NEONYT Berlin‘s third edition took off at Tempelhof Airport: with air as this edition’s theme, the global hub for sustainable fashion and innovation was packed-full with good vibes, sunshine, and a record-breaking number of visitors, buyers, more than 400 bloggers, press, and 210 fantastic exhibitors.
For those of you who don’t know, NEONYT Berlin is the world’s most exclusive global hub for fashion, sustainability, and innovation. With an impressive, evergrowing list of 210 sustainable fashion brands from 22 countries, Neonyt brought together more sustainable fashion brands than ever before and a skyrocketing number of professional visitors, making it the world’s hotspot for progressive, sustainable fashion and technological innovations.
Picture by NEONYT Picture by NEONYT
If you follow my blog regularly, you already know NEONYT and I have a true love story: I have been to every single edition of this lovely hub, which truly became my second home and family. But this edition of NEONYT was even more special to me: I was officially announced to be Neonyt’s ambassador and host, together with my lovely friend Patrick Duffy, Founder of Global Fashion Exchange. For 5 months, we worked hard to bring all NEONYT’s visitors interesting panels and masterclasses, interviews with brands and fresh social media content.
Picture by NEONYT Picture by NEONYT
Every time I attend NEONYT, there’s such special, positive energy in the air. Unlike other tradeshows, NEONYT has a true sense of community: the hub serves as a home for like-minded, forward-thinking positive people and has a unique, holistic approach to fashion and sustainability.
Genuinely driven by the desire to change in the fashion industry, the hub is constantly creating meaningful conversations in both the Prepeek area and the wonderful FashionSustain conference, featuring around 50 talks with a lineup of fashion industry’s roleplayers.
Picture by NEONYT Picture by NEONYT
I always have so much fun meeting so many wonderful people under one roof: many of which I know and many new faces in every single edition. To me, NEONYT is a place to come to, meet new people and catch up with people I know and love. I made some of my most meaningful friendships in Neonyt, for example, with Svenja, founder of Nuuwai, which is one of my closest friends, “my partner in crime”, Patrick, and many more great friendships and connections.
Knowing so many people from around the globe, it is often hard to find the time and place to meet, but luckily, we have NEONYT as the place to do exactly that twice a year. There is so much value to a place like NEONYT: it allows you to truly communicate and get to know people and brands face-to-face, things that are not really possible through social media and “about” pages on websites.
NEONYT In The Air
If there is one thing we all share, it is the air we breathe. While we might not even think about it in our daily lives, our air is slowly being intoxicated, and one of its main polluters is the fashion industry. Cultivation, production and textile finishing are the stages of textile production that are particularly harmful to people and the planet. Toxins are often used to dye and process fabrics, which workers in the fashion industry inevitably inhale and absorb through their respiratory tract. In 2020, Neonyt is taking this crucial subject to the spotlight and calling for action. Together, we took a deeper look into the fashion industry’s carbon footprint, as well as presenting best-practice labels and encouraging industry-relevant discussions on the increasingly digitalized future. Some brands, for example, Dutch label Rhumma, were inspired by Neonyt’s theme and designed some marvelous airy collections, and even had an oxygen inhaler in their booth!
Picture by NEONYT Picture by NEONYT
Prepeek: NEONYT’s Blogger Zone
This name might sound strange at first, but the meaning behind prepeek is “a pre-peek”, or a “forecast” to the upcoming trends in the sustainable fashion world. Neonyt’s prepeek is a meeting place for bloggers and influencers from around the world, hosts panel discussions and masterclasses related to sustainability, trends, and social media, and like always, showcases the upcoming sustainable collections of the exhibitors – that can be professionally styled and photographed in a special area.
When coming to the prepeek area you will meet Kim Gerlach, how’s hosting the area, and Prepeek’s dream team Sarah Hartgens, a cruelty-free makeup artist using Benecos and vegan brand GRN Organics, sweet vegan stylist Christianna Quack and super talented photographers Maria Dominika and Sophie Brand. I must say that this year’s prepeek photography area was outstanding, with a professional, in-house studio and editorial vibes. A new addition to prepeek was the Dopper‘s water cocktail booth, Nudie Jeans‘s repair shop and even vegan tattoo studio Herr Fuchs & Frau Bär.
Panel Discussion: Influence for Impact
The first panel I & Patrick hosted was all about using social media for good. We were thrilled to have wonderful panelists with us: Justine Leconte, a well-known YouTuber and sustainable fashion designer, with over 700k subscribers, and the power-duo Anna & Esther, bloggers behind sustainable fashion blog Die Konsumentin. Together we discussed their personal journeys into blogging about sustainable fashion, ways to influence for impact online, growing their influence beyond social media and ways to measure their impact.
