The Düsseldorf Fashion Days with its events Fashn Rooms, Neonyt and Supreme Women&Men have come to an end. This under the umbrella of Fashion Net Düsseldorf e.V. and its umbrella brand "DFD" (Düsseldorf Fashion Days). The association is supported by membership fees as well as by the Düsseldorf Economic Development Agency, headed by Theresa Winkels, who granted an interview to Alethea Magazine. We met her at Fashion Net's big industry party in the Rheinterrassen, a lively and colourful celebration, as well as at the traditional Fireside Dinner of the Fashion Council Germany. Incidentally, the new managing director of Fashion Net Düsseldorf is the go-getting, super-connected Sarah Vieten.

Where is fashion heading? The past few years have brought many changes for the fashion world - for large and small companies alike. A central point in Düsseldorf is therefore the support of the local retail trade. This is celebrated with the Düsseldorf Fashion Days Festival Edition.

Sustainability in fashion is also a big issue and the latest initiative on this topic was the Green Product Award Fashion. Theresa Winkels is all about networking: "My big goal is to develop a common platform" and provide it with resources. This ranges from supporting trade fairs, industry events, to the DFD Catwalk. Of course we enjoy the success of the local brands Angelika Kauffmann, Sheme & Wunderwerk (note of which one now hopes to reposition). But of course we also enjoy the attention of the big media like Bauer Verlag, Funke Mediengruppe and Burda Verlag, who hosted the BUNTE New Faces Style Night in Düsseldorf together with BMW."

8 September 2023

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Interview Directory 

DÜSSELDORF

Name: Theresa Winkels

Occupation: Head of Office for Economic Development at the State Capital Düsseldorf / Board of Directors TechHub.K67

Education: Graduate in Media Studies and Master of Arts

"It's very interesting to be there as a seismograph for the development of brands that keep their sustainability promise and are still attractive and fashionable."

What kind of feedback has the Office of Economic Development of the City of Düsseldorf received?

We take care of the B2B business, the Neonyt as well as the FASHN ROOMS during the Düsseldorf Fashion Days on the one hand and also accompanied the move of Supreme. Neonyt took place for the second time and we were pleased to see that more and more brands are placing great value on the sustainability of their products. It is very interesting to be there as a seismograph for the development of brands that keep their sustainability promise while still being attractive and fashionable.

For the first time, the Green Product Award, on the theme of fashion, has been organised in Düsseldorf. In addition, we are trying to bring fashion into the city as part of the Festival Edition. That which otherwise takes place behind the closed doors of the showrooms. We had fashion shows, catwalks, magazine shoots - the stores used the Fashion Days as a platform to increase their visibility and offered very special experiences for their customers on festival day. The Loretto Street Festival, in which almost 60 different players took part, has also been taking place since last year as part of the Summer DFD. It is all about fashion, gastronomy, joie de vivre and the Düsseldorf experience.

 "What is financed? We believe in the framework conditions."

What does business development mean specifically for the fair or individual brands?

Economic development is economic service. We are the point of contact for the companies in Düsseldorf so that we can find out in dialogue with the companies how we should optimally shape the framework conditions. What is financed? We use our budget to shape precisely these framework conditions at the Düsseldorf location. In the fashion sector, we have been providing 200,000 euros to the Fashion Net Düsseldorf industry association for over 10 years so that it can develop. But this industry evening for networking is also made possible by the city together with the private sector. (Note: Fashion Net's industry party at the Rheinterrassen).

The industry association Fashion Net creates a qualified voice and representation of the order and fashion scene locally. The perspectives, experiences and know-how of many players are bundled. The network forms a bracket in the scene but also a perfect basis for the integration of new players in the market. When a new player enters the local market, he or she will quickly have the right contacts at hand who are important for the productive development of business models. This is exactly what we promote in the B2B sector.

In this election period, politicians have also provided us with 300,000 euros to bring the Fashion Days to the city, here the focus is on B2C. We use the DFD Festival as a framework to promote the location nationally and to focus more on the international market. For example, we have set up a catwalk as an infrastructure that can be used by fashion labels as part of the DFD Festival. In addition, we support the approval process for participation in the DFD Festival.

"New labels have established themselves, but also the attention of the press has increased."

Have you also succeeded in attracting new fashion companies here?

The first step is to bring together many local players. Through Corona we realised that Düsseldorf was not united. My big goal is to develop a common platform. We have added new faces, but we have also brought the old faces into a new framework in order to create more cohesion. Moreover, it is important to give the fashion location a new face. We are all the more pleased that the big publishing houses are increasingly taking a look at Düsseldorf: Bauer Verlag, Deutsche Fachverlag, Funke Mediengruppe, Burda Verlag with the BUNTE New Faces Style Night and Vogue at Breuninger.