​Berlin: a layout of the trade shows

By

Bruno Joly

Published
Jul 3, 2015

With Who’s Next back in September, Berlin stands out above Paris for its offering for non-German speakers. However, the city is a lot more vast and the events are many.

There was a time when Berlin was simple. Bread & Butter for lifestyle fashion and Premium for a sharper look and the more feminine labels. Today the landscape is changed with all the different trade shows, some of which are hard to label based on their offering. A sampling: Rocket Dog will be at Bread & Butter, Kuyichi at Show & Order, Marc’O Polo at Panorama, Leon & Harper at Premium etc etc….

This year, the top advantage for buyers is of course the length of Berlin's fashion week. Bread & Butter, the last edition before being taken over by Zalando, Panorama, and Show & Order start on Tuesday July 7, while Premium, Seek, Bright and the Ethical Fashion Show start the next day, Wednesday July 8. 

In the German capital, the main hub has become Arena, with Bright having joined Seek this season. The two shows will present an offer as vast as Bread & Butter had in its Siemens Kabelwerk days.

At Seek, propped up by Premium from the beginning, 300 exhibitors with 80% dedicated to menswear will be present, including Armor Lux, Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Puma, Clae and Veja. Their "partner in crime", Bright, also has 300 exhibitors on the programme. The skate show has a heavy focus on sneakers and urbanwear, with brands like Vans, Asics, Reebok, Zoo York, Carharrt… The synergies between the two promise to be electric.

As for Bread & Butter, it will host some 200 exhibitors (including 50 kidswear brands) at the Tempelhof airport, including Meltin’Pot, Mexicana, Mavi and Rocket Dog. Hangar 4 will also be home to kidswear trade show Cookies. 

Premium, like every season, is the big number, literally! with more than 20,000 square feet with 1,500 collections and 900 exhibitors. Kühlhaus, the building adjoining the station where Seek was born, has for two seasons hosted brands with the corners concept. Brands such as IKKS, Nice things and Minimum.

However, the trade show's offer doesn't vary much from one season to another, with its mix of womenswear labels, designers and refined urbanwear. Some of the brands showing here include Ikks, Antik Batik, American Vintage, Paul&Joe, Basler, See by Chloe, Samsøe & Samsøe and Lagerfeld.

In terms of business and "commercial" brands, Panorama has found its place and has even increased in size, due in part to Bread & Butter's difficulties. Mid-range German brands like Olymp, Digel, Olsen and Gardeur will all be present, as will Molly Bracken and Lipault.

The trade show will be inaugurating its new Nova Concept space, looking to inspire retailers with cosmetics and well-being brands, gifts, etc. In total, Panorama will have no less than 600 exhibitors covering 40,000 square metres of space. As for Show & Order, which recently signed a partnership with Sophie Guyot for a So space, will bring together 250 labels, mostly womenswear and high-end.

Finally, those visiting Berlin will also have the choice between ecological fashion at the Ethical Fashion Show, heritage fashion at the new Selvedge Run, plus-size fashion at Curvy is Sexy, and independent skatewear at the new Shit Foot Mongoland event.

A dense offering across a vast city but with its nature and its airiness, Berlin in the summer exudes zenness.