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Foto: Rice University
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08.04.2025

Revolutionizing touch

From virtual reality to rehabilitation and communication, haptic technology has revolutionized the way humans interact with the digital world. While early haptic devices focused on single-sensory cues like vibration-based notifications, modern advancements have paved the way for multisensory haptic devices that integrate various forms of touch-based feedback, including vibration, skin stretch, pressure and temperature.
 
Recently, a team of experts, including Rice University’s Marcia O’Malley and Daniel Preston, graduate student Joshua Fleck, alumni Zane Zook ’23 and Janelle Clark ’22 and other collaborators, published an in-depth review in Nature Reviews Bioengineering analyzing the current state of wearable multisensory haptic technology, outlining its challenges, advancements and real-world applications.

From virtual reality to rehabilitation and communication, haptic technology has revolutionized the way humans interact with the digital world. While early haptic devices focused on single-sensory cues like vibration-based notifications, modern advancements have paved the way for multisensory haptic devices that integrate various forms of touch-based feedback, including vibration, skin stretch, pressure and temperature.
 
Recently, a team of experts, including Rice University’s Marcia O’Malley and Daniel Preston, graduate student Joshua Fleck, alumni Zane Zook ’23 and Janelle Clark ’22 and other collaborators, published an in-depth review in Nature Reviews Bioengineering analyzing the current state of wearable multisensory haptic technology, outlining its challenges, advancements and real-world applications.
Haptic devices, which enable communication through touch, have evolved significantly since their introduction in the 1960s. Initially, they relied on rigid, grounded mechanisms acting as user interfaces, generating force-based feedback from virtual environments. But with advancements in sensing and actuation technology, haptic devices have become increasingly wearable. Today’s innovations focus on cutaneous feedback — stimulating the skin’s receptors to provide realistic touch sensations — rather than kinesthetic feedback, which mimics force exerted on the musculoskeletal system.
 
“Wearable haptic devices are now integrated into consumer products such as smartwatches and gaming accessories, and they are serving more complex roles in health care, robotics and immersive media,” said O’Malley, the Thomas Michael Panos Family Professor in Engineering and professor and chair of mechanical engineering. “A new shift toward multisensory haptic feedback, which means delivering more than one type of touch stimulus simultaneously, is enhancing user experience, but it presents new engineering and perceptual challenges. As this technology continues to evolve, we will see it move to a richer, multisensory experience — one that bridges the gap between digital interaction and human touch.”

Designing effective, wearable multisensory haptic devices requires a deep understanding of human touch perception, and the research team identified several key challenges in the field today. One of the most significant hurdles is the variability in skin contact mechanics as differences in skin elasticity, receptor distribution and external factors like humidity can alter how haptic stimuli are perceived. Another issue is tactile masking, where multiple haptic sensations such as vibration and skin stretch can interfere with one another, reducing perceptual clarity.

“Every person’s skin responds differently to stimuli due to variations in elasticity, moisture and even body hair,” said Preston, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “This variability makes designing universally effective devices incredibly complex.”
In addition, wearability and comfort continue to be major considerations in every product. Haptic devices must be designed to fit different body locations without causing discomfort, restricting movement or disrupting daily activities. Factors such as weight, size and attachment methods all play a crucial role in ensuring long-term usability.

“True immersion in haptic technology depends not just on what users feel but on how naturally and comfortably they experience it,” Preston said.

In addition to highlighting challenges, the authors identified several emerging actuation methods that could redefine wearable haptic technology.

Electromechanical actuation, commonly used in vibrational feedback systems, remains the most widely adopted method due to its reliability and affordability. However, it often struggles to provide a diverse range of haptic cues. Polymeric actuation, which relies on smart polymers that change shape or texture when exposed to stimuli, offers a lightweight and flexible alternative for delivering haptic feedback. Fluidic actuation, which utilizes pressurized air or liquid to generate dynamic tactile sensations, is gaining traction in soft robotics and textile-based haptic wearables, offering new possibilities for comfort and adaptability. Additionally, thermal actuation is emerging as a way to enhance immersion in virtual environments or simulate real-world interactions through warming or cooling sensations.

“We expect these technologies to significantly expand the scope of haptic feedback, particularly in fields such as medical rehabilitation, prosthetic development and human-machine interaction,” O’Malley said. “Although promising, further refinement is needed to improve response time, durability and energy efficiency.”

The review also offers insight into how wearable haptic technology is poised to unlock new possibilities in human interaction with digital and physical environments. In virtual and augmented reality, multisensory haptics enhance immersion by allowing users to feel digital objects, improving experiences in gaming, training simulations and education. In health care and rehabilitation, wearable haptics assist in motor skill training, post-stroke rehabilitation and prosthetic limb feedback, enabling patients to interact more effectively with their surroundings. Assistive technology and communication applications leverage tactile interfaces to help individuals with vision or hearing impairments by translating auditory or visual information into touch-based signals. Navigation and guidance systems benefit from haptic wearables by providing intuitive directional cues, aiding visually impaired individuals and improving hands-free navigation in fields such as military and aviation. Additionally, teleoperation and robotics stand to gain significantly as remote-controlled robotic systems with haptic feedback allow users to “feel” objects from a distance, improving precision in delicate tasks like robotic surgery.

Despite significant progress, the authors emphasized the need for further exploration in multisensory haptic perception. Understanding how the brain processes simultaneous haptic cues will be crucial in refining future devices, and ensuring widespread adoption will require a balance between technological sophistication, user comfort and practical usability.

“The ultimate goal is to create haptic devices that feel as natural as real-world touch,” O’Malley said.

More information:
haptic wearables Rice University
Source:

Rice University, Alexandra Becker, Media Relations Specialist

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Water hyacinth Photo: Pixabay, Hồng Vũ
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15.10.2024

DITF: Water hyacinth plant pots

Together with Fiber Engineering GmbH, the DITF presents a process for the production of biodegradable plant pots. The products are cost effective and competitive. At the same time, the production process combats the spread of the invasive water hyacinth, whose biomass serves as the raw material for the plant pots.

Combating an invasive species and reaping economic benefits at the same time? What sounds like a contradiction in terms has been successfully achieved by DITF scientists in a joint project with several companies.

Together with Fiber Engineering GmbH, the DITF presents a process for the production of biodegradable plant pots. The products are cost effective and competitive. At the same time, the production process combats the spread of the invasive water hyacinth, whose biomass serves as the raw material for the plant pots.

Combating an invasive species and reaping economic benefits at the same time? What sounds like a contradiction in terms has been successfully achieved by DITF scientists in a joint project with several companies.

