Under the motto "Green Fashion grows here," Innatex with around 300 brands took place in Hofheim-Wallau from July 27 to 29. The international trade fair for sustainable fashion and accessories has been occuring since 1997 and has recorded growth particularly in recent years. Maike Thalmeier, an Innatex spokesperson, says: "Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important topic in the trade, as we can also see from the fact that, in addition to classic natural textile retailers, an increasing number of conventional buyers are also visiting the fair and owners of concept stores.”
Jan Thelen, co-founder of the Hamburg label recolution, notes: "Innatex is a real order fair for us. It's not about a nice booth and a great trade fair atmosphere, but simply about the product. In times of Fridays for Future and the whole climate issue, it is important for retailers to get to grips with the issue of sustainability, and not just because it is a good sales argument."
Despite the rather quiet days of the fair, many exhibitors were satisfied. "The visitors are less interested in fashion than in certifications," says Laura Picker, director of the Studio Eco Fair Fashion Agency in Cologne. Michael Dornseifer, owner of Bali-Bali, adds: "Here you meet a different trade fair audience than at Neonyt, for example, and for us it is particularly interesting to come into contact with these retailers.”
In the Buyers Lounge, visitors could ask questions about certifications at associations such as Global Standard or IVN (Internationaler Verband der Naturtextilwirtschaft e.V.). The specialist forums and panel talks on Saturday and Sunday also dealt with the subject of seals as a guide to purchasing and certifications.
In order to exhibit at Innatex, every exhibitor with cotton and/or organic wool in their range must meet the minimum criteria of the fair. In relation to the entire collection, 50% of the cotton range at the fair must come from certified organic cultivation. In the case of (sheep) wool, at least 10% of the exhibition range must come from certified organic animal husbandry. Other natural fibers such as silk, linen etc. are not affected by this regulation, but are subject to a sustainability check. In addition, 50% of the entire trade fair range of genuine leather must consist of purely vegetable tanning.
In the Design Discovery area, eight newcomer labels were presented in the summer edition of Innatex, and we particularly liked them:
Sam Lang is a gender-neutral streetwear brand that just started in July this year. The designs are created in Berlin and produced in Portugal. The features include a special pleating technique. The shirt jackets, jumpsuits, trousers, sweaters are made of certified ecological materials.
N'go Shoes is a project of two childhood friends who came up with the idea in 2016 to create a social sneaker. The sneakers are produced by artisans in Vietnam. Each sneaker is decorated with an ethno pattern fabric. The materials used for the shoe are traditional textiles, but also recycled PET, nylon, cotton and chrome-free tanned leather.
Nudo stands for casual silhouettes and a clear design. With her collection, designer Pilar Bermudez succeeds in bringing the joie de vivre of Barcelona to the urban world. The collection consists of shirts, sweaters, skirts, coats and trousers. The production takes place in Spain, the suppliers are located exclusively in Europe.
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