Sustainability and digitisation: the two overarching topics of Frankfurt Fashion Week are the DNA that makes up Neonyt. Fair fashion pioneers, established brands and sustainable newcomers will be coming together at Neonyt to define and disrupt the industry: fashion is becoming the interface of design and sustainability, inclusion and digitalisation, responsibility and technology, diversity and conformity.

“A lack of transparency in textile supply and value chains and avoidable environmental pollution existed before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, as did manmade climate change,” says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt. “But in times of crisis, these global problems have shifted even more into the focus. The question we need to be asking ourselves now is how we can change the status quo and confront these challenges together.”

Neonyt approved: checked for sustainability and fashionably curated

Before being added to the exhibitor portfolio, labels that wish to exhibit at Neonyt have always had to undergo a sustainability and style check. In a several-page questionnaire, interested labels have to provide specific information about the ecological and social aspects of their products, including proof of certification from organisations like Bluesign, GOTS, Fair Trade or Oeko-Tex, as well as multi-stakeholder programmes or codes of conduct. They are also asked questions about their carbon and water footprints, their supply and value chains and their resource efficiency and innovative production cycles. Only companies that meet at least 70% of the requirements may exhibit at Neonyt. The tradeshow’s cross-sector community – agencies, buyers, retailers, marketing and CSR officers, business journalists and fashion editors – is therefore guaranteed the highest sustainability standards. The sustainability checks were developed and carried out in collaboration with Magdalena Schaffrin and Max Gilgenmann from Studio MM04. The founders of Studio MM04 also work as Creative Sustainability Consultant and Sustainability Content Consultant at Neonyt.

“Neonyt means thinking and acting in a holistic way – from the order business of our brands to the discussion panels at the Fashionsustain conference, best-practice examples in the Showcases and lifestyle insights during Prepeek down to the trend credentials of our fashion show,” says Bettina Bär, Show Director of Neonyt. “Fashion is more than just business and the same can be said for Neonyt too. Neonyt is all about community. Together we can create synergies and take a closer look at sustainability from all sides.”

Registered and ready to go: Neonyt exhibitors

Neonyt attracts everyone for whom fashion and sustainability are inextricably linked and who wants to change the textile and fashion industry and move it forward. So far, 150 labels have already signed up to exhibit at the January 2022 edition. The list includes Dawn, Dedicated, Deuter, Flamingos’ Life, Givn, Got Bag, KnowledgeCotton Apparel, Kuyichi, LangerChen, Lanius, Mela, Mud Jeans, SKFK and many other internationally relevant brands from the sustainable clothing and accessories sector.

Here, some of the labels reveal in their own words why they are taking part in Neonyt:

Dawn has established new standards for fairness, transparency and environmental awareness in its own factory. For two years in a row, they are the only brand so far to receive 100 out of a possible 100 points in the Fair Wear Foundation’s Brand Performance Check: “After all this time, we are so excited to finally meet our community face to face again,” says Ines Rust, CEO and co-founder of Dawn. “We are eager to see what this edition of Neonyt will bring for Dawn and can’t wait to take part!”

Dedicated from Sweden has set out to create modern casualwear that is produced responsibly: “The entire brand concept of Dedicated is linked to sustainability, which is why Neonyt is the perfect platform for us to convey these values to wholesale customers and partners around the world,” says Johan Graffner, CEO of Dedicated. “The upcoming show in January 2022 will mark the start of a new chapter for conscious fashion and make the topic even more mainstream as a reflection of the most recent global developments.”

Deuter has more than 120 years of experience in outdoor and performance collections. For the rucksack and sleeping bag manufacturer, 360-degree corporate responsibility means acting sustainably throughout the entire production chain. Since 2020, their products have been completely PFC-free: “The climate crisis is the biggest challenge that humanity is currently facing,” says Matthias Herr, Head of Urban Sales at Deuter. “With approximately 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions per year, the textile industry is one of the most polluting industries. Together with other experts from the industry, we see it as our responsibility to bring about lasting change in the textile and fashion world. Neonyt offers us the ideal platform to do that.”

Flamingos’ Life produces only biodegradable sneakers. Their production facilities in Spain are family-managed and they develop the materials themselves – from corn, bamboo, hemp, organic cotton and natural rubber, for example. Each of their shoe collections is associated with a social project: “We use our company to provide a solution to the ecological crisis in which we find ourselves,” says Carlos García, founder and CEO of Flamingos’ Life. “In the past year we’ve been noticing a positive trend: a real change in the behaviour of our customers, who are meanwhile paying a lot more attention to the ecological footprint of their fashion purchases – a development that makes us very happy.”

Givn stands for minimalist design, loving details and a clear signature – combined with innovative, sustainable materials and fair production in Europe: “A big focus in the current collection is on the themes of recycling and circularity,” says Moritz Biel, Founder and CEO of Givn. “We are very much looking forward to being able to enter into personal exchange with our customers again. And in general, we are looking forward to the fair fashion community and to seeing everyone live at Neonyt and exchanging ideas again.”