Are You Ready to Tap into the Excitement of Berlin Fashion Week?

The fashion industry calendar is driven by events that showcase the biggest designers’ latest innovations and influence current and future trends.

While the ‘big four’ Fashion Week cities – New York, London, Milan and Paris – typically dominate the agenda and attract the most press attention, other global cities such as Sao Paulo, Madrid, Los Angeles and Tokyo also host events that provide a valuable platform for brands to gain some exposure.

From July 1st to 6th 2019, Berlin will be the focus of attention for fashion lovers.

Berlin Fashion Week 2019

Fashion will come to the fore in Germany’s capital city during the first week in July, with a series of events giving national and international exhibitors the opportunity to present their latest collections for spring/summer 2020. Up to 70,000 trade visitors attend Berlin Fashion Week every year.

The forthcoming event will focus on two distinct themes: fashion and technology, and sustainable fashion.

Highlights of the fashion and technology section will include an interactive Instagram dress created by Berlin start-up ThePowerHouse. Built-in LEDs allow the dress to react to its own hashtags and also change colour when it attracts a response on Instagram.

Another label exhibiting in Berlin, yooneeque, will show how it has developed individualised garments based on people’s fitness training data, such as heart rate, number of steps and calorie consumption.

The other defining theme of Berlin Fashion Week is something that has never been more important for the fashion industry. There will be various events linked to sustainability in fashion, which has become an increasingly significant priority for Berlin in particular in recent years.

If your brand wants to engage with consumers on this issue and demonstrate its commitment to green, sustainable practices, Berlin Fashion Week could be the perfect time to do so.

Fashion’s Sustainability Focus

Like many industries, fashion is placing an increasing emphasis on sustainability. This is becoming more important not only from a customer engagement perspective, but in terms of the long-term health and viability of the entire sector.

Sustainability was one of the key themes of the State of Fashion 2019 report from McKinsey and the Business of Fashion. The study focused on topics such as the ‘end of ownership’ – more specifically the growth of business models based on pre-owned, refurbished, repaired and rented garments.

This reflects rising concerns among consumers and businesses about the impact they are having on the environment.

“Sustainability, which for the first time breaks into our respondents’ list of the most important challenges, is evolving from a tick-box exercise into a transformational feature that is ingrained in the business model and ethos of many recent success stories,” the report authors write.

It’s clear that fashion brands looking to engage with a modern, environmentally aware audience need to have clear policies around sustainability. A strong strategy for communicating your principles and latest activities in this area to your customer base can make a big difference to brand recognition and loyalty, particularly during events such as Berlin Fashion Week.

Fashion Events as a Marketing Opportunity

The hype and excitement generated when Fashion Week comes to New York, Paris, London and Milan illustrates how much businesses have to gain from industry events in terms of brand exposure, audience engagement and general consumer interest in fashion.

Discussing New York Fashion Week, Leslie Russo, executive vice-president of fashion partnerships and marketing at event management firm IMG, told Ad Week: “All eyes worldwide are on fashion during this time. It’s everyone you want to reach: influencers, international press, consumers.”

While Berlin Fashion Week and other events in global cities throughout the year might not be able to match the ‘big four’ in size and scope, they still provide an excellent opportunity for your brand to show its connection to the latest trends and developments in the industry.

Indeed, drawing people’s attention to events or themes (such as Berlin’s ‘fashion and technology’ section) they had not previously noticed could boost your authority and drive brand loyalty. Fashion enthusiasts will be more likely to come back to you for more news and insights in the future.

Whether it’s running a dedicated social media campaign, posting video content, or sending out a themed email newsletter, there are numerous ways for your business to benefit from the buzz generated by industry events.

Of course, you need to be prepared to communicate and connect with your audience in the right way to yield results. If you operate internationally, that is likely to mean using methods such as international SEO and localisation to achieve engagement in particular markets.

To find out more about how Locaria can help you in these efforts, request a quote online or give us a call on +44 (0)20 3948 6800.