The NEONYT Masterclass
A new concept I and Patrick developed for NEONYT is the NEONYT Masterclass: speedy-20-min, how-to, tutorial-style mini masterclasses focused on specific subjects and run by industry experts. Our 3-part. the first-ever NEONYT masterclass was all about Mastering Social Media and introduced Step-by-Step Guides to Communication, Amplification, and Business.
Part 1: Communication: Navigating Sustainability Communication
This masterclass was led by Andrea Henao, founder of 360 Agency Berlin, the first advertising agency in the world to promote exclusively sustainable brands & initiatives. Andrea taught us about ways brands and influencers can connect purposeful sustainability with engaging communications tactics while understanding the facts and how to identify greenwashing, along with tips on using positivity as a tool for change.
Part 2: Amplification: 5 Steps to Grow Your Social Media Community
Our second masterclass was led by the amazing Cherie Birkner, Founder of Sustainable Fashion Matterz, an online platform & community all about sustainability in the fashion industry. In her masterclass, Birkner showed us tips and ways to grow your social media community, with a focus on community and true connections, the right ways to use helpful growth tools like hashtags in the right way and the importance of recognizing your supporters.
Part 3: Business- Ways to Generate Revenue from Instagram
Lastly, it was a pleasure for me to co-run the business masterclass with Devin James Gilmartin, co-founder of The Canvas: a marketplace for international brands working to address the United Nations’ SDGs through global multidisciplinary retail locations. During our masterclass, we covered the important things both brands and influencers need to know when working together, the importance of research, building a media kit, mutual benefit, and monetization.
What I Wore at NEONYT
Lana Organic is one of my favorite sustainable brands, whom I also got to know through NEONYT. This lovely Aachen-Based label dressed me throughout the whole fashion week and my closest is full of their stunning designs for a while. Lana Organic offers a great selection of vegan designs of products that can be easily recognized with the PETA approved vegan sign + on the special vegan section of their website.
Lana exhibited at NEONYT’s third addition, too! their FW21 collection shows the perfect combination of timeless designs and current fashion trends, proving that consciously-made, classic designs can also be current and stylish. As a fan of the nonchalant, Parisian style, I find the collection to be not only fashionable but also wearable and versatile for modern women every day with a good combination of casual and formal wear, making it truly sustainable. To me, It is the best collection LANA has ever created.
The only pair of shoes I wore during the whole fair was this amazing pair of comfy black heeled boots by Avesu, a Berlin-based vegan, ethical and sustainable store offering shoes, bags and belts for men and women. Whenever I come to Berlin it is always super fun for me to check out their wonderfully curated cruelty-free goods. You can find my boots here.
Sustainability In The (F)air: Brand Highlights
With the huge selection of fashion brands at NEONYT, comes a huge selection of fashion innovations: from sneakers made with recycled meteor parts and vegan currywurst, jackets made with soy protein and other interesting and mind-blowing futuristic materials. Here are some brand highlights! (oh, and I and NUUWAI launched our amazing cause-driven capsule bag collection there too, read more about it here)
ARMEDANGELS: Louder Together
Leading label ARMEDANGELS joined NEONYT for the first time and showcased their Detox Denim collection- made with organic cotton, chlorine-free washing, Jacron Paper patches, and heavy metal-free buttons. It was a pleasure for me to interview Martin Höfeler, CEO of Armed Angels, about their recent developments and campaigns around the motto “the more we are, the louder we can be”. Höfeler added “I am very happy to be at NEONYT. This fair has great development and I hope it will continue in that direction as it is super necessary to have an initiative like this”.
Picture via ARMEDANGELS Picture Via Dr. Hauschka
Dr. Hauschka: Beauty in Nature
When talking about sustainability in the beauty industry, Dr. Hauschka always comes to mind, being one of the first brands to use mostly natural ingredients. When talking with Lubaa and Sandra from we love Artbuying, Dr. Hauschka’s agency, they said “For us, sustainable means – healthy, with respect to nature and in a natural way. Using natural products on the biggest organ we have, which is our skin, is essential for our health, as through our skin we breathe, and what we put on our skin goes directly into our bloodstream. It is as essential to keep our beauty products healthy as it nourishes our bodies with healthy foods”. The brand offers a variety of cruelty-free products, some of which are vegan.
