BERLIN FASHION WEEK: trends spotted
Returning from a very inspiring Fashion Week in Berlin, we are excited to share with you some of the trends and hot topics we spotted & that'll probably shape the future of fashion...
1. Fashionable first, affordable second, ethical last (but not least!)
In a few words, what makes an ethical brand successful? This was one of the biggest questions we brought to the Fashion Week. The answer? Fashion & passion.
The secret doesn’t lie in the words green, sustainable, ethical, eco, fair, or organic. People care about fashion in the first place - and that remains their main motivation when buying something new. In the same way that consumers will only buy a fair-trade banana if it tastes good!
Brands such as the established Veja shoes and Nudiejeans were not present at the Ethical Fashion Show. Instead, we found them at Seek, one of the known fairs for ‘conventional’ brands. You would hardly guess from the outside that they’re totally fair trade and produced sustainably with some of the most ecological materials. They're just gorgeous. Fashion is their passion, and that’s what they deliver in the first place, yet sustainability is part of their DNA. For those that are interested in the story behind their clothes, all the product information is available to the customer. For those that just want a cool pair of shoes or jeans, that’s exactly what they’ll find.
The tip is to focus on what you love, and do it. You don't need to write in capital letters about your sustainability, those who want to know will ask. And that's where our second trend comes in...
2. Transparency is the new black
When you do talk about ethical and sustainable, it is vital to provide consistent and factual information. More and more people want the facts behind the airy statements about culture and values. Just as consumers increasingly want to know what they eat, they also want to know what they wear.
Information travels fast these days, & it should also be at your fingertips. The fashion industry is no exception, and many young designers such as Anna & Jula from the brand new Jan ‘n June have understood this rapidly arriving trend. Where were these pants made? Under which conditions? From which materials? With what kind of processes?
At Jan ‘n June, one click on the QR code will give you all the product information instantly. An impressive number of brands are integrating these QR codes not just on a separate tag but right into the design of their clothing. It is artistic, it is promotional, and it gives the consumer a new type of interactive experience with the product. But most of all, it is about openness & traceability.
Time to download a QR reader app and to discover the delights of disclosure…
3. From fiber to waste to new fiber: it’s about the Life Cycle
While we often focus on the questions of yesterday... what is the origin of our clothes? Where were the materials sourced? How were they made? How far did they travel to get to me? and so on... we tend to forget about those of tomorrow.
What happens to our stuff once we get rid of it? Every year, the average Belgian family throws about 12 kg of textiles away, which generates huge quantities of pollution, and tons of materials that often go straight to the landfill.
From second-hand to recycling and up-cycling (check out Who Made Your Pants? for the ladies or Upcycling Deluxe for all kinds of bags, hats, wallets and other funky products), our awareness of the importance of the entire life cycle of the products that pass through our lives is clearly evolving. The brand Mudjeans for instance is launching a system whereby you receive 30 € back if you return your old pair of jeans – they will turn them into a new pair of jeans, or why not, a cool sweatshirt.
And as always, new challenges and limitations awake the creative monsters within us! The young Dutch shoe brand OAT decided to creatively take responsibility for the ENTIRE life cycle of their footwear by making a collection of sneakers that are not 99 but 100% biodegradable… to the point that when the shoes are worn-out, you can bury (or actually, plant) them in your garden and a bunch of flowers will grow out of them! Not only they don’t pollute, but they actually bloom into something new with added value. In other words: there are no limits to how fashionable AND sustainable we can be.
4. Own less, get more! Welcome to the sharing economy
Sharing is caring! As well as… more sustainable, less expensive and more varied. Slowly but surely, the culture of sharing or lending instead of buying is changing our habits and seeping into our everyday lives. As organisations like Peerby or Let’s Share take their roots, it’s hard to think of any goods and services that cannot be shared, borrowed, rented or exchanged in any way – whether we speak of rented books, shared offices, exchanged apartments or borrowed gardening tools…
As with every other sector, the collaborative or peer-to-peer economy is also turning our conceptions about fashion upside down. Have you heard of them yet? From LENA - The Fashion Library and De Kledingbibliotheek in Amsterdam, to the Kleiderei in Hamburg, or Klädoteket and Lanegarderoben in Sweden, “clothing libraries” are invading cities all over. The German Kleiderkreisel already has an app, and Swapp - the walking closet is planning to launch one! At first it may sound awkward, scary or complicated, but these concepts actually offer some pretty cool deals: pay a (sometimes monthly) fee and get yourself clean, glamorous and new (for you) clothes - anytime. No need to worry about an exploding wardrobe, as you just bring back the stuff you don’t wear anymore for someone else to enjoy. Is there one in your city yet? If so, let us know! If not, check for any trendy clothes swapping events… like the one we will organise in Brussels of the 29th of March.
These were our main takeaways, but as always, there's much more to discuss and debate. Don't hesitate to tell us what you think, ask us a question or suggest an idea!
And of course, to be part of the very latest "trend"… check out our challenge and become a Fashion Shifter! ;-)