Water hyacinth is a rapidly spreading plant that has been recognized as a threat to existing ecosystems in many countries around the world. In particular, Lake Victoria in Africa is suffering from the widespread spread of water hyacinth. Fish deaths due to oxygen depletion, the production of climate-damaging methane gas during decomposition, and the obstruction of shipping and energy production are among the most prominent problems. They offer a grim preview of what is on the horizon in many other countries. As an invasive species, water hyacinth is spreading into many ecosystems around the world as a result of human activities, threatening the quality of human life.

Several approaches have been taken to control the spread of water hyacinth. The main focus is on removing the carpet of plants from the water and then recycling the resulting biomass. This is also the starting point for the research project co-led by the DITF, which aims to produce a new, cost-effective composite material from the fibrous plant material. The result is a prototype plant pot that is competitive and meets all the technical requirements of the project objectives.

At the beginning of the project, the project partners defined the material requirements for the plant pot. These include good dimensional stability, which must also be ensured when the pot is filled with wet soil. The use of physiologically harmless materials for contact with food plants is also an important requirement, as is a cost-effective and therefore competitive production method. However, the main focus is on complete biodegradability and thus the unrestricted compostability of the plant pot.

The biomaterial for the production of the plant pots comes from Louisiana and is directly marketed by In-Between International under the product name CYNTHIA®. This raw material has been extensively tested and modified at the DITF with regard to its composition and suitability for technical processing. It consists mainly of cellulose and must first be screened and treated with a hydrophobic agent for further processing. Hydrophobing is necessary to give the plant pots a certain resistance to moisture.

The prepared raw material now needs to be combined with a binder. The binder binds the plant fibers and ensures the dimensional stability of the plant pot. Laboratory tests with various binders have identified those that guarantee good processability and dimensional stability of the fiber composite. A thermoplastic was selected that was easy to process in a hot press and that fully met the requirements for biodegradability.

Further laboratory tests determined the ideal ratio of binder to fiber raw material. Tests in an industrial composting plant showed that the material was fully biodegradable and that the plant pots would decompose within a reasonable period of time - a stability of 4-6 weeks was the project goal.

The researchers produced test samples for all these preliminary tests in the form of fiber composite panels on a hot press. The next step was to produce the first prototypes of plant pots from the pre-treated fiber material with the appropriate binder. This part was carried out by the project partner, Fiber Engineering GmbH from Karlsruhe. This company has extensive expertise in the field of fiber injection molding (FIM), which makes it possible to produce 3-dimensional molded parts from fibers in simple and fast process steps. Fiber Engineering GmbH has optimized its existing process for processing the water hyacinth fiber material. It produced a series of plant pots and thus realized the last step of the project objective.

A cost calculation, taking into account all the materials and processes used, confirmed that the plant pots could be produced extremely cheaply at a production price of less than five cents per pot, making them marketable. In daily use, garden centers will appreciate the haptic advantages - strength and moisture resistance despite the fact that the material is completely biodegradable. The fact that the material used is helping to solve a global environmental problem should be another plus when it comes to marketing the product.

Water hyacinth, green Photo; Pixabay, João Lima
More information:
Water hyacinth DITF biomass
Source:

DITF

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Smart glove teaches new physical skills Image: Alex Shipps/MIT CSAIL
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18.03.2024

Smart glove teaches new physical skills

Adaptive smart glove from MIT CSAIL researchers can send tactile feedback to teach users new skills, guide robots with more precise manipulation, and help train surgeons and pilots.

You’ve likely met someone who identifies as a visual or auditory learner, but others absorb knowledge through a different modality: touch. Being able to understand tactile interactions is especially important for tasks such as learning delicate surgeries and playing musical instruments, but unlike video and audio, touch is difficult to record and transfer.

Adaptive smart glove from MIT CSAIL researchers can send tactile feedback to teach users new skills, guide robots with more precise manipulation, and help train surgeons and pilots.

You’ve likely met someone who identifies as a visual or auditory learner, but others absorb knowledge through a different modality: touch. Being able to understand tactile interactions is especially important for tasks such as learning delicate surgeries and playing musical instruments, but unlike video and audio, touch is difficult to record and transfer.

To tap into this challenge, researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and elsewhere developed an embroidered smart glove that can capture, reproduce, and relay touch-based instructions. To complement the wearable device, the team also developed a simple machine-learning agent that adapts to how different users react to tactile feedback, optimizing their experience. The new system could potentially help teach people physical skills, improve responsive robot teleoperation, and assist with training in virtual reality.

Will I be able to play the piano?
To create their smart glove, the researchers used a digital embroidery machine to seamlessly embed tactile sensors and haptic actuators (a device that provides touch-based feedback) into textiles. This technology is present in smartphones, where haptic responses are triggered by tapping on the touch screen. For example, if you press down on an iPhone app, you’ll feel a slight vibration coming from that specific part of your screen. In the same way, the new adaptive wearable sends feedback to different parts of your hand to indicate optimal motions to execute different skills.

The smart glove could teach users how to play the piano, for instance. In a demonstration, an expert was tasked with recording a simple tune over a section of keys, using the smart glove to capture the sequence by which they pressed their fingers to the keyboard. Then, a machine-learning agent converted that sequence into haptic feedback, which was then fed into the students’ gloves to follow as instructions. With their hands hovering over that same section, actuators vibrated on the fingers corresponding to the keys below. The pipeline optimizes these directions for each user, accounting for the subjective nature of touch interactions.

“Humans engage in a wide variety of tasks by constantly interacting with the world around them,” says Yiyue Luo MS ’20, lead author of the paper, PhD student in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and CSAIL affiliate. “We don’t usually share these physical interactions with others. Instead, we often learn by observing their movements, like with piano-playing and dance routines.

“The main challenge in relaying tactile interactions is that everyone perceives haptic feedback differently,” adds Luo. “This roadblock inspired us to develop a machine-learning agent that learns to generate adaptive haptics for individuals’ gloves, introducing them to a more hands-on approach to learning optimal motion.”

The wearable system is customized to fit the specifications of a user’s hand via a digital fabrication method. A computer produces a cutout based on individuals’ hand measurements, then an embroidery machine stitches the sensors and haptics in. Within 10 minutes, the soft, fabric-based wearable is ready to wear. Initially trained on 12 users’ haptic responses, its adaptive machine-learning model only needs 15 seconds of new user data to personalize feedback.

In two other experiments, tactile directions with time-sensitive feedback were transferred to users sporting the gloves while playing laptop games. In a rhythm game, the players learned to follow a narrow, winding path to bump into a goal area, and in a racing game, drivers collected coins and maintained the balance of their vehicle on their way to the finish line. Luo’s team found that participants earned the highest game scores through optimized haptics, as opposed to without haptics and with unoptimized haptics.

