Recap Modefabriek 7 + 8 July 2024

The summer edition of Modefabriek, the second women's only edition, was all about the future. Not so much the future of all those beautiful fashion, accessories and beauty products that make us so happy, because that creativity and love for making will always be there. Now it is mainly the future of entrepreneurship, of fashion brands, retailers and everything that facilitates them, that demands vision. The entire field is in transition, and that in a world full of worries and instability. The message is: accept the chaos, embrace the new and unknown, and include each other in it. The ever-well-attended Modefabriek Talks, this time with none other than Lidewij Edelkoort on the program, underlined the all-important trend: UNITE & EMBRACE CHANGE!  

Trendwatcher extraordinaire Lidewij Edelkoort

It was quite something, such a big international star in trend forecasting, briefly back in the country, and a guest at Modefabriek. The Talks platform, this time with headphones, like a silent disco for fashion professionals, did not have enough capacity for the huge influx. Caroline Krouwels, co-founder and CEO of Modefabriek, linked Lidewij Edelkoort with art magazine See All This, resulting in the special issue The Wardrobe as Art Collection. Fashion as Art. Founding editor Nicole Ex and grand dame Li presented the inspiring issue which subsequently went over the counter in boxes, a small but nice consolation for all the fans who had missed the Talk. 

As always, Lidewij Edelkoort spoke passionately about her view of the horizon and her specialty thus immediately became the meta-trend: embrace 'newness' and listen to your intuition, because we ourselves are the catalyst for change. It's all about cherishing beauty and togetherness, all that makes us happy and gives us hope. It is time for great creativity, but in a more measured way. We're overstimulated enough as it is. Artificial Intelligence will radically change society and the workplace, so education urgently needs to be renewed. Edelkoort foresees 'the age of the amateur', more and more people building an existence on their unique passion or talent, and the idea of 'eternal learning', not so much to keep up with new technologies, but to master whatever skill you want. In this rapidly changing world, we also long for 'unnovation', like the city of Paris where we love to eat a fresh croissant and drink a glass of wine on a terrace that has looked the same for a century. What's good is good. Keep it that way!

Chaos as a compass

Another leading trend expert on the Talks program was Louise Byg Kongsholm, owner of the Danish 'pej gruppen'. She gave a powerful interpretation of the exceptional times we live in: chaos is the new normal. With her background as a management consultant, she introduces the two acronyms that are now circulating: VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity), and what comes out of it, BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear and Incomprehensible). In short, we are in difficult uncertain waters, so it’s not surprising that we tend to focus more on what we do have some control over. The terminology revolves around crises: Perma Crisis (one after the other) and Poly Crisis (several simultaneously), Cost of Living Crisis (economists have calculated that it takes 5 years for the economy to recover after corona) and Crisis Shopping (consumers are thrifty, making more considerations, feeling recession but spending a lot on other things). The way we live now, we are short of three hours a day, so making choices should be easy and luxury is about focus, balance and well-being. Being good to the planet should also be easier. Vintage, pre-loved, and re-used have become grown-up players. To navigate the chaos, you need a bright dot on the horizon because it's going to be an adventure.

Many entrepreneurs at Modefabriek know this feeling all too well. Felice and Mark de Lorme of PENN&INK N.Y know how to inspire their customers, with a new fragrance line and the gorgeous food and flowers on the stand, but they also want to have the bigger conversation with colleagues and retailers at Modefabriek. It should be about much more than next season's fashion. How do we feel? What will the shopping street look like in five years' time? You want to be caught by something that inspires you.

Taking fun seriously

It's a pity that exhibitors don't usually have time for the Talks programme, as it is bursting with inspiration. Jan Agelink of Buro Jantrendman traditionally presents a rollercoaster of trends with striking examples. Like Play for Real. What behavioural scientists have long known: through play, we learn to understand the world, and people can better connect with and through technology. See Steven Johnson's book Wonderland, how play made the modern world, and the Insta account @jobfromfuture. An example at Modefabriek was FILA, which is fully committed to introducting the new Super Bubble model for 2025, a monochome sneaker with a high AI designed toy content and a cheerful price tag. The matching booth including 'play and win' gripper machine is available to retailers. 

Another trend that has suddenly become big is literally about transforming, for example from the ordinary into the unusual like the work of artist Stijn ter Braak (now at Kunsthal Rotterdam) or from dead stock into contemporary design like 1/OFF by Renee van Wijngaarden (formerly at Vestiaire Collective) or the French bettter.us who that are cleverly using AI for this business model. Examples at Modefabriek included Ghent-based JUST WALDO and NUTT AMSTERDAM. Another catchy trend is Maximalism. We want to be overwhelmed with XXL creativity and show who we are, where we have been and what we love. Above all, let your imagination run wild, just like kidsuper.com, and combine everything in a whole new way (a la Balenciaga). This ties in nicely with Lidewijk Edelkoort's motto: be a fantastic dresser. 

Local heroes unite

Fast and Super-Fast Fashion are and will continue to be a threat to our field. The human scale represented by the entrepreneurs at Modefabriek, from 'lockdown startups' like KESJ. (accessories made of sustainable cashmere from Mongolia), STUDIO CLIQUE (womenswear label of three former employees of the Belgian agency Fashion Club 70), to fine heritage brands such as K-WAY (famous for the packable windbreakers with tricolor zip, now in the hands of an Italian group that uses them in a contemporary way) and sustainable innovators such as MAIUM (rainwear) and KINTOBE (bags).

Name a segment and it was there: footwear (GOLA, FILA, FREEDOM MOSES, SCOTCH & SODA, IGOR, STEVE MADDEN, ESPADRIJ L'ORIGINALE, COPENHAGEN STUDIOS, AFFÊRE), lingerie (ORGANIC BASICS, MAGIC BODY FASHION), sportswear (DEBLON SPORTS, THE JOGG CONCEPT), jewellery (A BEAUTIFUL STORY, EDBLAD, IBU, ZAG BIJOUX), bags (LIEBESKIND, BECKSÖNDERGAARD, THE STICKY SIS CLUB, MINOIS, PERZIA), glasses (LOOPLABB, A.KJAERBEDE), perfume (ISOLA,  MMOIRE), and many more fun things (VINOOS, HOLDIT, ANNICA VALLIN, AIFCANDLES). 

And of course the many trusted womenswear brands from all over Europe (KNIT-TED, PENN&INK N.Y, MY ESSENTIAL WARDROBE, CLUB L’AVENIR, CIRCLE OF TRUST, MADS NØRGAARD-COPENHAGEN, RUBY TUESDAY, FEMMES DU SUD, SIMPLE., AVEC ELAN, COLOURFUL REBEL, MAISON HOTEL, FIFTH HOUSE, GUESS, GAUDÌ, FREEBIRD, XANDRES, GARCIA, NATHALIE VLEESCHOUWER, JANSEN AMSTERDAM, OILILY, VARLEY, JC SOPHIE, HOMAGE, LE TEMPS DES CERISES) who show their most beautiful and professional side every edition. 

Natasha van Ree of EK FASHION, a major service partner for retailers and their suppliers, sums it up crystal clear. The retailers who come to Modefabriek are 'local heroes', and it is very much needed that brands and retailers work together to stand proudly alongside the big Fast Fashion giants. Strong together, towards the future! 

Let’s unite & embrace change at Modefabriek! To be continued….

Written by Mo Veld