotlight area, which offers a stage for 30 new fashion and lifestyle brands. It is marked by large “Spotlight” banners on the ceiling and is located at the back of Hall A. It is accompanied by an orange VW bus that serves as a café. A DJ ensures the right atmosphere with upbeat lounge music. The platform is well attended throughout the day, which the exhibitors find exciting. For many it is the first time that they are at a trade fair, like the beachwear brand Heyb Club, which is represented in wholesale for the first time. “We are at Modefabriek to make the brand known,” says founder Florien Heyblom. “The brand is well received. I especially hear a lot of German voices. I’m actually looking for French or Spanish buyers, but they’re still a while away. Nevertheless, I am proud to be represented at such a trade fair.” Also represented in the orange-yellow area are labels such as Goldiie, which makes earrings from real flowers, and Ventri – a brand that makes accessories from cow stomachs.
Floria Collective can also be found in the spotlight and had a lot of nice conversations on Sunday, but hopes that things will be more lively on Monday. The brand is committed to sustainability and, for example, only uses natural dyeing techniques. For example, Fleur Geerinck, co-owner of the brand, proudly shows off a white silk blouse. “The yellow floral prints come from real flowers that were tapped onto the blouse, so to speak,” she explains.
On the trail of the “Responsible Route”
The sustainable aspect makes Floria Collective part of the “Responsible Route” – an individual route that visitors with a high interest in sustainability can take. All brands featured on the route meet criteria related to sustainability, ethical production and a circular approach. Visitors can find this route by scanning a special QR code at the entrance, which grants access to a special map. The participating brands can also be identified by the QR codes under their stand number.
In Geerinck’s opinion, the importance of the “Responsible Route” could be communicated a little more clearly. “Many visitors don’t know which stand number belongs to which brand. This leads to some confusion, I realize. For example, at Seek, in which we also took part, we received a green sign that announced our sustainable qualities. That would be a good addition here too,” says the co-founder. This insight is also shared by Marc O’Polo, it is said at the stand.
It should be clear that the innovations of the 2024 winter edition were positively received by visitors and exhibitors. The smaller, less bombastic stands created an oasis of calm between the brands and ensured the focus was returned to the product. The wide range of women’s fashion is particularly well received by buyers, even if the desire for a men’s fashion section is expressed here and there. Modefabriek managed to take its topic of “internationalization” to the next level, as there were many European visitors at the trade fair. The new Spotlight platform was well received by the public and exhibitors, as was the Responsible Route, although some improvements could still be made in terms of signage.
This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.nl. Translated and edited by Simone Preuss.