“This work is the first step to building personalized AI agents that continuously capture data about the user and the environment,” says senior author Wojciech Matusik, MIT professor of electrical engineering and computer science and head of the Computational Design and Fabrication Group within CSAIL. “These agents then assist them in performing complex tasks, learning new skills, and promoting better behaviors.”

Bringing a lifelike experience to electronic settings
In robotic teleoperation, the researchers found that their gloves could transfer force sensations to robotic arms, helping them complete more delicate grasping tasks. “It’s kind of like trying to teach a robot to behave like a human,” says Luo. In one instance, the MIT team used human teleoperators to teach a robot how to secure different types of bread without deforming them. By teaching optimal grasping, humans could precisely control the robotic systems in environments like manufacturing, where these machines could collaborate more safely and effectively with their operators.

“The technology powering the embroidered smart glove is an important innovation for robots,” says Daniela Rus, the Andrew (1956) and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, CSAIL director, and author on the paper. “With its ability to capture tactile interactions at high resolution, akin to human skin, this sensor enables robots to perceive the world through touch. The seamless integration of tactile sensors into textiles bridges the divide between physical actions and digital feedback, offering vast potential in responsive robot teleoperation and immersive virtual reality training.”

Likewise, the interface could create more immersive experiences in virtual reality. Wearing smart gloves would add tactile sensations to digital environments in video games, where gamers could feel around their surroundings to avoid obstacles. Additionally, the interface would provide a more personalized and touch-based experience in virtual training courses used by surgeons, firefighters, and pilots, where precision is paramount.

While these wearables could provide a more hands-on experience for users, Luo and her group believe they could extend their wearable technology beyond fingers. With stronger haptic feedback, the interfaces could guide feet, hips, and other body parts less sensitive than hands.

Luo also noted that with a more complex artificial intelligence agent, her team's technology could assist with more involved tasks, like manipulating clay or driving an airplane. Currently, the interface can only assist with simple motions like pressing a key or gripping an object. In the future, the MIT system could incorporate more user data and fabricate more conformal and tight wearables to better account for how hand movements impact haptic perceptions.

Luo, Matusik, and Rus authored the paper with EECS Microsystems Technology Laboratories Director and Professor Tomás Palacios; CSAIL members Chao Liu, Young Joong Lee, Joseph DelPreto, Michael Foshey, and professor and principal investigator Antonio Torralba; Kiu Wu of LightSpeed Studios; and Yunzhu Li of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The work was supported, in part, by an MIT Schwarzman College of Computing Fellowship via Google and a GIST-MIT Research Collaboration grant, with additional help from Wistron, Toyota Research Institute, and Ericsson.

More information:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT Smart textiles gloves wearables
Source:

Alex Shipps, MIT CSAIL

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Photo: Claude Huniade
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11.07.2023

Ionofibres a new track for smart and functional textiles

Electronically conductive fibres are already in use in smart textiles, but in a recently published research article, ionically conductive fibres have proven to be of increasing interest. The so-called ionofibres achieve higher flexibility and durability and match the type of conduction our body uses. In the future, they may be used for such items as textile batteries, textile displays, and textile muscles.

The research project is being carried out by doctoral student Claude Huniade at the University of Borås and is a track within a larger project, Weafing, the goal of which is to develop novel, unprecedented garments for haptic stimulation comprising flexible and wearable textile actuators and sensors, including control electronics, as a new type of textile-based large area electronics.

WEAFING stands for Wearable Electroactive Fabrics Integrated in Garments. It started 1 January 2019 and ended 30 June 2023.

Electronically conductive fibres are already in use in smart textiles, but in a recently published research article, ionically conductive fibres have proven to be of increasing interest. The so-called ionofibres achieve higher flexibility and durability and match the type of conduction our body uses. In the future, they may be used for such items as textile batteries, textile displays, and textile muscles.

The research project is being carried out by doctoral student Claude Huniade at the University of Borås and is a track within a larger project, Weafing, the goal of which is to develop novel, unprecedented garments for haptic stimulation comprising flexible and wearable textile actuators and sensors, including control electronics, as a new type of textile-based large area electronics.

WEAFING stands for Wearable Electroactive Fabrics Integrated in Garments. It started 1 January 2019 and ended 30 June 2023.

These wearables are based on a new kind of textile muscles which yarns are coated with electromechanically active polymers and contract when a low voltage is applied. Textile muscles offer a completely novel and very different quality of haptic sensation, accessing also receptors of our tactile sensory system that do not react on vibration, but on soft pressure or stroke.

Furthermore, being textile materials, they offer a new way of designing and fabricating wearable haptics and can be seamlessly integrated into fabrics and garments. For these novel form of textile muscles, a huge range of possible applications in haptics is foreseen: for ergonomics, movement coaching in sports, or wellness, for enhancement of virtual or augmented reality applications in gaming or for training purposes, for inclusion of visually handicapped people by providing them information about their environment, for stress reduction or social communication, adaptive furniture, automotive industry and many more.

In Claude Huniade’s project, the goal is to produce conductive yarns without conductive metals.

"My research is about producing electrically conductive textile fibres, and ultimately yarns, by coating non-metals sustainably on commercial yarns. The biggest challenge is in the balance between keeping the textile properties and adding the conductive feature," said Claude Huniade.

Currenty, the uniqueness of his research leans towards the strategies employed when coating. These strategies expand to the processes and the materials used.

Uses ionic liquid
One of the tracks he investigates is about a new kind of material as textile coating, ionic liquids in combination with commercial textile fibres. Just like salt water, they conduct electricity but without water. Ionic liquid is a more stable electrolyte than salt water as nothing evaporates.

"The processable aspect is an important requirement since textile manufacturing can be harsh on textile fibres, especially when upscaling their use. The fibres can also be manufactured into woven or knitted without damaging them mechanically while retaining their conductivity. Surprisingly, they were even smoother to process into fabrics than the commercial yarns they are made from," explained Claude Huniade.

Ionofibres could be used as sensors since ionic liquids are sensitive to their environment. For example, humidity change can be sensed by the ionofibers, but also any stretch or pressure they are subjected to.

"Ionofibres could truly shine when they are combined with other materials or devices that require electrolytes. Ionofibres enable certain phenomena currently limited to happen in liquids to be feasible in air in a lightweight fashion. The applications are multiple and unique, for example for textile batteries, textile displays or textile muscles," said Claude Huniade.

