NEWS: Fashion Council Germany and Amazon Fashion jointly invite you to a panel discussion and fireside dinner in Hamburg

Hamburg, October 31, 2025: Around 60 invited guests from the fashion, retail, media, and creative industries gathered at TORTUE Hamburg on Thursday evening at the invitation of the Fashion Council Germany (FCG) and Amazon Fashion for a fireside dinner to network. In the elegant atmosphere of the French restaurant, the evening provided a platform for exchange and inspiration among industry professionals.

The evening began with a high-profile panel discussion on the topic of "Commerce and Culture," moderated by Rabea Schif. Together with Florian Mair (Managing Director Apparel, Amazon Fashion) and Stelios Theodoridis (Founder and CEO, Rough), she discussed how technology, entertainment, and commerce can change the way we discover and experience fashion, the importance of cultural authenticity for building successful brands, and how content, commerce, and culture might develop in the future.

The discussion made it clear that artificial intelligence, social media, and digital innovations are increasingly shaping the fashion industry – from personalized shopping experiences to new digital formats that bring culture and brand identity to life. Florian Mair emphasized how consumer behavior and expectations are currently evolving: "The purchasing behavior of customers – or rather, users – is undergoing massive changes. I deliberately say users because many people today no longer see themselves solely as consumers, but as users of various services. Shopping, technology, and entertainment used to be completely separate worlds. Today, these areas are strongly intertwined – they are closely linked."

Scott Lipinski (CEO, Fashion Council Germany) then addressed the guests. He emphasized the importance of formats like the Fireside Dinner for networking: “ This format has been around for nine years now. This is the 73rd edition, which we are implementing in cities such as Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Mannheim, and soon also in Stuttgart. It serves as a microcosm in each city, providing a space to meet people, exchange ideas, and gain new inspiration.”

In addition to exciting insights, the evening offered culinary highlights and an opportunity for personal exchange. Guests included Bianca Lang-Bognar (Brookmedia, S-Magazin), Caroline and Michael Benzinger, Dagmar von Renner, Detlef Stiebich and Julia Rieth (Stiebich & Rieth), Gernot Lenz (Tom Tailor), Philipp Bree (PB0110), Philipp Löwe (Der Spiegel), Svea Beckedorf (SVEASØN), Valentin von Arnim (Iris von Arnim) and Wiebke Bredehorst (Tush Magazine).

Since 2018, the FCG networking format “Firesidechat” has been taking place in various major cities in Germany and regularly brings together important industry representatives.