Delegationsreise Berlin Fashion x International

Delegation trip Berlin Fashion x International

Last week I had the great pleasure of being able to take part in the third delegation trip of the Fashion Council Germany to New York City. In September, applications were accepted for the 5-day program and nine German brands were selected. Berlin Fashion x International is sponsored by the Berlin Senate for business and the EU and really has a lot to offer.

"The project connects Berlin fashion brands, agencies and tech startups with institutions, experts and multipliers from international markets in order to drive not only growth but also further developments in sustainability and digitalization on international markets.

They offer access to resources tailored to individual business needs: from entering the US and South Korean markets and legal advice to attending leading trade fairs and making the right contacts. The aim is to strengthen economic relations between Germany and the US and between Germany and South Korea through networking events, delegation trips, workshops and webinars. In this way, they want to strengthen prosperity, competitiveness and internationalization in Berlin."

Day 1:
Monday began for us in a meeting room with a spectacular view where we were given a presentation about the legal framework for doing business in the USA.

We continued with a meeting with a renowned stylist who was able to give us an insight and many tips for celebrity styling.

In the afternoon we took part in the third part of a workshop that helped us prepare a 2-minute pitch for our brand. We were then able to present this pitch to four jury members in the evening to receive detailed feedback.

Day 2:

We started the second day at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Here, in the FIT DTech Lab, we were told about the students' latest projects and innovations.

From there we walked to the Garment District and took a look inside an embroidery studio. The New York City Embroidery Studio can really offer every kind of embroidery and textile manipulation imaginable. We had the opportunity to look at all of their samples (cabinets full of patterns) and ask lots of questions.

In the afternoon we had a meeting with the founder of VFILES, she told us how she and the organization had been trying from day one to represent young creatives without a platform and how you can get support as a small label.

Afterwards we went to the offices of Conde Nast at One World Trade Center - here we had a meeting with a group of editors from Vogue to ask questions about publications and especially Vogue Runway.

The day ended with a seated dinner - the Fireside Dinner. The "Fireside Dinner" series is regularly organized by the Fashion Council in different cities and is intended to encourage networking and getting to know people. The food was prepared by a German chef who wants to modernize traditional German cuisine and bring it closer to Americans. A truly convivial evening.

Day 3:

On Wednesday we started our day with an appointment at the "Doors NYC" showroom. Here we were shown the combined concept of a retail store and showroom.

Afterwards we had an appointment with NORDSTROM, a large department store in the city. The large department stores also want to gradually support more independent small designers.

In the afternoon we went to the independent retail store in the Lower East Side, "Cafe Forgot". A small shop that exclusively represents small, lesser-known brands, but does so very successfully. Their name is well known in New York and at the beginning of the year they even had a joint project with NORDSTROM.

Finally, we went to Atelier Jolie. The studio was founded by Angelina Jolie and is located in the premises where Basquiat previously lived and worked. Some of his works of art are still well preserved on the walls of the studio. There is a sales room with small independent fashion designers, a café, and a basement where workshops take place.

Day 4:

On Thursday we got an insight into the world of PR, starting with a presentation by the agency Haus Incubator. We were given some tips on how to best approach retailers, which stores are right for which brands, and we had the opportunity to show our own work and ask questions.

We then had an appointment with the person responsible for New York Fashion Week within the CFDA. The CFDA is the largest fashion council in the world and the awards given out by the council once a year are very highly regarded. The appointment was mainly about how to become part of New York Fashion Week.

At the end of the day we visited a PR agency. An interesting insight into the work of an agency and many helpful tips on when a PR agency makes sense for your own brand.

Day 5:

The last day was only supposed to be half a day, because most people were flying back to Berlin on Friday afternoon. So in the morning we visited the studio of Melitta Baumeister - a German designer who founded her own label many years ago after studying in New York and even won the CFDA Award with it last year! From her studio in Astoria you have a magical view of the Manhattan skyline.

At the end there was a quick feedback session in the cafe and with that the 2024 delegation trip was over. What an exciting 12 days I spent in the city, meeting old friends who I hadn't seen since my internship five years ago.

Many thanks to Katharina Poblotzki for the great photos!
And of course a huge thank you to Antara, Laura and Scott from Fashion Council Germany! You really did an incredible job organizing the trip!