The themes of Modefabriek SS25: Change, modest stands and confusion about visitors

The summer edition of the Dutch trade fair Modefabriek took place, as always, in the first weekend of July at the Rai Amsterdam. Now in its 28th year of operation, the fair has undergone various changes, the most recent being a renewed focus on women’s fashion and internationalisation, both of which it has zoned in on in the past year. Now with its anchor made clear, it was time for a sense of professionalism on the trade floor itself. What did exhibitors think of the 2024 edition, however? FashionUnited was present on Sunday to find out.

Modefabriek has always adapted its concept to the needs of the fashion industry, a mindset that resulted in the decision to stop showing menswear a year ago. Caroline Krouwels, CEO of the trade fair, partly eliminated this segment due to the growth of the menswear trade fair Preview Men in Nieuwegein, a city in the province of Utrecht. During the first edition under this new format, fashion brands that offered both women's and men's fashion were given a place in Hall A – a somewhat cause for confusion among exhibitors. Was menswear welcome or not?

At the winter edition, six months later, the focus on women's fashion and internationalisation took on a more serious form. For organisers, this was an opportunity to ring in expansion, Krouwels said. "What we do, we like to do very well, and the fashion industry is driven by serving the modern woman. It's a woman's world." That message seemed perfectly clear during the latest occasion. Anyone who thought the trade fair had already settled into a new face was wrong, because this edition also featured several adjustments.

Among those was a shift in opening hours, with Modefabriek having opened its doors an hour earlier on Monday, the event’s second day, at the request of visitors. Further adjustments included new constructions for stands, a more clearly emphasised Responsible Route and an fully international overhaul among resellers in the vintage corner.

Modefabriek gets a subdued look

On the event’s first morning, Modefabriek seemed to start out in its ‘Sunday best’. While doors officially opened at 10am, visitors were slow to arrive. The time for hustling at the door appeared to be over. Those who entered the trade fair floor stepped into a pastel blue and pink world, soft colours that immediately reflected the general image of the SS25 edition and making the trade fair more subdued than normal.

Typically, fashion brands that presented towards the entry generally operated the largest stands, and therefore took the design of their ‘store’ very seriously. This time, however, there seemed to be less grand displays in terms of colours, height and trinkets. Amsterdam brand Beaumont, for example, brought its familiar 'Modefabriek scaffolding', but this year gave it the more modest colour of olive green. The label once again placed its mannequins on a rotating platform. Fashion brand Zusss, meanwhile, turned its stand into a boutique experience with sand-coloured furniture among some red accents that left a loving atmosphere.

In addition to subdued stands, there were also brands that wanted to stand out. Fluresk, for example, took its guests to Morocco. Check in at the 'Fluresk motel', have a fresh fruit drink at the market stall and view the collection in a Moroccan atmosphere, was the message here. The brand has expanded by 30 points-of-sale in the past six months and aims to conquer the whole of the Netherlands within a few years, says David Zheng, operational director of C&S Group, which brought the brands C&S the label, Exxcellent, Fluresk and G-maxx to the trade fair.

"We want to be present in all cities and villages, but remain unique and retain the boutique feel. We are also looking for agents in Belgium and Germany, where we would like to expand." Zheng further shared that he is at the trade fair with a different collection than usual. "We are dealing with changing weather conditions, so we have decided to focus on ready-to-wear." As such, Fluresk presented a collection with long sleeves and items with somewhat thicker fabrics. "The weather is changing, so we are adapting to that. If you want to sell well as a brand, this is the way to do it. That's why we've stopped labelling collections by season." When asked by FashionUnited about sales in the past summer season, Zheng said he was not dissatisfied. "Despite the fact that we missed out on selling high summer items this year, we still had a very good season. Moreover, people going on vacation boosted our summer sales."

In addition to Fluresk, the brand Harper & Yve was another to stand out. The brand brought its well-known bar and transformed its stand into a pink paradise, where guests could grab delicious refreshments. Freebird opted for a boutique experience with a worn-pink look, flower garlands and chic mannequin presentations on podiums. The brand Accentil transformed its place at the fashion trade fair into a party with a golden statement wall, making the pastel-coloured collection stand out. Doggue was another worth mentioning, having displayed its collection of flashy essentials and accessories for the loyal four-legged friend in a pink stand.