Staiy: Innovative Sustainable Marketplace
STAIY, an innovative marketplace for sustainable brands, was founded by four young, passionate Italian entrepreneurs in the heart of Berlin. Armed a fresh approach about sustainability, tons of knowledge and new AL technology with a style-based recommendation algorithm, STAIY developed a futuristic platform with a visually appealing user-friendly interface, making shopping sustainable easy than ever before. Water, Air, Materials, Work Conditions and Giving Back to the Community are the sustainability pillars upon which STAIY evaluates each of its selected brands, assessing the value chain, in which every aspect analyzed is linked to the UN’s SDGs. With leading sustainable brands including Komodo, Rhumma, and Nat 2 on board, STAIY is growing to the go-to a one-stop destination for mindful shopping. To make the shopping experience on STAIY even more impactful, consumers receive donation points with every purchase, which will be then donated to the non-profit organization One Tree Planted.
NAT-2: Sneakers from Vegan Currywurst and recycled Meteor parts
It is probably the fourth time I feature Nat-2 in my blog, if not the fifth. This mega-innovative brad run by inspiring Sebastian Thies finds new ways to incorporate innovation and sustainability in the form of a sneaker, and this time, after seeing sneakers made of coffee and roses, comes to the next pair made out of vegan currywurst! “Well, inspired by it”, explained Sebastian. ” The concept of the shoe is inspired by the vegan movement and goes way beyond traditional Berlin Currywurst. It is made from sustainable recycled real red pepper, which covers up to 50% of the shoe’s surface, depending on each style. The original smell of pepper is unique and gives the product the ultimate Berlin note”. Apart from currywurst shoes (part of the brand’s “Beyond Line“), Thies also featured meteor parts in one of his new Space Line. “The individual data of each meteorite (name, age, weight, location, time of discovery, etc.) are lasered onto the sole side of the other shoe, which is also completely vegan!” said Thies happily. And what else? well, I got really excited to see that Sebastian made my wildest dreams come true, and designed a vegan pair of shoes made out of recycled cacao. The chocolaty smell left me speechless 🙂
NAT-2’s Beyond line NAT-2’s Space Line
Dopper: Crystal Clear Water
Amsterdam-based bottle brand Dopper made it to the list of my favorite brands a long time ago. Their bottles serve me on a daily basis and I am a huge fan of their design and ethos. The Dopper dream team, Bernadette and Simeon, handed out their new glass bottles to visitors of the Prepeek area, offering refreshing water cocktails.”Our new Dopper glass represents our dream, which is crystal clear water. The “sea”-through bottle was created to raise awareness about the invisible microplastics that surround us. Each bottle sold empowers people to choose a reusable water bottle over a single-use one”.
Like a Bird: Cappuccino Collection, Featuring Coffee and Soy.
Meeting Like a Bird at NEONYT was extra special and exciting to me. The brand’s founder, Tanja, is actually a reader of my blog and has always been such a great supporter of mine. In her upcoming collection, Tanja is incorporating the usage of new innovative fabrics. “We called our Cappuccino Collection because the capsule is made from two new alternative fibers. The sweaters are made of recycled soy protein waste and cotton, and the T-shirts are made of recycled coffee carbon and cotton. That means we have not only reduced the cotton content in the goods through alternative goods but also processed innovative new fibers that are made from waste from the food industry. The coffee carbon is made from waste from the coffee industry and the soy protein from waste from the food production of soy plants. And in addition to all that, there are some great NATURAL properties that both materials bring with them. For example, coffee carbon has natural UV protection and deodorizing properties, it is machine washable and dries fast, while soy protein is 100% biodegradable, moisturizing, comfortable, machine washable AND has an anti-wrinkle effect. I was spoiled with one of their soy protein jackets, and will be back to report about it soon 🙂
Hessnatur: Collaboration for The Future of Fashion
Hessnatur, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of sustainable textiles, was closely working with NEONYT as an exclusive partner for this edition. No one could miss the glamorous billboard signs at the entrance to the fair, showcasing the brand’s new Trust In Nature campaign. “We see Neonyt as a strong platform on which to express our commitment. In addition to insights into our new brand campaign, the focus this season will be on our mission as a company to actively drive forward change in the fashion industry. The community we meet at Neonyt shares precisely this ambition and is helping us to make new headway together. That’s something we really appreciate,” says Andrea Sibylle Ebinger, CEO of Hessnatur. It was a pleasure for me to talk with Lisa from Hessnatur team about their partnership with NEONYT, the new campaign, and the brand’s future plans.
