More news has developed about the upcoming trade show Selvedge Run in Berlin July 7-9, 2015 for the denim and streetwear industry. The exhibition space is going to be an open concept with a unique indoor and outdoor platform. According to co-organizer Jorg Shane Brandenburg, they want to make the space affordable and exhibition friendly for smaller brands as well as larger ones.
According to Sportswear International, Brandenburg said, “Many of them do not have the marketing budgets to compete with G-Star or Replay.” They are also moving beyond the streetwear and denim concept with hopes of having a broader reach into outdoors and cycling and the lifestyle brands that incorporate these aesthetics. “We want to get out of the niche market that many of the brands from our segment are in. In the end it’s about timeless, valuable fashion which does not exploit and destroy resources.”
The concept for Selvedge Run as we wrote about previously began when Bread & Butter initially announced that it would be heading to Barcelona for the summer edition in 2015. Maria Klähn, owner of the Selvedge Online GmbH and Jörg Shane Brandenburg, the buyer of Burg & Schild, put together a plan for a new Berlin trade show that would fill the gap. Their concept was part Liberty Fairs-esque, part streetwear, and a mix of sports influences and heritage.
Since then, Bread & Butter has announced that they would have their summer show back at the Airport Tempelhof from July 2-4 but with re-worked concepts.
The issue now is that the two shows, as well as Bright and Seek which are claiming space, make for a very long timeframe and it’s doubtful that exhibitors and buyers can make them all.
However Selvedge Run already looks promising with an interesting brand line-up so far and unique concepts of shuttles to and from the Berlin-Mitte district including boat passages, and access to the Spree River for exhibitors to consider boats in the marina as exhibition spaces. The indoor-outdoor concept is also important for the overall vibe of the show, which includes aspects of sustainability and outdoor lifestyle as we’ve seen growing at show-in-show concepts like Venture Out at Outdoor Retailer.
As trade shows continue to change to meet the needs of today’s consumers, such new concepts are attracting different types of buyers and media. But as the founders of Selvedge Run continue to push, this show is about writing orders and doing business—something that American brands and buyers often find frustrating with European trade shows. Instead of getting work done on-site, such as at Agenda were orders are written on the spot, in Europe there’s often the courtship that takes place at these shows, but the business comes later during the follow-up.
