#FASHIONTECH Berlin – The result of the fusion between fashion x technology?

The #FASHIONTECH Berlin exhibit every season the future of fashion. Designers and product developers present their newest ideas and concepts that influence how fashion is designed, produced, distributed, marketed and sold. At the heart of FASHIONTECH is the fusion of technology and fashion, which should make life easier for us and helps to protect our environment.


According to Anita Tillman, CEO & Founder of PREMIUM Exhibitions which includes #FASHIONTECH Berlin Exhibition, the fusion of fashion and technology is the most exciting topic in the industry since the launch of the #FASHIONTECH conference in January 2015: "Since then, a lot has happened, the way we communicate fashion, present and produce has been changed and will continue to evolve in the future. Innovation is the driver of the movement, the pioneer and the joy of experimentation.

We met Marte Hentschel, CEO and Project Director of Sourcebook.eu, to speak with us about the latest developments from the #FASHIONTECH Berlin.

Especially important has been the 3D printing and its various application possibilities for years. While major designers such as Alexander McQueen and Iris van Herpen use the 3D print for their exceptional Haute Couture pieces, the theme is treated quite differently at #FASHIONTECH. It helps designers to get prototypes faster, so they can also speed up the design and production development. With the help of controlled 3D printing, prototypes, which have to be tested first, can be produced easier than from a mold.
For wearable clothes, the 3D production is still a future music, although the starting material for the 3D printing can be produced endlessly. Each 3D-print is unique, even if produced according to the same requirements, every product has to be printed in a single process. To finalize clothing, the 3D print has been used for a long time to give the ready-to-wear lines a special accent.

Another important topic of the future and at the #FASHIONTECH Berlin is health tech. The fitness bracelets, which informs about all body activities, we have known for years. These are becoming more fashionable and more functional than ever. For example, the “Wisewear” brand has teamed up with the designer Iris Apfel to create the "Socialite Collection". This includes bracelets of brass, gold and palladium, which can be connected to the smartphone, in order to send emergency signals in a dangerous situation.

The LAB Studio in the HeadQuarter by ElektroCouture is also particularly concerned with the production of materials, the interface of food and fashion designs with mycelia and microbacteria. In the laboratory, for example, carbonpositive substances are created, which hve the same idea on artificial leather and as a special ingredient, they emit vitamins to the skin.

Another important area at the #FASHIONTECH Berlin is the Interactive Interior. Sound, room climate and light are the three main criteria. There are carpets, for example, which can change the room temperature according to the external circumstances and couch-integrated HIFI-systems, which adapt themselves according to the wanted sound experience. Electronic accessories are generally no longer visible in the future vision, everything is integrated into the residential furniture and can be controlled by the environment, light and sound.
At AK / VK Innovation, the main focus is on the issue of how to create a new shopping experience, especially for online shops and to reduce the return rate. The 3D scan, avatars, and holograms are what you will find in the future in every shop. Customers know exactly what suits the best and what size they need. It is also possible to test different colors, because in the future you can simply change clothes styles without having to buy your favorite piece in any color and to produce unnecessarily produced masses.

And that is the point which is most important at #FASHIONTECH Berlin. Not only the latest innovations through technical innovation are at the main topic, the topic of sustainability is also particularly important. Contrary to the other cities dealing with the theme of Fashion Tech, Berlin organizers, such as Marte Hentschel, want to develop methods that are less a burden on the environment. The technical innovations are designed to stop unnecessary mass production of fashion, to make animal products disappear from the market and to contain waste products.

Anita Tillmann also knows why Berlin as the location of #FASHIONTECH is special: "As the start-up city number 1, Berlin contains fashion start-ups, programmers, designers, investors and young, well-trained managers. Berlin stays the meltin pot of ceativity, but the international network and the technological developments that arise in the city transform from creative ideas into innovative products, applications and successful concepts from the capital."
 

More informations about the #FASHIONTECH Berlin Exhibition here.