Mama Tierra: Non-Profit Empowering Indigenous Women
I met Mama Tierra, a Swiss non-profit organization (NPO), during my first visit to NEONYT, and have been following their fantastic work ever since. Mama Tierra has been supporting indigenous women since 2014 in their quest for self-determination, human rights, and environmental protection. “By selling ethnic art, we support the financial independence of the indigenous women”, said Katherine Klemenz-Portmann, CEO of Mama Tierra. Each of their bags comes with the name of the woman who made it, the number of children she has, the date of production and even a picture, which really touched my soul. The organization has recently started using organic cotton for their bags, and even produced a few nice-looking wallets using Desserto’s new vegan cactus-leather. I was kindly gifted a few items by the brand and will feature them on my blog very soon!
CLICK HERE TO SHOP MAMA TIERRA & SUPPORT THEIR CAUSE
(For donations only click here)
Calida x Victor & Rolf: Bringing Sustainable Fashion to The Spotlight
The avant-garde luxury brand Viktor & Rolf joined forces with the Swiss Premium Label CALIDA to present a unique, innovative and vibrant collection, all exclusively crafted out of 100% biodegradable and compostable materials only. The collection embraces a unique Cradle-to-Cradle Certified approach to design, which follows nature’s model of circulating resources in a healthy, efficient way. There is one clear message to this collection, ad i is: “We want a better world.” I wore Calida’s top from the Victor & Rolf collaboration during the third day of NEONYT and really enjoyed the soft Tencel used to make it.
Lovjoi: New collection, Made for Dreamers
Sustainable fashion Brand Lovjoi Launched its beautifully designed collection inspired by dreamers. With cozy yet special designs, their collection features exciting all-over prints and great colors, delicate flowing fabrics, and stylish combinations. “With this collection, we made sure you are prepared for any occasion, from dinner with friends, to exciting appointments and also simply for a cozy evening at home”, said the amazing Verena Paul-Benz, Founder of Lovjoi. I am all about the overall idea behind this collection, featuring the ultimate combination of style and comfort. Oh, and I definitely keep my eye on that cute moon-print blazer!
LOVJOI A Beautiful Story
A Beautiful Story: Supporting Artisans in Nepal
When I was in Hannover, before coming to Berlin, I visited a lovely ethical store that had a really nice jewelry display. That’s how I came across A Beautiful Story, a brand with a truly beautiful story, indeed. It was right before Christmas and my loved ones got me the ring I liked by the brand, and I am in love ever since:) A Beautiful Story wants to help make this world a little better: “our hearts lie with the people in developing countries, who have enormous talent and craftsmanship, but do not always get the chance to find their way to the international market”. The brand consciously chooses this to give others a chance to become financially independent so that they can also support their family. Through their jewelry production, the brand is supporting artisans in Nepal. The beads used to create their jewelry are fair trade certified, the brand also uses recycled silver and closely monitors the working conditions in the workshops in Nepal. Love this! 🙂
JAN N JUNE: a Rainbow of Colors
The team at JAN N JUNE loves making sustainable fashion super cool, fun and refreshing. This Hamburg based label has been a top favorite of mine for a while: they communicate sustainability in such a young, fresh way, their social media and brand language is one of the best I’ve seen in the sustainable fashion field (huge fan here!), full of humor and style, and for new collection, they included a rainbow of colors from lilac and lavender, to olive and fuchsia. A lot to wait for!
JAN N JUNE HØYEM Oslo Berlin
HØYEM Oslo Berlin: When Couture Meets Ready-To-wear
When I was watching the NEONYT fashion show last July, there was one outstanding dress that really caught my eye, and that dress was by HØYEM, a brand that features small, irresistible, high-quality collections with a timeless and relaxed, androgynous-yet-feminine style. The designer behind this brand is the charming and talented Charlotte Høyem Osburg who totally conquered my heart with her sweetness.
I hope you enjoyed reading a bit about my NEONYT adventures! Let me know what’s your favorite thing about this dreamy place and which was your favorite brand I featured in the comments.
Huge thank you to the NEONYT team for making this whole thing possible, and to my friend, Patrick, for doing this whole thing with me!
Until next time (and hopefully, see you at Neonyt in June!)
Noa
For more outfits, inspiration, and updates follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Bloglovin‘
READ ABOUT NEONYT JULY 2019 HERE, JANUARY 2019 HERE
TRAVELING TO BERLIN? READ MY ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE (PART 1, PART 2)
SUSTAINABLE HOTEL IN BERLIN? READ HERE
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