Neonyt: Not just fashionable, but also consistently and authentically sustainable.
Sustainability is more than a trend; it is the defining topic of the fashion industry – now and in the future. But can the green coat of paint endure even when scratches are made to the surface? In the case of Neonyt, it can.
Envisaging the challenges of sustainable fashion and suggesting positive ways to make a change – that has been Neonyt’s mission ever since it was first launched over ten years ago. From 14-16 January 2020, the global hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation will be bringing together key green fashion labels in the German capital – for the first time in Hangar 4 of Berlin’s decommissioned Tempelhof Airport. And it’s not only the topic of sustainability itself that is state-of-the-art and multifaceted, but also the target group that it appeals to: whether brands, retail, industry, science or politics – across all disciplines, Neonyt brings together the most important decision-makers and stakeholders of the fashion and textile industry. At the same time, it remains consistently and respectfully committed to its claim of not only interpreting sustainability as a fashion trend, but as a complete innovation process.
Around 170 international exhibitors are currently proving that product ranges in retail can be both sustainable and competitive. For retail buyers, Neonyt is the one-stop solution for scouting out cool, contemporary collections and future trends. At the same time, it also provides assurance with meticulous attention – only exhibitors who are approved to be significantly more sustainable are eligible to participate. These registration criteria are by no means static, but permanently reviewed by the Neonyt experts – and, since they were introduced over ten years ago, regularly updated to reflect new technical solutions and findings.
“Neonyt has been around for a decade now. During this time, our understanding of sustainability has continued to change. We have established a catalogue of criteria for exhibitors and built up a contemporary portfolio of exhibitors. The success and growth history of Neonyt, with its formats like the Fashionsustain conference, influencer format Prepeek and the Fashion Show, is showing that we know how to tackle the challenges of sustainable fashion in their entirety. Thanks to our hub concept with its individualised communication formats, we can appeal to the different communities and their various stakeholders in a very targeted way. Trust, clarity and also fun surrounding the topic of sustainability are just as important to us and our exhibitors as a contemporary aesthetic, collection statements and brand communication. The entire Neonyt team works with great personal enthusiasm. Two things are particularly close to our hearts: our future on this planet and how we can support the fashion industry to become a trendsetting authority with a net positive impact,” says Max Gilgenmann, Neonyt’s Content Director.
But where does sustainability begin in the fashion industry? Multidisciplinary conference format Fashionsustain will be kicking things off on the first day of Neonyt with panel discussions and key facts about fashion and the overarching theme for 2020: “Air”. To start the ball rolling, Allison Dring, co-founder of Made of Air, will be holding a keynote speech on how CO2 can be used as a raw material. And the panel discussion “SDGs x Fashion – The UN’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action” will be shedding light on the global repercussions of climate change on the textile industry and vice versa. During the conference, Christopher Veit, managing director of the Veit Group, will be looking at things from the perspective of the mechanical engineering industry. He is an expert in innovative technologies such as ironing machines that filter harmful substances from the waste air. From the perspective of a disruptive platform for the textile industry, Greg Stillman, from US start-up Natural Fiber Welding, will be presenting scalable business cases for the production of fibres and materials. The topic of retail is once again a focus of Fashionsustain, which will be providing professional solution recommendations in a dialogue with relevant stakeholders from retail, design and politics.
“Successfully meeting sustainable development objectives largely depends on the actions and cooperation of all stakeholders. The fashion industry needs to open itself up and enter into an interdisciplinary dialogue. Neonyt and its exhibitors have been following this approach for a long time now. As a result of our credibility and an amazing community, we are the leading platform for sustainable fashion,” says Thimo Schwenzfeier, Show Director of Neonyt.
Through the cooperation with internationally renowned non-profit organisation Textile Exchange as part of Fashionsustain and with the UN Office for Partnerships as part of the Conscious Fashion Campaign, Neonyt is showing how the fashion industry can successfully team up with globally relevant change-makers. Lucie Brigham, Chief of Office at the United Nations Office for Partnerships, will be attending Fashionsustain personally – in an information area, she will be presenting the Sustainable Development Goals. Leading, independent quality mark organisations, certification bodies and experts like the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the International Association of Natural Textiles (IVN) and the Oeko-Tex Community have also been part of the Neonyt family for a number of seasons now. The common goal is to establish universal standards and accompany the industry into a future that is as fashionable as it is sustainable.
The change of fashion is now – see you all in January!
Neonyt
> neonyt.messefrankfurt.com