At Arena Berlin, Berlin’s trade show landscape showed its friendly, relaxed, non-overloaded and family-like vibe.
From very niche to commercial: Seek once again managed to showcase a brand mix that reflects current market trends. The logo-loaded sportswear category was very present - and also still represents a large moneymaker in young, urban retail environments. On the back end of the hall, a large area was fully covered with the (retro) sportswear brands sold by the Urban Styles agency (Helly Hansen, Fila, Kappa, Criminal Damage and, newly, Homeboy) and like-minded names. Also Columbia Sportswear firstly introduced its more fashionable retro-inspired collection for the German markets.
But other looks and market segments were comprehensively represented, too. Sustainability played a big topic with labels such as Ecoalf offering innovative fabrics and design solutions. Danish rocket starter Colorful Standard - which only celebrated its market launch last August at CIFF and already counts 100 international quality retailers its customers - showcased its 100% organic cotton, pre-washed collection of colorful NOS basics (tees, sweatshirts and hoodies), which are all made in Portugal in their own, fully transparent factory.
The so-called brand houses gave brands the option to present themselves in a more individualized and private way, which Han Kjobenhavn, Clarks Originals and Birkenstock made use of. On top of these, B&O Play invited visitors to discover their audio products in a jungle-like environment. And there were lots of more non-fashion products on display, ranging from accessories to stationary or original beauty products such as the natural cosmetics line by Heinrich Barth, tailored to the needs of frequent travelers.
Numerous international store owners and buyers from famed hype destinations such as Sneakersnstuff, Voo Store, 24 Kilates etc. were spotted on the showgrounds. But next to these rather progressive, top-end names, also more classic or broadly oriented retailers came to visit Seek. Montgomery Juchems, owner of the Wunschnaht agency which exhibited at Seek with brands including Edwin, Lyle & Scott, Sandqvist or Oliver Spencer, said: “We noticed that retailers are starting to finally look for new brands to add to their assortment again after years of rather safe buying. We did not only meet the streetwear buyers and concept stores, but also buyers from rather classic menswear stores in smallerw cities, which is very important for us, too - and it confirms the importance of Seek being a strong platform and the right one for us.”
Here’s our compilation of highlights from the show:
Most original brand presentation: Ravani, who started selling hip underground Berlin streetwear from back of his car and designed his trade show booth accordingly
Most original collection: Han Kjobenhavn
Most original shoe: Fully reflective boots by Royal Republic
THE material: Sherpa, teddy materials
THE headgear: Mini beanies or shortened hats
Item to watch: Heavy knitted men's cardigans
Labels to watch:
Nufferton: Newcomers from Sweden, who make beautiful and very non-bed only pajamas and sleepwear accessories
Colorful Standard: Celebrating a big success story with their literally colorful standard garments
Walkers Appeal: The brand from Madrid which started with western jackets, now enriched its collection with knits and shirts, all made from beautiful fabrics
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For more information on trade shows check out DFV Group’s expocheck.com.