Needs further research
Yet more research is needed to combine the ionofibres with other functional fibres and to produce the unique textile devices.

How do they stand out compared to common electronically conductive fibres?

"In comparison to electronically conductive fibres, ionofibers are different in how they conduct electricity. They are less conductive, but they bring other properties that electronically conductive fibers often lack. Ionofibres achieve higher flexibility and durability and match the type of conduction that our body uses. They actually match better than electronically conductive fibres with how electricity is present in nature," he concluded.

More information:
University of Borås fibres Fibers lightweight
Source:

University of Borås

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Thread-like pumps can be woven into clothes (c) LMTS EPFL
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27.06.2023

Thread-like pumps can be woven into clothes

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) researchers have developed fiber-like pumps that allow high-pressure fluidic circuits to be woven into textiles without an external pump. Soft supportive exoskeletons, thermoregulatory clothing, and immersive haptics can therefore be powered from pumps sewn into the fabric of the devices themselves.

Many fluid-based wearable assistive technologies today require a large and noisy pump that is impractical – if not impossible – to integrate into clothing. This leads to a contradiction: wearable devices are routinely tethered to unearable pumps. Now, researchers at the Soft Transducers Laboratory (LMTS) in the School of Engineering have developed an elegantly simple solution to this dilemma.

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) researchers have developed fiber-like pumps that allow high-pressure fluidic circuits to be woven into textiles without an external pump. Soft supportive exoskeletons, thermoregulatory clothing, and immersive haptics can therefore be powered from pumps sewn into the fabric of the devices themselves.

Many fluid-based wearable assistive technologies today require a large and noisy pump that is impractical – if not impossible – to integrate into clothing. This leads to a contradiction: wearable devices are routinely tethered to unearable pumps. Now, researchers at the Soft Transducers Laboratory (LMTS) in the School of Engineering have developed an elegantly simple solution to this dilemma.

“We present the world’s first pump in the form of a fiber; in essence, tubing that generates its own pressure and flow rate,” says LMTS head Herbert Shea. “Now, we can sew our fiber pumps directly into textiles and clothing, leaving conventional pumps behind.” The research has been published in the journal Science.

Lightweight, powerful…and washable
Shea’s lab has a history of forward-thinking fluidics. In 2019, they produced the world’s first stretchable pump.

“This work builds on our previous generation of soft pump,” says Michael Smith, an LMTS post-doctoral researcher and lead author of the study. “The fiber format allows us to make lighter, more powerful pumps that are inherently more compat-ible with wearable technology.”

The LMTS fiber pumps use a principle called charge injection electrohydrodynamics (EHD) to generate a fluid flow without any moving parts. Two helical electrodes embedded in the pump wall ionize and accelerate molecules of a special non-conductive liquid. The ion movement and electrode shape generate a net forward fluid flow, resulting in silent, vibration-free operation, and requiring just a palm-sized power supply and battery.

To achieve the pump’s unique structure, the researchers developed a novel fabrication technique that involves twisting copper wires and polyurethane threads together around a steel rod, and then fusing them with heat. After the rod is removed, the 2 mm fibers can be integrated into textiles using standard weaving and sewing techniques.

The pump’s simple design has a number of advantages. The materials required are cheap and readily available, and the manufacturing process can be easily scaled up. Because the amount of pressure generated by the pump is directly linked to its length, the tubes can be cut to match the application, optimizing performance while minimizing weight. The robust design can also be washed with conventional detergents.

From exoskeletons to virtual reality
The authors have already demonstrated how these fiber pumps can be used in new and exciting wearable technologies. For example, they can circulate hot and cold fluid through garments for those working in extreme temperature environments or in a therapeutic setting to help manage inflammation; and even for those looking to optimize athletic performance.

“These applications require long lengths of tubing anyway, and in our case, the tubing is the pump. This means we can make very simple and lightweight fluidic circuits that are convenient and comfortable to wear,” Smith says.

The study also describes artificial muscles made from fabric and embedded fiber pumps, which could be used to power soft exoskeletons to help patients move and walk.

The pump could even bring a new dimension to the world of virtual reality by simulating the sensation of temperature. In this case, users wear a glove with pumps filled with hot or cold liquid, allowing them to feel temperature changes in response to contact with a virtual object.

Pumped up for the future
The researchers are already looking to improve the performance of their device. “The pumps already perform well, and we’re confident that with more work, we can continue to make improvements in areas like efficiency and lifetime,” says Smith. Work has already started on scaling up the production of the fiber pumps, and the LMTS also has plans to embed them into more complex wearable devices.

“We believe that this innovation is a game-changer for wearable technology,” Shea says.

More information:
EPFL Fibers exoskeleton wearables
Source:

Celia Luterbacher, School of Engineering | STI

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DOMOTEX (c) Deutsche Messe AG
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30.05.2023

"DOMOTEX is and will remain the home of the entire industry"

Interview on the trade fair landscape for floor coverings in Germany

The effects of the Corona pandemic were felt in almost all areas of social and economic life. The trade fair industry in particular was severely affected, with many events cancelled or postponed. With the return to normality, the question arises as to what significance leading trade fairs will have in the post-Corona era and how the competition between different organisers will develop. For its KLARTEXT interview series, Textination talked to Ms Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director of DOMOTEX Events.

 

Interview on the trade fair landscape for floor coverings in Germany

The effects of the Corona pandemic were felt in almost all areas of social and economic life. The trade fair industry in particular was severely affected, with many events cancelled or postponed. With the return to normality, the question arises as to what significance leading trade fairs will have in the post-Corona era and how the competition between different organisers will develop. For its KLARTEXT interview series, Textination talked to Ms Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director of DOMOTEX Events.

 

After DOMOTEX was unable to take place in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic, the trade fair returned in 2023 with a successful event. Nevertheless, the number of exhibitors has almost halved compared to 2020. How do you assess the future importance of leading trade fairs after the industry had to come to terms with online meetings and travel restrictions for a long period of time?

I think it is important to remember that this was the first DOMOTEX since the outbreak of the pandemic, and at a time when the global economic situation is rather difficult. Of course, this situation has made some companies reluctant to participate in DOMOTEX 2023, so we have not yet been able to welcome all companies back as exhibitors at the show. In addition, there were still significant travel restrictions in place at the beginning of the year, for example in China, which simply made it more difficult for our exhibitors to participate in a trade fair abroad. As far as our expectations for the next event are concerned, I can say that many companies - even those that did not exhibit this year - have communicated their interest in wanting to be back at DOMOTEX 2024.
 
