Fairs from Amsterdam to Copenhagen are vying for the German fashion industry

The end of the big fashion fairs in Berlin left a void in the fashion calendar. The capital used to be the place for the German-speaking industry to gather, preview collections and discover new brands. Now, fairs from Florence to Amsterdam are targeting brands and buyers from Europe’s biggest fashion market.

The stand of fashion label Lara Laurén at this year’s edition of Modefabriek was very busy. The owner showed her collection to two buyers from Germany. This scene between a German label and buyers was repeated several times at the Amsterdam trade fair. Traditionally, Modefabriek, at the beginning of July, is the meeting place for the Dutch clothing industry, but the German language has become increasingly present at stands and in the aisles over the past few seasons.

The same could be said for the booth of German pants brand Mac. “Five years ago there were very few [German buyers], but now that Berlin no longer exists, it's easy for many people from North Rhine-Westphalia and the Hamburg area to travel here,” said Dutch agent Lydia van Egmond. She estimated that around 20 percent of visitors to the stand now came from Germany, some of whom she already knows well because they attend every season.

The trade fair itself had also noticed an increase in visitors from its neighbouring country. In January, the number of visitors from Germany doubled. Visitors came from around 850 German stores, according to the organisers of Modefabriek. At the summer edition in July, 36 German brands were represented at the fair. The increase in the German-speaking audience came at a convenient time, as internationalisation has long been the focus of the trade fair, which has been trying to reposition itself since the pandemic.

Gap in Germany

The coronavirus pandemic also took its toll on fashion fairs in Germany. In 2019, around 1,800 brands gathered in Berlin at the four trade fairs Premium, Seek, Neonyt and Panorama. The events were then cancelled several times due to the pandemic.

Following the insolvency of Panorama and the pandemic, 500 brands exhibited at the trade fair Premium, which specialises in womenswear, and the streetwear fair Seek. At the last winter edition in January 2023, Premium attracted around 10,000 visitors, 80 percent of whom came from German-speaking countries, according to the organisers. Premium stopped after another summer edition. Seek is now the only remaining trade fair in Berlin that counted more than 100 brands and around 4,000 visitors in July.

After the Berlin trade fairs were cancelled, Silke Schmid and Christine Schäffner began to look around elsewhere because they no longer felt attracted by the formats. The sisters run the Fischer & Stegmaier fashion stores in Bavaria and were attending Modefabriek in Amsterdam for the fifth time, primarily looking for inspiration.

“When the buying season starts, it's good to have seen something and have some background. We're mainly looking for small items, socks, jewellery, accessories, complementary items or even a new brand that complements the assortment,” said Schmid. Modefabriek has an interesting mix with commercially oriented brands, added Schäfer. While the fair Copenhagen is also interesting, it is too late in the season.

Copenhagen versus Florence

In search of something new, some parts of the German fashion industry are drawn to Copenhagen despite the late date. “We actually saw some amazing numbers last season from Germany where 16 percent were German visitors – compared to previous seasons where we saw a maximum of four percent,” said the Danish trade fair CIFF. The organisers did not provide exact figures. “It is a key market for us now and moving ahead.”

The Copenhagen-based event is expecting brands such as Drykorn, Lanius and Studio Seidensticker in August. After all, brands from Germany also need trade fairs to find new customers. Young labels will also be presenting themselves in Copenhagen for the first time with the Neudeutsch concept.

The showcase, curated by trend expert Julian Daynov, made its debut back in January at Pitti Uomo in Florence. At its last edition, the Italian menswear trade fair also recorded a 15 percent increase in German buyers to 680 compared to last year. The total number of buyers reached 11,500.

The Florentine trade fair is held at the start of every new season. In recent seasons, some German brands such as Windsor, Rossi and Marc O'Polo have taken advantage of this to also show their womenswear collections at the event.

“The Italian and German markets have always been very close, especially in the world of menswear. This is a fact, but we as a trade fair company are constantly working on targeted strategies,” said Raffaello Napoleone, managing director of Pitti Immagine. “In June 2024, it was hard to miss the fact that the most spoken language besides Italian was German.”

Does Germany need a trade fair?

Some buyers cross national borders in search of inspiration. “It's the first port of call for the new season and there's nothing like this yet, unless you're already walking around the showrooms,” said fashion retailer Peter Heckmann from Düsseldorf. He is visiting Modefabriek for the first time at the beginning of July. “Everyone complains about the German market and how difficult it has become. We believe that it's also down to us to a certain extent, and not just because of the bad weather, to offer something new and be inspiring.”

Ultimately, the question of whether there is a need for another trade fair or meeting place in Germany that offers an overview of collections and where the industry can come together looms over all conversations. Even if the number of exhibitors and visitors to Premium has dwindled recently, they are far from being spread across the remaining European trade fairs.

“There are hardly any German brands. It's good for the colours, shapes and ideas, but less so for German brands,” said Harold van der Mark, founder of the Amsterdam label Josephine & Co, about Modefabriek. German brands can also only be found occasionally at the other trade fairs from Florence to Copenhagen. The German representative of Josephine & Co, Rolf Brinkmann, is looking at the trade fair in Düsseldorf, but is not yet convinced. In recent years, he has also increasingly relied on cold calling to reach new customers.

Other long-established mainstream brands such as Lerros no longer feel they are particularly at home at the existing trade fairs since menswear is no longer shown at Modefabriek. “I would be very happy if there was something in Germany again,” said Lerros managing director Alex Ibakasap in an interview in February. “But as we are not a newcomer or a premium brand, we are very happy with the trade events organised by the buying associations, as all relevant retailers from Germany are represented there.”

This article was created with the help of Caitlyn Terra and Ole Spötter.