Having to cope with constant change is now one of the basic disciplines of the fashion industry. And so some things were different again at the Düsseldorf Order Days with the events Fashn Rooms, Neonyt, Supreme Women&Men Düsseldorf and the many showrooms in the city. However, the balance is good: The new locations and neighborhoods were very well received by retailers and exhibitors. The mood was good, despite some worry lines.
New locations are well received
“The new location right next to the Sternhaus is great,” says Denis Augustin, who is showing his Bomboogie and Niu collections for the first time with his agency Good News Agency at the Supreme in Düsseldorf. So far he has had his own showroom in Düsseldorf and now wanted to try the Supreme. “There is no such thing as a central, great location for everyone, but we are in a great place here.” At Kaiserswerther Strasse 117-119, directly above the Unifa showroom and in the immediate vicinity of many other fashion houses and showrooms, they wanted to use synergies and make it easier for retailers. “The impetus that we set with the move to the KWS 117-119 was very well rewarded by the manufacturers and agencies,” agrees Aline Müller-Schade, Managing Director of The Supreme Group. “We are seeing an increasing number of inquiries from large agencies who would like to come back to Supreme Women&Men Düsseldorf with their high-quality labels.” The stands and aisles were still a bit empty on Friday, but customers only come here with an appointment anyway. The big rush was only expected on Saturday and Sunday, when the traders are no longer tied to their shops.
Neonyt, which specializes in sustainable collections, has also only taken place for the second time on Areal Böhler, right next to the Fashion Rooms. This expansion of the trade fair landscape on the site was also well received by the exhibitors at both shows. Sebastian Thies, CEO of the sustainably oriented shoe brands Thies and Nat-2, remains loyal to the trade fair despite its ups and downs. “I think this concept is simply important,” says Thies, which is why he’s involved again. “The location is great and the organization is great as always.” Will enough dealers come? “We’ll see about that,” he said on Saturday morning, who started quite cautiously. But by noon the aisles were already full. “Unfortunately, Neonyt is a real corona victim,” Thies continued. “The last event before the pandemic in Berlin was awesome, at the time I thought, yes, now the topic has spread widely.” So far, the trade fair has not been able to follow suit.
Although the internationality of the customers was remarkable: traders from the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Kazakhstan, for example, were spotted. Greek plus size brand Mat Fashion had a lot going on at the Fashion Rooms. Here, too, an international audience from Ireland, the United Emirates, Spain, etc. met. In general, the brand aroused the interest of many guests, the dazzling bags from Mat could be seen everywhere at the fair. “We would only like to have more German retailers,” says George Kalogerakis, Marketing and Development Manager of Mat, who is now represented with his brand in over 57 countries and has just opened a new store in Greece with the oversize lines from Levis, Lee, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.
Trade is cautious, consumers are too
And how is the trade? “The trade is uncertain,” says Kai Jördens, who represents Luis Trenker, Dornschild and recently also the French brand Jott. Some retailers would have to lower their limits even if they had sold his brands well. The situation in retail is tense everywhere. “The traders say it’s an up and down,” says Svetlana Matuski of True Religion. “Sometimes they are on the verge of bankruptcy, but then they still make it. Retailers with a fixed customer base are often in a good position, while online trading is rather poor”. The problem is that many consumers are currently waiting and only go shopping when the goods are in season. However, since the current summer only really started in June – and then immediately with high temperatures – the first sale fell into the reduction phase.
The current restraint is a challenge, especially for young labels. “Because one thing has changed drastically,” says Denis Augustin from Bomboogie. “Retailers are buying even more than before based on their sales figures, so there is little scope for new things.” Andreas Hoegner from the Belgian brand Dream Catcher has found that for special collections, their look is somewhat reminiscent of Zimmermann. “Many say there are too many of the same goods, we need more individuality in the shops,” says Hoegner.
Charlie Stein from the young, sustainable brand Organicforce came to Neonyt without great expectations. His sweaters are made from a mixture of hemp and nettle, both grown in Germany and spun and knitted without chemicals. Stein: “People are curious, let’s see what will happen.”
Delivery problems have largely been resolved
After all, delivery problems are fortunately a thing of the past for most brands. Missing sample parts were also an absolute exception at the trade fair. True Religion is a producer itself and was able to absorb a lot in this way. At Kings of Indigo, the linen comes from France and is processed in Ukraine. Even then there were no difficulties. At Gerry Weber there were no delivery problems even during the pandemic, says Brigitte Danielmeyer, Brand Director Gerry Weber, and the delivery times have also remained the same. Everything at Thies could also be delivered, but the brand had to plan longer lead times, also for repeat orders. “Reorders used to take six weeks, now I have to schedule ten,” says Sebastian Thies. This is mainly due to the fact that many production facilities are currently underutilized and only start their machines when enough orders have been received. Lanius also had occasional delays. “It wasn’t all there, you can still feel it a little bit,” says Felina Türksch from Lanius.
Trends SS24: colour, prints and occasion wear
And what is running in the current order? What trends can consumers look forward to for the spring/summer 2024 season? At Gerry Weber, the focus is on color, such as rose and mint, as well as large floral prints, which are used on tops as well as trousers. The denim collection was also expanded, adding two fits and now comprising a total of twelve. At Lanius, different shades of blue are part of the new summer look, which can all be combined with one another. Prints reminiscent of Moroccan tile patterns are also among the highlights at Lanius, as is the Italian collection Nui. Here the whole collection is inspired by oriental patterns and colors. “At Luis Trenker, you can see that corduroy is slowly becoming a summer item in Germany, too. “It’s been working in Italy for a long time,” says Kai Jördens.
There were good signs of success in retail for occasion wear. Many consumers were finally able to party again and were happy to look for new outfits. Brightly colored power suits, satin fabrics on cargo pants, dresses, all of this went well this summer and still has a lot of potential for next year.