We are certain that leading trade fairs and exhibitions in general will continue to be of great importance in the future! You may be able to cultivate existing customers at digital events, but you can't generate new ones. The focus of DOMOTEX is on products you can touch, on the haptic experience on site. You can't transfer that to the digital world. Even the chance encounters at the stand or in the halls do not happen digitally. But a trade fair thrives on personal encounters, personal exchanges. Business is done between people, not between screens. Both exhibitors and visitors have told us quite clearly that they want and need DOMOTEX to be a trade fair where people are present.

 

The degree of internationalisation among DOMOTEX visitors was between 62 and 67 percent in the last three years of the event before the pandemic; in 2023 it even reached 69 percent. Would you agree that leading international trade fairs in Germany are now primarily only important for export-oriented companies? And what does that imply for the economic efficiency of trade fairs?

Certainly, leading international trade fairs in Germany are particularly interesting for export-oriented companies, but not exclusively. That doesn't change anything at all about the profitability of trade fairs. We generate our turnover with all our exhibitors, regardless of whether they are export-oriented or only interested in the Germany-Austria-Switzerland region. That's why satisfied exhibitors are very important to us. And an exhibitor is satisfied when he can do good business or make good contacts at our fairs. It's more and more about the right quality of visitors, less about the quantity. In any case, all our exhibitors very much welcome international visitors!

 

For the 2024 edition, Deutsche Messe has announced that its DOMOTEX concept has been changed to focus on different areas each year: Carpet & Rugs in the odd-numbered years and Flooring in the even-numbered years. Flooring covers wood and laminate flooring, parquet, design flooring, resilient floor coverings, carpets, outdoor flooring and application and installation technology. Carpet & Rugs stands for hand-made carpets and runners as well as for machine-woven carpets.

Yet you say that the Carpet & Rugs segment in particular needs an annual presentation platform, while the flooring segment would like to see DOMOTEX every two years as the central platform for the industry due to longer innovation cycles. Doesn't that actually mean that floor coverings are only in Hannover every other year, but carpets continue to exhibit annually in Hannover? Could you clarify that?

DOMOTEX - Home of Flooring will take place in 2024 and in all even years: This is a DOMOTEX with all exhibitors as we know them from the past. So, from herringbone parquet to outdoor coverings, oriental carpets and contemporary designs - everything, under one roof. In the odd years, i.e. from 2025, there will then be DOMOTEX - Home of Carpets and Rugs, with a focus on suppliers of fitted carpets. The background to this is that the hard flooring industry had wanted DOMOTEX to be held every two years. After this year's DOMOTEX, the suppliers of wall-to-wall carpets have again clearly spoken out in favour of an annual platform. With our new focus model, we are meeting the needs that the market has expressed to us.

 

Messe Frankfurt has declared a new product segment for next year's Heimtextil - interestingly, under the name Carpets & Rugs. While the watchword at DOMOTEX in the even year 2024 is Flooring, Heimtextil offers an alternative trade fair venue for carpets. How do you assess this situation - do exhibitors now have to choose between Hannover and Frankfurt and what does this mean for the split concept?

No, exhibitors from the carpet sector will not have to choose between Hannover and Frankfurt in future - because DOMOTEX is and will remain the home of the entire industry, even in the even years! At DOMOTEX, Home of Flooring means, as I explained earlier, that we present the entire spectrum of floor coverings and carpets. But what is even more important is that we have been told by exhibitors and many visitors that the market does not want to be split up any further. Through the many (small) events, the flooring industry is only competing with itself. To put it bluntly: if only some of the exhibitors take part in ten events, it can't really work. The critical mass is missing. A trade fair is only as good as its participants and they often don't have the time to visit several events.    

 

Another innovation for DOMOTEX is the country focus. What do you expect from this and why did you choose "Insight Italy" for 2024?

With our new special presentation, we want to arouse the curiosity of our visitors - especially retailers, architects and contractors - and highlight the international character of DOMOTEX. After all, what could be more exciting than getting to know a country in depth?  

That is why the INSIGHT concept will in future feature a different country at each DOMOTEX - Home of Flooring. Special exhibition areas will showcase innovations and products, present partnerships with designers and universities, and stage trends. In addition, the conference will provide insights into the respective market and references.  
In 2024, we will start with Italy, a very design-savvy and creative country from which many trends come.

 

Deutsche Messe wants to strengthen the Hannover venue for the leading trade fair DOMOTEX and to hold additional fairs only in Shanghai and in Gaziantep. There will be no Carpet Expo in Istanbul. What influence does the changing entrepreneurial landscape in terms of production countries and markets have on your international concept?

First of all, it must be noted that the business landscape for carpets has not changed in Turkey. Here, only the associations have decided to organise a carpet fair in Istanbul in the future. The background is the continuing visa problem for Turkish exhibitors in Germany as well as the immensely high inflation in Turkey, which makes foreign participation extremely costly for Turkish companies. We would have liked to organise a carpet fair in Istanbul together with the Turkish associations, but not at any price and not on their terms alone. Hannover is and will remain the international platform for DOMOTEX, and we will continue to strengthen this location.

But of course, we also keep an eye on the global market and keep our eyes and ears open at all times, for all our brands, by the way. It was only in this way that DOMOTEX asia/Chinafloor in Shanghai was able to develop into what is now a very successful event. The potential was there, we were in the right place at the right time. If we hadn't seized the opportunity at the time, there would still be a strong floor coverings trade fair in Shanghai - but it would be run by one of our competitors and it wouldn't be called DOMOTEX today.

Many thanks to Ms Sonia Wedell-Castellano for the KLARTEXT.

Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director DOMOTEX (c) Deutsche Messe AG. Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director DOMOTEX
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18.10.2022

Eco Award & Performance Award for innovative winter fabrics 24/25

  • Jury presents two awards for outstanding fabric Innovation

The next PERFORMANCE DAYS will take place from November 3-4, 2022 at the MOC Ordercenter in Munich. Visitors also have the opportunity to follow the events online. Thanks to the new platform The Loop, all important information is available all year round, including current trends, new material innovations and extended tools for ease of use. The focus of the curated PERFORMANCE FORUM continues in winter honoring the winners of both awards. This year, in addition to a PERFORMANCE AWARD, the jury also presented an ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD.

  • Jury presents two awards for outstanding fabric Innovation

The next PERFORMANCE DAYS will take place from November 3-4, 2022 at the MOC Ordercenter in Munich. Visitors also have the opportunity to follow the events online. Thanks to the new platform The Loop, all important information is available all year round, including current trends, new material innovations and extended tools for ease of use. The focus of the curated PERFORMANCE FORUM continues in winter honoring the winners of both awards. This year, in addition to a PERFORMANCE AWARD, the jury also presented an ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD.

