Themes and highlights of the 54th INNATEX
Frankfurt am Main, 10 July 2024 From 20 to 22 July 2024, over 200 Green Fashion labels will again be presenting their collections, at the 54th INNATEX. Alongside young brands exhibiting for the first time, established pioneers from the field of natural textiles will also be represented at the ordering platform.
Right in the foreground will be the DESIGN DISCOVERIES, in a prominent separate area. Three of the five discoveries use rescued materials. They include the tentation label, which transforms tents, kitesurfing sails, groundsheets and other items discarded at festivals into urban fashion; and Halt.Clothing and avonté, which convert deadstock into (respectively) premium designs and daywear pyjamas.
Exploiting all the possibilities that circularity has to offer
“For a long while upcycled and recycled products had a reputation for sacrificing quality, attractiveness and affordability,” says Alexander Hitzel, INNATEX Project Manager. “Nowadays we encounter many exciting ideas that offer solutions and we are finding that they attract more attention – particularly in view of rising levels of waste across the world and the fact that the planet’s raw materials are dwindling. That’s why, on the Sunday, we are devoting a guided tour of the fair to such approaches.”
In the form of DESIGN DISCOVERIES brand Verlinne, moreover, we will be joined by a Romanian label for feminine womenswear, while Softclox represents the footwear sector with sandals employing a flexible alternative to the wooden sole.
Experts discuss sales, customer relations and staffing
A further highlight is the major expert panel on Monday, organised in collaboration with the Hesse Retail Association (Handelsverband Hessen). Guest panellists include Lena Böringschulte (Head of Sustainability at Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf), Roman Degenhardt (owner of shoe store Der Schuhladen, managing director at Zehenspiel Barfußschuhe, co-initiator of #schuhandelhatzukunft), Eva Bovet (owner of Betten Raab), and Jochen Ruths (owner of clothing store Peter Ruths, President of the Hesse Retail Association and Vice-President of the German Retail Association HDE). The event will be moderated by Cheryll Mühlen, Editor-in-Chief of J’N’C, Textilmitteilungen and Green Knowledge.
The aim of the panel event is to respond to buyers and to discuss topics such as sales, customer relations and staffing that are important to the retail trade at present.
“In a market where the landscape is changing rapidly, it is essential to adapt to new challenges and customer needs,” says Ruths. “The retail trade is introducing improvements every day to make the shopping experience attractive and hence be successful for the long term.”
How much courage does it take to implement a vision?
On the Saturday and Sunday, a total of three Lounge Talks take place, each one moderated by Vreni Jäckle of Fashion Changers and Mirjam Smend of Greenstyle Munich. The first of these deals with the topic of Upcycling, with DESIGN DISCOVERIES Katrin Rieber of tentation, Pia Egelkraut of avonté and Elmar Sautter from sustainability pioneer disana.
What makes for successful design is discussed on Sunday by talk guests Jonathan Radetz of Halt.Clothing, Cristina Mühle of Softclox as well as Wibke Schaeffer and Moritz Zielke of Studio W. Having the courage to be one of the first, and turning an idea into a business case, is the subject under discussion on the Sunday afternoon with Andreea Trandafir of Verlinne and Florian Werner of Werner Schuhe.
The slogan for the fair, ‘BLOOM’, underscores confidence in the movers and shakers of the brands and agencies whose commitment makes the Green Fashion movement possible in the first place. This commitment, creativity and community is something INNATEX celebrates on the Sunday evening at the great summer party in the outdoor area, inspired by Midsommar.
Print-resolution images: https://innatex.de/presse/?lang=en
Please mark the copyright as follows: ‘Photo: INNATEX / Anna Völske’ or, in the case of Design Discoveries, the one indicated in the file name.
