"Germany is a large market with high purchasing power."

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At the beginning of June, the Fashion Council Germany was delighted to welcome their Belgian colleagues from Flanders DC, the Flemish Chamber for Fashion, Design and Creativity, based in Antwerp and Brussels. Together with eight Belgian labels, they traveled to Germany for three days to gain a better understanding of the German fashion market. Why? Sophie Pay, project manager at the "District of Creativity," explained it to us in an interview.

You and a delegation of Belgian labels are currently visiting Berlin. What brings us the honor of your visit?

In the past, we've undertaken trips with a selection of Belgian labels to explore other markets. Previously, we visited Japan and Korea. Germany was specifically requested by our brands, who are interested in establishing themselves in the German market, which they find highly attractive.

Why is the German market so attractive for Belgian designers?

This is simply because Germany is a large market with high purchasing power. At the same time, it is very complex and fragmented.

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In what way?

On the one hand, besides Berlin, there are also Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Munich... so many different cities, each with its own distinct customer base! Perhaps a Belgian designer's style is a better fit for the cool, Hanseatic north. Or for Munich, where a bit more glamour is generally preferred. On the other hand, German buyers have a reputation for placing great value on quality and the use of natural materials. Polyester, for example, doesn't perform well here. Some German buyers haven't even included it in their shopping lists.

What do you hope to gain from your visit to Berlin?

Our visit is designed to help Belgian labels get to know and understand the German market, enabling them to develop a strategy for the most effective individual market entry. Ideally, they will establish the right contacts directly. Some of the participating designers have already begun serious discussions with retailers, so we have already achieved our goal.

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How could the Fashion Council Germany help?

The FCG is naturally our primary contact in Germany, since we essentially share the same goal with Flanders DC: to increase the visibility of our designers nationally and internationally, and to further strengthen fashion hubs and promote them as cultural assets through a network of press, communications, retailers, and production cities. In the future, we will also be collaborating even more closely at the European level. The FCG naturally has the best contacts in this area, and they were able to put together a meaningful program for our three-day visit.

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What exactly did the program look like?

A total of eight Belgian labels were selected to apply for the tailor-made stay in Berlin. The program also included a day trip to Düsseldorf. It consisted of workshops on topics such as consumer behavior, distribution, PR, and communication. All workshops, some held as individual sessions, were led by experts from the German fashion industry. We also had meetings with potential partners and agents. And, of course, we visited several retailers.

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Why is this so important?

It's always good to acquire theoretical knowledge. Ultimately, however, it's just as important to get a picture of reality in order to understand how things really work. Therefore, we looked at a wide range of shops, from high-end to premium segments. These included Voo Store and Andreas Murkudis, Greta & Louis and Kauf Dich Glücklich, as well as P&C and KaDeWe. Interestingly, it turned out that they were already in contact with one of our labels: Julia June.

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What kind of labels participated in the program?

Belgium is actually quite well-known for the artistically minded designers of the Royal Academy of Arts in Antwerp—pretty much everyone has heard of the legendary "Antwerp Six." However, there's also a very strong, mid-priced segment of labels that operate in a more commercially oriented way. It was primarily these labels that accompanied us to Berlin. Like Caroline Biss, for example. She has two boutiques here, by the way, in Cologne and Düsseldorf. The designer Luce is also here. Her collection, Pure by Luce, revolves around sustainable activewear. In my opinion, the mid-priced segment has a good chance of establishing itself in Germany.

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Better chances than the fashion designers from the academy in Antwerp?

As I understand the German market, buyers are relatively conservative, meaning they aren't exactly the most open to young, unconventional designers. Especially if they've never heard of the brand, their willingness to buy ends at a certain price point. They then prefer a well-known international design house, which offers more security. The situation is similar to a certain extent in Belgium, although I think the creative approach from Antwerp is steadily making its way into the lower price segments as well. Either way, this is obviously a problem where the fashion associations are focusing their efforts to promote acceptance of young labels.

What are your thoughts on Berlin?

The German capital is and remains a place for free spirits and creatives. Thanks to its open and international atmosphere, trends are set here—making Berlin an absolute inspiration, not just for Belgian brands. And it's a great platform: HNST, a sustainable denim label from Belgium that works exclusively with recycled jeans fabrics, will be showcasing their collection at Premium during Fashion Week. Let's see what the future holds. I'm sure this won't be our last visit.