Premium, the European business-platform for women's and men's contemporary fashion, maintained its leading position in the whirlwind of events and trade shows that happened in Berlin January 14-16, 2020. Attendance and the atmosphere were busy and lively on the show floor area of Station-Berlin. 
Two main directions characterized the offer of many sportswear and denim brands for f/w 2020-21:
sustainability and evident bright colors–whether metallics, fluorescents or lively hues. 
Sustainability continues to be a must many companies are increasingly focusing on. Among jeanswear brands M5, Five Fellas and Liu Jo continue to diversify their offer of jeans made with organic cotton, slightly rinsed or using eco-friendly denims. 
Denham presented its newly launched collaboration with Candiani Denim (also see here) using a special bio-cotton denim added with plant-based biodegradable stretch fibers. Though it has also launched Re-Cut Textiles, a selection of upcycled secondhand garments added with elements obtained from recycling old parachutes and military sleeping bags. 
The outer jacket brand Refrigiwear also aims to take a more sustainable direction and does it by launching a capsule collection of sustainable jackets made with hazardous-chemical-free Limonta fabrics produced according to reduced environmental impact production cycles. The brand also uses sustainable paddings such as Sorona, Thermore and microflock. When delivered to stores they hang on recycled plastic hangers and are wrapped up in biodegradable material envelops. 
Loads of bright and lively colors and metallic hues are the real must of the season. Among the companies that played with metallics and lucid surfaces were Canadian Classics, Invicta, Bomboogie and Refrigiwear. Opting for fluorescent yellows and acid greens was Colmar, which also offered lots of different clashing color mixes in the same jacket. Also hot are teddy bear effect jackets–either used for inner linings (as Colmar did) or as cuddling jackets–as seen at Invicta. 
Among the various initiatives Liu Jo chose to start celebrating its 25th anniversary at Premium by launching a new collaboration with Kendall Jenner. The model and TV personality posed for the brand's celebrative campaign while wearing a T-shirt carrying the “Born in 1995” slogan also printed on a special celebrative bag. 
Not less interesting and involving than the trade show itself were the side events and talks organized by Premium Group as part of Fashiontech conference, held outside of the show's spaces in the nearby Aletto hotel, and the "Literally Talking Space" happening inside the Premium Hall. A vast array of speakers from the industry, experts, influencers, media insiders and top personalities participated the rich program.
“Face to face encounters have never been as crucial as now–you see this both in the quality and frequency of the visitors, as well as when talking to brands and buyers. Lots of new business contacts were made and projects kick-started. Bringing the right people together–that’s our forte. We offer the platform so everyone involved can shape the future of the industry together. Then everyone must work alone,“ concludes Anita Tillmann, head of Premium.
Photo: SI Team
Fil Noir
sustainability and evident bright colors–whether metallics, fluorescents or lively hues.
Photo: SI Team
Ecofriendly jeans at M5
Photo: SI Team
Liu Jo's Better Denim selection
Photo: SI Team
Denham's Re-Cut textiles upcycling project
Photo: SI Team
Canadian Classics
Photo: SI Team
Colmar
Photo: Offenblendephoto
Speaker at Fashiontech: Philipp Westermeyer of OMR
“Face to face encounters have never been as crucial as now–you see this both in the quality and frequency of the visitors, as well as when talking to brands and buyers. Lots of new business contacts were made and projects kick-started. Bringing the right people together–that’s our forte. We offer the platform so everyone involved can shape the future of the industry together. Then everyone must work alone,“ concludes Anita Tillmann, head of Premium.
On the ongoing discussion about moving Premium to Tempelhof as well she has a straight view: “It’s simply not possible to move Premium to Tempelhof. There isn't enough space there, because there are no longer as many areas available as in the old Bread & Butter days. Installing new apparatus now would cost millions and take several years.
Tillmann claims to have sold the site in spring; her lease runs for at least three more years, however, with multiple options for extension. “There is no great pressure from the new investors to redevelop the site because operating it as a trade show and event location is highly lucrative.”
The upcoming edition of Premium, which already in December had announced its dates, will run 30 June to 2 July.
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