Must have* at the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin
Must have* HQ upped-sticks and relocated to Berlin for a week for the Ethical Fashion Show as part of Berlin Fashion Week.
Our hotel overlooked the East Side Gallery – a remaining part of the Berlin Wall now covered in murals (and latterly, graffiti) – a protected memorial for international freedom. One part of the wall reads [in German]:
“Many small people, who in many small places, do many small things, can alter the face of the world.”
It seemed like the right way to start our trip, which began with launching the first live version of the Must have* site.
A short walk from the East Side Gallery is the impressive industrial venue Kraftwerk – once a power station, its expansive concrete and ironwork interior now hosts concerts and exhibitions. Last week it was the home of the Berlin Ethical Fashion Show – the segment of the city’s fashion week dedicated to sustainable and fair fashion and lifestyle.
How it feels when you know who made your clothes / Martina from Anzueglich Fair & Organic fashion.
At the show we were happy to meet some incredible brands we already feature on Must have* alongside plenty of new ones that are coming soon. It’s genuinely inspiring to talk to the people making changes to make their output more sustainable – such as Martina in the photo above, from Anzüglich Organic & Fair whose collection features PETA-approved organic cotton designs, made in a fair factory that supports and employs socially disadvantaged women in Peru.
We also got to shake hands with the very excellent Anna and Jula from Jan N June. Not only one of our favourite designers, but also the friendliest qweens in the biz. We love their designs, and that they’re certified by GOTS, INV Best, GRS and Oeko-Tex®. (For extra Brownie points I was wearing their Cannes dress at the event and can verify it looked and felt great for the whole day!)
One of our favourite brands run by some of our favourite people: Jan N June‘s Anna & Jula.
We got some interesting insights thanks to Disni Jayasuriya (The Ethicologist)’s lecture on commercial success in sustainable fashion brands. There’s a gap, Disni says, between ethical fashion brands and potential customers – they’re attracting the existing ethical customers, but not necessarily appealing to the ‘unconverted’ shopper. This younger shopper isn’t necessarily interested in hunting out sustainable brands, but is interested in fashion and lifestyle, shops online and doesn’t want to know everything about the fashion industry. We’re hoping Must have* can make it easier for these shoppers to find sustainable, fashion-conscious clothes.
There we are!
As well as a wonderful tea caravan courtesy of Pukka, there were coffee stops and food stations. But EFS – where yo vegan cakes and lunches at? We had to venture out of the venue, but we found vegan food aplenty at 1990, Holy Flat, Daluma and Brammibals. Perfect pit-stops to break up a hard day’s work.