Sustainable & innovative: the award winners of the Winter 2024/25 season
As part of the winter edition of the sourcing fairs, the fabric highlights plus accessory trends in the individ-ual categories for the winter season 2024/25 will be on display at the PERFORMANCE FORUM.
 
Particularly striking this year was the high levels of innovation and quality of many submitted fabrics on the one hand, but on the other hand – also as a result of this year’s Focus Topic – the sustainable component. “We wish to enable our visitors to make the best decision in terms of material selection, also in terms of CO2 neutrality and ultimately also in terms of textile recyclability,” states Marco Weichert, CEO of PERFORMANCE DAYS.  

Nevertheless, the road to CO2 neutrality remains a long one, yet the approaches adopted with the Focus Topic ongoing until the coming spring can be seen in a positive light. In general, manufacturers are increasingly relying on the use of natural fibers when possible, such as Tencel™ or other plant fibers – most of them also prove a low CO2 balance during production. The issue of recycling comes with many new facets and wide spanning trends. The portfolio ranges from the recycling of marine waste, such as old buoys, plastic waste or fishing nets, to the recycling of waste from the automotive and computer industries, such as old car tires or computer chips. Natural dyeing methods are also gaining in importance, as is the return of fabrics to the textile cycle.

In the Marketplace, visitors have the opportunity to view over 19,000 products from exhibitors, including the fabric highlights of the individual categories at the PERFORMANCE FORUM. In order for visitors to experience the fabrics in terms of haptics, design and structure in as realistic a form as possible, the PERFORMANCE FORUM has been equipped with innovative 3D technology, including innovative tools such as 3D images, video animations and U3MA data for download.

The jury has also presented two awards for outstanding fabrics for the Winter Season 2024/25 – with the PERFORMANCE AWARD going to Long Advance Int. Co Ltd., and the ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD to PontetortoSpa.

The ECO PERFORMANCE AWARD goes to “9203/M/RC” from PontetortoSpa: High Performance despite maximum sustainability
The fabric is a blend of 23 % hemp, 69 % recycled polyester and 9 % recycled elastane. Moreover, the material boasts a low CO2 footprint during production and focuses on low release levels of microplastics into the environment. “9203/M/RC” belongs to Pontetorto's Techno Stretch organic series, which boast an excellent 4-way stretch with great elasticity. In addition, it guarantees fast drying and optimal breathability. The polyester yarn is manufactured by the mechanical recycling of plastic bottles. Hemp, the most water–repellent among natural fibers, allows for quick drying and provides optimal comfort. Hemp is considered an extremely sustainable natural fiber due to its origin from an anti–bacterial plant that requires neither pesticides nor chemical fertilizers during its growth and consumes extremely little water.

PERFORMANCE AWARD for “LPD-22015-Y4E” from Long Advanced Int. Co. Ltd.: Perfect recycling for top performance
The monocomponent 2layer fabric is a mixture of 45 % polyester mechanical stretch and 55 % recycled polyester from recycled textiles, laminated with a PET Membrane, with a weight of 147 grams.
The special feature of the “LPD 22015-Y4E” is the recycling of fabric and cutting waste. Waste is thus returned to the textile cycle and used to spin new yarn. In the future, manufacturers will have to ensure that all fabric can be recycled. Accordingly, the production of waste is then reduced by 30 % compared to conventional processes. Furthermore, the jury praised the feel and the extraordinary look of the material.

The entire PERFORMANCE FORUM including both awards can be experienced live at the fair on October 26-27, 2022 in Portland, Oregon, and in Munich at the PERFORMANCE DAYS fair on November 03-04, 2022. As of now, all innovative materials can also be found online in the Marketplace of the PERFORMANCE DAYS Loop, with the option to order free samples directly from the exhibitor.

„9203M“ von Pontetorto Spa Photo: Performance Days “LPD22015-Y4E” von Long Advanced Int. Co. Ltd. Photo: Performance Days
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(c) Neonyt/Messe Frankfurt GmbH
30.03.2021

Circularity and Fashion: Interview about the Business and Communication Platform Neonyt

Circular instead of throwaway economy - from fast fashion to zero-waste philosophy. The key elements of the circular economy in the fashion business are: Avoiding waste and pollution through new processes, continuous recycling of products and materials, and regeneration of natural systems. Textination talked with Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies, and Thimo Schwenzfeier, Show Director of Neonyt, from Messe Frankfurt about the Neonyt trade show as a business and communication platform for circularity & fashion.
 
It has been about 10 years since Messe Frankfurt ventured onto the "sustainable" fashion trade show stage. Initially with the Ethical Fashion Show, then with the Greenshowroom, there were two trade show formats in Berlin dedicated to the topic of green fashion. What prompted you as a trade show organizer to launch such a special format in Germany at that time?

Circular instead of throwaway economy - from fast fashion to zero-waste philosophy. The key elements of the circular economy in the fashion business are: Avoiding waste and pollution through new processes, continuous recycling of products and materials, and regeneration of natural systems. Textination talked with Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies, and Thimo Schwenzfeier, Show Director of Neonyt, from Messe Frankfurt about the Neonyt trade show as a business and communication platform for circularity & fashion.
 
It has been about 10 years since Messe Frankfurt ventured onto the "sustainable" fashion trade show stage. Initially with the Ethical Fashion Show, then with the Greenshowroom, there were two trade show formats in Berlin dedicated to the topic of green fashion. What prompted you as a trade show organizer to launch such a special format in Germany at that time?

Olaf Schmidt: Messe Frankfurt's Texpertise Network brings together the world's most important textile trade shows - at around 60 events worldwide, we show what drives the textile and fashion industry. We present the current topics and trends and set impulses for the entire textile value chain. Messe Frankfurt recognized the need for a suitable platform for the future topic of sustainability at an early stage. It was therefore obvious to expand our expertise in the field of fashion and to meet the demand from this segment. To achieve this, we have adapted and realigned existing formats: After launching the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris in 2004, Messe Frankfurt France took over the event in 2010. Two years later, Messe Frankfurt founded the Ethical Fashion Show Berlin in Germany and found, with the moving of the event to the polarizing capital, the ideal location for the coming years. Messe Frankfurt merged the already existing Greenshowroom with the Ethical Fashion Show, and from January 2015 the two shows took place in one venue. For Messe Frankfurt, hosting these events was the next logical step on our way to a sustainable fashion future - the concept is now established in the sustainable fashion market and has a continuous growth potential. The merging of the trade show duo in 2019, with the current name Neonyt, allowed us, our exhibitors and visitors a new content orientation and a holistic approach to the topic of sustainability as well as a more direct access to the conventional fashion market, especially with regard to retail. In summer 2021, Neonyt will take place for the first time in the new fashion hotspot Frankfurt as part of the new Frankfurt Fashion Week.

