I am pretty chuffed to be here at Berlin Fashion Week where the Fashion Council Germany and Ebay Circular Fashion today held a fabulous session exploring fashion's future, sustainability challenges, and the transformative role of technology. From AI's creative potential to circular economy innovations, here's what industry leaders shared on Day 1.
The talks were curated by the extraordinary Ann Claes whose team's own innovation I will discuss in a separate blog post
FUTURECRAFT: FASHION'S NEXT FRONTIERS
Matthew Drinkwater from the University of the Arts London and London College of Fashion's Fashion Innovation Agency opened with a compelling vision: AI isn't just another digital wave—it's a fundamental shift that will impact every element of fashion.
"Everything will be impacted, all elements will be impacted," Drinkwater emphasized. Matthew has delivered groundbreaking experiences and a stunning range of projects that have captured the imagination of both the fashion and technology industries.
The conversation highlighted how generative tools are enabling projects that were previously difficult to deliver. Looking 3-5 years ahead, Drinkwater stressed the importance of critical thinking as tools evolve rapidly. His advice for the industry: "Everyone should be using Claude, ChatGPT, DALL-E. Don't worry, the technologies themselves will change. Critical thinking is so important: understand how tools work."
Retail's Purpose-Driven Evolution
The second panel, "Redefining Retail: The Shift Toward Purpose, Personalisation and Experience," brought together Weixin Zha, Theresa Schweitzer, Alexis Hooper, Sarah Effenberger, and Alina to address fashion's current struggles.
Weixin Zha, a prominent fashion journalist at Fashion United, moderated discussions around authenticity and second-hand shopping as key trends. The panel explored why the industry faces such challenging times: saturated markets, overflowing wardrobes, and the aftermath of COVID-related stock issues.
The Second-Hand Renaissance
Within Ebay the statistics are striking: 1,200 searches for "vintage" occur every minute. Younger consumers have fully embraced the second-hand market, viewing it as both modern and responsible.
Sarah Effenberger from Effenberger Couture shared her brand's direct-to-consumer approach, which cuts out waste and creates a more sustainable business model. Born in Berlin and shaped by the electrifying energy of the city's notorious queer party scene, Sarah has skillfully combined unique prints, daring cuts, and playful details to create a fashion line that transcends traditional boundaries.
Amike Studio presented their rental model for accessible art pieces, charging 70-300 euros per day for special occasion wear. While communication-intensive and requiring significant trust, the model proves sustainable for unique, commitment-heavy products.
eBay's Live Commerce Innovation
eBay's live selling platform emerged as a fascinating case study in connecting buyers and sellers through dialogue. We learnt that the platform excels with high-end luxury items like watches, where sellers can establish relationships and bring pre-loved items to life. Their Love Island collaboration drew 21,000 viewers to a live stream, demonstrating the format's potential.
The platform is experimenting with AI tools to help sellers create more inspiring listings and explore different ways of wearing clothes, though fashion's personal nature makes AI styling recommendations challenging.
Circular Economy Leadership: Hugo Boss and Eightyards
The day's most compelling sustainability story came from Vanessa Garrecht and Placido Klitzke discussing Hugo Boss's circular economy initiatives.
Beyond Surplus Materials
Vanessa Garrecht, Team Leader Corporate Sustainability at Hugo Boss, explained why sustainability isn't optional with the moniker "No planet, no fashion." The company has integrated circularity and sustainability as core pillars, focusing on the most urgent topics.
She confirmed that the biggest challenges for scaling circularity remain in design as most products aren't designed to stay in the cycle. Mixed materials create difficulties, requiring different design approaches and large-scale collecting, sorting, and quality recycling facilities.
Eightyards: From Waste to Value
Placido Klitzke from Eightyards, Hugo Boss's innovative subsidiary, shared their three-pillar approach:
- Re-use: Helping small brands produce from existing stock
- Repurposing: Transforming existing stock and fabrics
- Collaboration: Joining forces across industries to find solutions
Part of the HUGO BOSS Group, eightyards is dedicated to set the standard in a new era of resource utilization. Their mission: to identify global use cases for repurposing surplus materials into innovative solutions.
Eightyards can create anything from textiles: carpets, blankets, napkins, luggage. As Klitzke explained, "We can do anything out of textiles," utilizing existing production facilities while maintaining flexibility to solve problems without sacrificing uniqueness.
The Fun Factor in Sustainability
Both speakers emphasized making sustainability enjoyable rather than forcing compliance. "Take away the negative. Not to force people. Encourage design teams to create—fun, showing successes, customers who want to be part of the journey," Garrecht noted.
For luxury customers questioning circularity's compatibility with their expectations, the answer lies in quality, durability, and longevity—all central to circular principles. The key is integrating these values into loyalty programs and making sustainability easy for consumers.
Looking Toward 2030
When asked about headlines for 2030, the consensus was clear: Collaboration.
"Everybody thought it was impossible. We just did it. And everyone came along," they envisioned. The ultimate goal? Eightyards doesn't exist anymore because there isn't surplus anymore.
The day painted a picture of an industry in transformation—one where AI empowers creativity, authenticity drives commerce, and collaboration enables the circular economy. Technology and data emerge as critical tools for determining what consumers truly want and second hand is central to that discussion. From waste to value, from traditional retail to live commerce, from individual creativity to collective responsibility—Berlin Fashion Week's opening day showcased an industry ready to embrace bold change for a better future.
USEFUL REFERENCES
People and Organizations
-
Matthew Drinkwater - Head of Fashion Innovation Agency, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London
Fashion Innovation Agency - Weixin Zha - Managing Editor and Fashion Journalist
- Sarah Effenberger - Founder, Effenberger Couture
- Vanessa Garrecht - Head of Corporate Sustainability, Hugo Boss
- Placido Klitzke - Co-Director, Eightyards
Companies and Initiatives
- Hugo Boss Group
- Eightyards GmbH - Hugo Boss Subsidiary for Circular Economy
- Fashion Innovation Agency
Industry Resources
- Fashion United - Fashion Industry News Platform
- London College of Fashion
Additional Coverage
- The Interline - Fashion Technology Publication
- Environment+Energy Leader
- Fashion Network
The conversations continue throughout Berlin Fashion Week, exploring how fashion can balance commercial success with environmental responsibility while embracing technological innovation.