Recap Modefabriek 21 + 22 January 2024

Modefabriek looks back on a particularly positive fair, which for the first time focused entirely on women. Two large halls in Amsterdam RAI, richly filled with an extra wide range of no less than 390 labels in bright open stands. The atmosphere was enthusiastic and the influx of German visitors in particular - a doubling compared to last year - but also a growing number of Belgian visitors made this gathering extra relevant. The well-attended fringe programme with Talks, trends, talent and networking support was more concentrated and of a high standard. The fashion industry is always on the move and challenges are part of it. This edition of Modefabriek made it clear that everyone is looking forward full of courage and inspiration, and that anything is possible if we focus on working together, also with consumers.

Women’s wear focus

Reactions to Modefabriek's change of course to a Women's only platform were even more positive than hoped for and both exhibitors and visitors we spoke to saw plenty of room for growth and deepening of this specialisation. "As for me, another hall could have been added, I still miss some colleagues with good labels," said Maurits van Lier of Summum. "They should just join in, because then we will all have an even better fair." As far as he’s concerned, it’s also a win from a business point of view: "If you organise it yourself in your own showroom as we had to do during the pandemic, you will never achieve the same result in terms of visitors and marketing value, especially now that important German buying agents are reporting here because Premium has fallen away."

Kerstin Lasalle of SCHöNER Concept Store and Schick Shop is one of these welcome German buyers: "I love visiting Modefabriek and seeing the new collections of the brands I already sell. I always meet interesting new brands and other colleagues from Germany. There are always interesting people to talk to and learn about important topics such as social media and online business. The different areas with new trends are also a great inspiration. It was a pleasure and more than worth it!", she wrote to us afterwards.

Club L’avenir is one of the labels that German buyer SCHöNER has enthusiastically embraced. Five years ago, the Dutch label made its entrance at Modefabriek. "Our aim is to create garments that you will love to wear season after season. For our brand awareness and maintaining relationships, it is very valuable to be here." Mote'l Amsterdam (also at Modefabriek with Neuw Denim, Abrand and Second Female) represents the brand in the Netherlands, "but Club L'Avenir has many beautiful points of sale spread across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland." Says Eva de Wijze.

DK Company was present with no less than 10 labels in the beautiful Europahal. Country director Marleen van der Velde shares the enthusiasm: "I really get energy from this, connecting with each other, finding strategic partners and continuing to talk about what is needed in the future, continuing to believe in new concepts to keep the customer in the stores." She is also taking flight with the presence of plus-size label Kaffe Curve. "It's time for more beautiful plus size brands and Modefabriek is the place to give space to that development. There is huge growth potential in it!"

Lofty Manner is happy to be back after a short absence. "Now is a great time to include everyone in our growth and development. We have a new logo, new communication, everything from design to photography has been completely aligned," says founder Michael Vinke. For him, too, the focus on Women's is a plus: "It has more impact, visitors can delve more into the offer, it's clearer and feels cozier."

Fashion and so much more 

With the new focus on Women's wear, Modefabriek is going deeper than ever with its range. Never before has the product range been so diverse. Besides the rich selection of fashion in all possible styles and segments, this time there were, for example, a striking number of specialised underwear labels (Spanx, Triumph, Ten Cate, Undercharments, Savara Intimates, Sloggi, Magic Bodyfashion) as well as outerwear (Peuterey, Rain Couture, Elvine, Ecoalf), knitwear (avec ēlan, Hinterveld, Americandreams, Knit-ted, Kesj) and shoes (Affêre, Scoth&Soda, Valsport, Maluo, Teva).

In addition to bags (O My Bag, Biba Spain) and sunglasses (A.Kjaerbede, Chimi, Looplabb), jewellery in particular is booming. And many of these jewellery brands also opt for sustainable and responsible, such as A Beautiful Story (B Corp certified), the Danish Pilgrim (75% recycled materials) or the young start-up SEC (handmade in B Corp certified workshops from recycled gold and silver). That makes us all extra happy.

Fashion obviously can't go without Beauty, the biggest growth market of all and an important addition to any retail offering. Indeed, it smelt great at Modefabriek, there was plenty of testing at all the boutique perfume brands for skin and home (Karmameju, Lingua Planta, Atelier Rebul, Isula). The Amsterdam-Italian start-up in super-deluxe hand care MANI (vegan, organic, cruelty-free, responsible) also attracted a lot of interest. "It was our first time at Modefabriek and it was absolutely beyond expectations. With this energy, we can continue for months to come," said founders Martine van den Abbeelen and Mauro Bianchin.

The all-female Modefabriek has so much more in store. More size inclusive, more gender neutral, more wellness and more cultural diversity, like the small selection of labels from African fashion cities presented by Carmen Hogg on the new Spotlight platform. We have only just begun!

Moving forward responsibly

By now, it will not have escaped anyone's notice that we are facing the complex task of doing our entire business as responsibly as possible; without People and Planet, there is ultimately no profit. Since this awareness is no longer a novelty and all segments have their pioneers to learn from, Modefabriek decided to highlight these brands (Alchemist, Deha, Aiayu, Lune Active, among others) in a Responsible Route. 

Danish bag brand Kintobe is a great example. "It takes a shift in mindset to change the whole system and our behaviour," says Anna Sørensen in the Talk The Road to a Greener Future. In 2019, she and her partner launched the super utility bag brand that is made from recycled and recyclable materials down to the last detail, without harmful substances like PFAS, and with respect for all 'hands' in the chain. Consumers are called to care and repair so that products last as long as possible, and with their Kindness Foundation, the brand supports initiatives that contribute to peace. "We will never save the earth if we don't co-exist in peace."



Also Jan Agelink's Trend Talk was full of optimistic inspiration, such as the healing and connecting trend of handy crafts (Knits.n.Notes), the most beautiful re- and upcycling initiatives (Alterist, Marine Serre, Five Guys from Paris), repair shops (Loewe), local, social and circular (New Optimist).

For more and more start-ups, Responsibility is a matter of course, and with it they have a huge goodwill factor, both in the industry and with the public. This proves that we want to believe in the solutions, and that we need each other to build a bright future. 

We are already looking forward to the next edition on 7 + 8 July 2024. Will you join us?