 
In 2019, both event formats were merged, the new trade show Neonyt was born and 1 + 1 became what? What components does Neonyt offer in addition to the previous trade show concepts, what is so "new-new" and how did you actually come up with the name?

Thimo Schwenzfeier: One plus one, as you so nicely put it, did not simply add up to two with Neonyt. One plus one equals unique, neo-new, internationally relevant: Among other things, the trade show business was supplemented by the international conference format Fashionsustain and a showcase to gradually bring
together the topic of sustainability with the topics of technology, innovation and prepress. Our content creator format Prepeek ensures the necessary lifestyle and the fashion show provides the glamour of the fashion world. Neonyt combines the most important elements of the international textile and fashion industry - style, business, inspiration, innovation, knowledge, fun and community. And that is exactly what makes Neonyt so "new-new". Progressive and polarizing - the artificial word Neonyt is derived from the ancient Greek word "neo" (eng. new, revolutionary) and the Scandinavian word "nytt" (eng. new). "The renewed new" - Neonyt is our synonym for the fundamental transformation process of the textile and fashion industry, a reinterpretation of what has already been there and our commitment not to stand still and to promote positive change together.

 
For the Neonyt trade show format, you have teamed up with partners - for example, for conferencing components and in the design area. What expertise do they provide, and what is the added value for exhibitors and visitors?

Thimo Schwenzfeier: We know which future topics our brands and the community are currently dealing with and therefore create the right platform - for personal encounters and exchange, for networking and successful business deals. To put it simply: we organize trade shows, we organize events, we provide the right setting, we connect people and business. Neonyt therefore forms the global interface between the various players in the textile and fashion industry - between industry, trade, politics, services and consumption. And so that a lively, transparent and, above all, authentic dialog can develop between all counterparts, we naturally draw on the knowledge of industry experts and form strong partnerships to push fashion and sustainability forward. Only together can we achieve real change and guarantee that our community is provided with sufficient and, above all, the right information to make self-determined decisions.
 

In recent years, the keyword circularity - or rather closing the loop - has been encountered everywhere in the fashion industry. Whether Stella McCartney, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, or large retail groups - many players and decision-makers are of the opinion that the future of the fashion world lies only in a circular economy and not in downcycling of any kind. What is Neonyt's view on this?
         
Thimo Schwenzfeier: That's right, the concept of circular economy is not new, nor is it limited to the textile and fashion industry. Circularity - actually the ultimate for every product, every industry, for our global society. The concept is supposedly simple: All materials and products are kept in a closed loop, the useful life is increased and at the end of the product life cycle everything is recycled. Many sustainable fashion labels are already showing how it's done. Neonyt brands are right at the forefront and are already implementing practices that should become the norm as soon as possible: starting with T-shirts or shoes made from recycled materials and take-back systems for collection items. As well as compostable clothing that "dissolves" at the end of the product life cycle and breaks down into its natural components, and on to repair services and leasing models for denim and co. - thinking holistically, acting in a sustainable manner and producing in a circular way are definitely the trends of the coming fashion seasons and at least one important, if not the most important, component of the future fashion world.

 
For the idea of a circular economy to be implemented successfully, there needs to be an interplay between technology, production, design and sales. What presentation options and forms of communication does Neonyt have in store for the various components?  

Thimo Schwenzfeier: The combined innovative power of technology, sustainability and digitization is an important driver of the current developments in the textile and fashion industry - including the topic of circularity. Processes and production sequences are changing along the entire value chain - the industry has to reinvent itself for the most part. Neonyt shows how this can work successfully in the long term, with the internationally established Fashionsustain conference format - including spin-offs in China, Europe and the USA - and the supplementary Showcase. Together, these two formats offer the ideal mix of orientation and inspiration to prepare the industry for the future. Virtual fashion, authentic brands and textile value chains, science and innovation as well as retail, business models and impact investment - at Fashionsustain, top-class experts will exchange ideas with an interested professional audience and discuss the change and new solutions in the textile and fashion industry. The Neonyt Showcase takes a deeper look at the topics and innovations presented and discussed on the Fashionsustain stage. Expert knowledge on-demand, so to speak: whether microfactories or installations - Neonyt brands as well as brands from the rest of the Texpertise Network of Messe Frankfurt, such as exhibitors at Texprocess, get the chance to present sustainable innovations, new technologies and materials, initiatives, change-maker campaigns or research projects. Here they interact directly and practically with Neonyt's international cross-sector community.
 

Last year was an unprecedented challenge for trade show companies due to the pandemic situation. Neonyt was also affected by this - and physical events had to be canceled. With a digital format "Neonyt on Air" you have tried to offer exhibitors and visitors an alternative platform. What has been your experience: Did the focus of the trade show and its community perhaps even help to make such a virtual event easier to launch? 

Olaf Schmidt: Corona has already changed a lot and will certainly continue to do so in one way or another. Nevertheless, it will continue to be our task as trade show organizers to offer the industry the best possible meeting platforms for presenting their new products worldwide. We are convinced that people will continue to want to meet in person and discuss new products as well as services in the future. This is particularly the case in the textile sector, where haptics plays a very crucial role. We expect that there will even be a certain catch-up effect after the crisis. Because what the last two very successful digital seasons of Neonyt on Air, for example, have nevertheless shown clearly: Fashion lives from personalities, presentation and inspiration. Digital formats can support this, but they cannot fully replace it.
 
Thimo Schwenzfeier: The digital Neonyt on Air was far from being a total replacement for the original physical seasons, but nevertheless a huge success. For one week, fashion, lifestyle and digital experts were discussing about more authenticity, immediacy and transparency in the textile and fashion industry in numerous keynotes, interviews and panel discussions. With more than 24,000 international followers on Instagram, we generated around 50,000 impressions and more than 4,700 content interactions with our presenting partners Grüner Knopf, Hessnatur and Oeko-Tex in just five days. These figures show, that the topic of sustainability has arrived in the middle of society and is being discussed across all industries. I think that the polarization and, above all, the prevailing restrictions, as far as trade and commerce are concerned, have certainly contributed to holding a successful digital format. Digitization was truly the booster for the fashion industry in this case: Instead of replacing personal exchange, it helps to maintain and expand the business activities of brands, especially in the current times. And quite clearly, the need for exchange in the fashion industry and the motivation to initiate together a change are still enormous. Neonyt on Air has once again shown us that clearly. However, we are already looking forward to the next physical edition of Neonyt.
 