Modefabriek helps exhibitors connect through new layout

The layout in the centre of the halls was already given a new format in the previous edition, when stands were divided into smaller blocks, giving Modefabriek an oasis of tranquillity. Exhibitors were pleased with this, particularly as the idea went one step further this edition, with the organisation removing the side walls in order to encourage a connection between exhibitors and visitors. The mission was to generate an open atmosphere with a focus on meeting, an idea that was ultimately appreciated by exhibitors.

A representative of the Australian brand Jaase, for example, said that visitors who strolled through the inner paths could easily take a look at each stand and not miss any brand. A critical note highlighted by the representative was that visitors were more easily lured to the large stands on the outside. "As a result, it has been very quiet here all day, but perhaps that is the general sound of the trade fair." The brand attended Modefabriek to recruit European retailers for its collection of colourful paisley dresses. "Jaase is already super big in Australia, but now we would like to increase brand awareness in Europe."

Maison Hotel, a label for the spiritual woman, was also located on an inner path of the trade fair. For SS25, Maison Hotel took guests on a trip to Honolulu and Australia with a three part collection that offered an introduction to the brand. "This is far from everything we have in store, but it represents exactly where we want to be as Maison Hotel and who we want to appeal to: the spiritual woman," said Jomy Mijnhart, the fashion agent who presented the brand, which attended to show its face and network. "Now that the partitions are gone, the trade fair floor feels more human. That makes it easier to network and chat with your colleagues on the floor." A similar story could be heard at Markup. The sporty, yet feminine label had even written orders for new customers in Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland. A representative said that their purchase price, averaging around 24 euros, was very appealing to visitors.

Enthusiasm for Spotlight, but Fashion Gallery expected more retailers

Another change that had carried over from the previous edition was the Spotlight area, where 30 new fashion and lifestyle brands were given a platform. The orange-purple space, located at the back of Hall A, was made known by large banners on the ceiling, and was decorated with a vintage Volkswagen van that served as a coffee shop, allowing visitors to get to know the newcomers in a relaxed way.

One of these participants was Guave, a brand that focuses on the Javanese batik craft that attended to fair for the first time this season to test the waters. Each garment is handmade and, to give the designs a unique touch, the brand uses sustainably woven fabrics from Enschede Textielstad, said its representative. Second-time Spotlight participant Lotte van Stijn, meanwhile, exhibited at the fair to make new contacts. "I was invited for the first time last year and I liked it so much that I'm here again now." Van Stijn, who graduated from Amsterdam-based fashion school AMFI, came into contact with various fashion professionals through the fair; from stylists to retailers. "I want to show my work to people and who knows, it might lead to a very nice collaboration, in whatever field."

In addition to testing and networking, there was also business to be done in the Spotlight area. Jewellery brand Moxie, for example, attended the event in a bid to expand. "I mainly have retailers who sell my brand in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, but I would like to expand to the South of the Netherlands, Brabant for example," said Demi Maxime. Her ideal target group is women with a distinctive style, which was reflected in the stand through edgy rings in various shapes and colours.

Fashion Gallery was another division to return to Modefabriek. This space, in the centre of Hall B, showcased 17 brands. Although cheerful exhibitors managed to keep the spirit alive throughout the day, a completely different audience came to the stands than hoped. This was the case for a participating activewear brand . "It was very quiet today and the people who came to have a look turned out to be producers. That's not what we're here for at this trade fair," laughed the representative of the label's distributor. "Here and there we spoke to a retailer, but as far as we're concerned, it can get a lot busier tomorrow [Monday, ed.]." She further stated that the brand is new to the Benelux and that it is looking for retailers. A similar story could be heard at the stand of Ball and Avec Élan.

It is clear that Modefabriek brings innovations with it every edition. The subdued look this year gave exhibitors the feeling that they could connect more easily, both with each other and with visitors, alike. While the focus of exhibitors located in the inner paths was evidently more on the product, brands on the outside of the halls tried to attract visitors in a largely subdued way. The result was a sense of tranquillity in the centre of the halls and a flow of visitors along the outsides. Modefabriek once again managed to surprise participants in the Spotlight area with positive reactions from the public, but left Fashion Gallery with hope for the second day of the trade fair.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.DE. Translation via AI and edit by Rachel Douglass.