Interview with Jörg Wichmann and Shane Brandenburg

Jörg Wichmann: On the airfield at Tempelhof we will be presenting Brand Avenue, an innovative idea of how brands can present themselves in an agile and high-quality way. For this we have teamed up with the company ViewBox from Luxembourg, which supplies modular, very cool design containers in various sizes. From this format we then develop, together with industry and retail, curated pop-up events on various topics such as Denim, Young Fash­ion, Contemporary, Hiking or Outdoor, combined with Food, Music and Life­style. We will be discussing this with our brands and retailers in January and, after the summer edition, will realize the first events at the location.

Jörg Wichmann: The idea came from the industry itself. Exhibitors and visi­tors had increasingly been expressing their desire for a common platform, which we then initiated in January 2019. We have now made good progress, have a wide range of topics at one location at Tempelhof with Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist and Neonyt, and are in a good location for the other events in the city.

Jörg Wichmann: Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist stands for authentic brands, products with a strong character and craftsmanship. With its showroom pres­entation in Hangar 5, Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist has found the best stage to emphasize its independence and thematic world while still appearing as an integrated part of Panorama Berlin. In doing so, we create synergies that link sustainability, tradition and current in crossover as a social trend. Both events benefit from this and reach new target groups.

Shane Brandenburg: Yes, there can! Fashion and clothing do exist which are timeless and not subject to fast-moving trends. The meaning of trends in the context of our campaign is to be understood as short-lived trends. These are ultimately influenced by consumer and marketing strategies and are very rele­vant for the trade. But not for Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist. The brands of our event are authentic and timeless and are pioneers.

Jörg Wichmann: For us the socio-political topic of sustainability is very important, just as it is for our exhibitors. In this context, the proximity to Neonyt is stimulating and offers a further incentive to rethink and further develop brand concepts, which we welcome and support.

Jörg Wichmann: All of them! With the reorientation at Tempelhof, we have proceeded selectively in our brand selection and are focusing on brands with a strong message, sustainable visions and future-oriented concepts. So it will be an exciting event with important innovations for the retail trade, which I am very much looking forward to.

Shane Brandenburg: We will be presenting new brands from Japan that have never been exhibited before in Europe or outside Japan at any fair, such as Tanuki Denim, Trophy Clothing and Samurai Jeans. If you want to see these top brands, you have to come to Selvedge Run & Zeitgeist or fly to Japan.

Jörg Wichmann: Berlin is a trendy metropolis, a creative melting pot of music, film, art and fashion with international appeal. With its shows, several trade fair platforms and various conference formats, Berlin Fashion Week has devel­oped into the most important fashion location in Europe. Berlin is constantly changing and is seen as a city of freedom, which has an influence on every­thing that happens here and is also an important impulse for the fashion industry. To be innovative, you have to be agile and constantly question what already exists. This is also what drives us to rethink trade fairs. At Tempelhof we have reactivated a strong location for this.

Jörg Wichmann: Our declared aim is to create benefits for the trade. We will continue on our path of innovation and agility in the trade. It is important to completely rethink the subject of trade fairs and to think in new formats, to break with the established. We started this with our new concept and the move to Tempelhof, and we are continuing to expand it.