On July 2 and 3, the fashion fair at Station Berlin am Gleisdreieck brought together trade visitors and exhibitors to discover the new collections of around 100 brands for the spring/summer 2025 season.
Show Director Marie-Luise Patzelt and Creative & Event Director Maren Wiebus seem to agree that the first edition as a stand-alone trade fair format which took place in January this year was a success. How did things continue for Seek in July? While around 200 brands were still represented at the trade fair in January, Seek had to contend with some losses almost six months later: just over 100 brands shared the exhibition space at Gleisdreieck, a large part of the space was unused and served as a backstage area for exhibitors or was filled with exhibits from cooperation partners such as Citeve, the Portuguese non-profit organisation for the promotion of technical and technological development in the textile and clothing industry.
“It’s a little too easy to judge Seek only by its size and the number of exhibitors and visitors. All the changes so far are also an enormous opportunity and possibility. We are all moving closer together. The direct, regular, honest and friendly, uncomplicated discussions are and have always been Seek’s unique selling point. There is no universal solution. The requirements and needs of our customers are very diverse. The future of Seek must be realistic, highly flexible, solution-orientated and creative,” explains Marie-Luise Patzelt.
As in January, Seek joined forces with the Union Showroom platform this summer to bring an international audience to the capital as “The Junction” (from June 30 to July 3). The showroom space brought together 12 international brands and agencies, including: Adsum, Arrow Moccasin, Cano, Dubbleware, Frizmworks, Goodies Sportive, Hen’s Teeth, Mazi Untitled, Nudie Jeans, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Poten, Rostersox, Sandmann, Swiss Denim Freak and US Rubber Co. Seek’s brand portfolio again included various fashion and lifestyle newcomers, sustainable brands, outerwear as well as heritage and streetwear brands. There was no separate area for panel discussions at the second edition; instead, café and lounge areas invited visitors to exchange ideas.
In addition to numerous newcomers, past exhibitors were also on site. These included the Dutch label Kings of Indigo. Although the exhibitors noticed the clear layout of the exhibition space, and were satisfied with the response from potential partners at their own stand. As a special activity for visitors, Kings of Indigo presented an upcycling workshop for used denim pieces.
“Seek is a little smaller than last season, but it was quite busy for us. We’ve had visits from existing partners, but also from new customers. We are not disappointed with what has happened on the stand so far, but it is a little quieter. Germany is still one of our biggest markets. But we are also expanding into new markets this season. We are starting this season with a new agent in the USA and we still have new agents in Denmark and Western France. It’s a very exciting season for us,” explains Mijke de Vette, Head of Marketing & Commerce at Kings of Indigo, to FashionNetwork.com.
Sustainability as a permanent focus
According to the organisers, around 41% of the exhibitors at the second solo edition joined the Conscious Club. The aim of the association is not only to emphasise environmentally conscious production, but also to actively put it into practice. In cooperation with the strategy consultancy Studio MM04 and Ivalo.com, Seek has introduced the 360° sustainability validation for brands. The tool provides ratings and insights for brands. All exhibitors still have the opportunity to use the tool until July 31.
The German brand Vlace can also be counted among the new sustainable brands. Founder Viola Weller presented her collection of vegan sneakers for the first time at Seek. “We come from Mannheim and produce in Portugal. Our materials are made from fruit, the heel is made from orange waste from Sicily. The price is 195 euros and the products are aimed at all genders from sizes 36 to 46. We are also showing a collaboration with [drinks manufacturer] Innocent. We were hoping for visits from larger stores like KaDeWe or Breuninger, but there are rather smaller stores here. It’s pretty quiet. I was a visitor to Seek about five years ago and I have to say I’m a bit disappointed,” Viola Weller, founder of Vlace, told FashionNetwork.com.
Synergies with Berlin Fashion Week
Additional synergy effects were once again created this season by the collaboration with players from Berlin Fashion Week, which took place at the same time from July 1 to 4. In this context, the cooperation with the Fashion Council Germany was expanded and intensified. As part of this cooperation, the trade fair organised a lunch for international buyers and press representatives together with the fashion week under the coordination of the FCG. Seek also continued its collaboration with the 202030 – The Berlin Fashion Summit. This time, the summit took place at Bikini Berlin. During the panel organised by Seek with Cheryll Mühlen (J’N’C), Thimo Schwenzfeier (Conscious Fashion Store Berlin), Niki de Schryver (COSH!) and Guillermo Verela (Twothirds), the discussions revolved around selling sustainability without compromising integrity.
“I don’t think there are more efficient and enjoyable ways for an industry to come together and move forward together than what we have achieved in these two days at Seek (…). Together with our partners, we have found ways to effectively measure sustainability and highlight brands and their actions. Seek stands for engagement and connection,” concludes Maren Wiebus from Seek.
Looking to the future, the organisers reveal that they will soon be presenting “a new concept and a new location that offers brands and agencies individual spaces, set-ups and sales periods in response to the tight international calendar, production and distribution cycles as well as the different sales strategies.”
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