The COVID-19 pandemic has also left its mark on the textile and clothing industry. When you look back on just under a year of "state of emergency" - what positive experiences do you take with you, where do you see a need for improvement, for what support are you grateful for and where did you feel you were left on your own? 

Olaf Schmidt: A year like no other - that can clearly be said about the last one. The Corona pandemic caught everyone off guard - us as trade show organizers, but of course also our exhibitors, visitors and partners. Especially in the near future, we must continue to expect, that trade shows can only be held under stricter health and safety regulations at first. Messe Frankfurt reacted quickly and developed a comprehensive safety and hygiene concept. One thing was clear: we all had to adjust and deal with a new situation. And so far, we've done a great job together, the team understanding among each other, the close contact - although physically at a distance, but globally networked - between all those involved, makes me feel positive about the future. For me, an important realization of this global pandemic, a credo almost, is to be open to new ways and opportunities and to find ways to combine things rather than separate them: Hybrid solutions, so to speak.    

Thimo Schwenzfeier: There was no master plan for Neonyt, and in places there was also the impression that we now had to "reinvent the wheel": How does collaboration work when face-to-face meetings cannot take place? Can digitized contact compensate for the social distancing that is currently being imposed and still make it possible to work closely together? How can business relationships be maintained when stores are closed? How can priorities be set when well-tested solutions and established annual plans lose their validity? Who am I, who are 'the others' and what defines community? Never have questions about our creation and existence, about what makes us who we are and what we want to be, been more relevant than right now. One thing that I take away from the current situation and that allows me to continue to look forward positively despite difficult circumstances is the fact, that cohesion and solidarity with one another - both privately and professionally - have become increasingly important. Like a magnifying glass, the crisis has magnified existing opportunities, but also challenges, and brought the essentials into focus. I think that if we continue to try to experience things more consciously and not take them for granted, we will manage together to create a " new normal " and leave this crisis with more strength.
 

As in the past in Berlin, Neonyt is currently also located in Frankfurt in the environment of the Fashion Week and conventional trade shows. Can you imagine that a special event concept like Neonyt will be unnecessary in a few years, because the circularity concept will have established itself in the clothing industry worldwide?

Olaf Schmidt: A clear no. Sustainability per se is already no longer a unique selling point. The important thing is to keep up with the times, to follow trends or, even better, to track down new trends yourself and develop them further. Things, strategies, concepts will always change - if last year showed us one thing, it was certainly that. It is more than desirable that we all learn from this crisis and reflect on the really important values, on solidarity between partners, on climate protection and sustainability. It may be exactly for this reason, that companies that place particular emphasis on sustainability will emerge even stronger from this crisis. So you can be sure that we, as a leading international trade show organizer for the textile industry, will continue to focus on sustainability and support future-oriented companies and solutions. However, this will not make our formats obsolete due to the establishment and normalization of holistic business practices in the textile industry. But it is impossible to make an exact forecast for the coming decades. Over the last few months, we have all noticed ourselves in our personal everyday lives or in our professional lives, how uncertain and volatile the future is. What is clear, however, is that the fashion industry - the world in general - will change even faster than before. And therein lies the opportunity for formats like Neonyt. The ten-year history shows in how many directions Neonyt has already developed, content focal points have been shifted and it has reinvented itself - this will also be the case in the future.
 

Mr. Schwenzfeier, in addition to your role as Director of Marketing Communications for Messe Frankfurt's textile exhibitions, you have also been Show Director of Neonyt since 2018. You have spoken to many exhibitors and visitors - which ideas or creations have particularly impressed you?

Thimo Schwenzfeier: I think it's not so much the individual innovations or creations of the exhibitors at our trade shows. And I deliberately choose the plural here. Because in my function as Director of Marketing Communications in the Textiles & Textile Technologies division of Messe Frankfurt, Neonyt is just one of "my" events. I think it's more the variety of fashion, technical and professional innovations that brands, labels, companies, start-ups and designers present every year. But if I really had to choose one innovation, it would probably be the vegan "Currywurst" sneakers made of red pepper and recycled PET bottles - the same label also offers shoes made of wood, stone, coffee and mushrooms or now even meteorite particles. It is impressive to experience every season anew of how creative the textile and fashion industry is.
 

Breaking new ground means being willing to make decisions, overcoming fears - and thus also having the courage to fail. Not every project can succeed. In retrospect, about which entrepreneurial decision by Messe Frankfurt are you particularly glad, that you made?
 
Olaf Schmidt: Clearly the decision to create Neonyt. To establish our own trade show format for fashion, sustainability and innovation and to integrate the freedom and lifestyle, which entail this topic, into our event. After more than a decade, we may be saying goodbye to Berlin in 2021, but not to our community and our spirit. Together we look back on many fashionable seasons and great locations in the capital: starting in the Hotel Adlon Kempinski to the Ewerk, the Postbahnhof, the Kronprinzenpalais, the Funkhaus and the Kraftwerk to the last physical event in Tempelhof. With the turn of the year and in the setting of Frankfurt Fashion Week, Neonyt is about to move to the metropolis by the Main. In Frankfurt, worlds collide: Skyscrapers and 19th-century villas. Architectural sins and masterpieces. Business and middle class. Red-light district and luxury boulevard. Frankfurt Fashion Week sets new impulses in this area of conflict. And in the middle of all this is Neonyt. The signs are pointing to a new beginning - a restart for the entire fashion industry, together we are taking sustainability to the next level - the focus topics Applied Sustainability and Applied Digitization are creating a completely new Fashion Week ecosystem in the metropolis by the Main.
 

If everything works out, Neonyt can be held again as a face-to-face event for the first time in July 2021. What are your plans? What and who can visitors look forward to? And what backup is there for a worst-case scenario?

Thimo Schwenzfeier: Of course, due to the currently ongoing tense situation around Covid-19, it is difficult to make binding statements about the next physical event. However, we are cur rently expecting the situation to ease into the summer summer 2021 is therefore on the health of everyone - exhibitors, visitors, partners and employees of Neonyt. Messe Frankfurt has developed a concept that includes detailed hygienic measures: Hygiene, distance and fresh air supply are important factors, which we coordinate with the responsible authorities in Frankfurt and those in charge of Frankfurt Fashion Week. In due course, the Neonyt community will receive advice and recommendations for the trade show attendance and participation, that comply with current regulations. We have not yet thought about a concrete backup for a worst-case scenario, as we are currently anticipating a physical B2B event - but the last two seasons have shown, should it not be possible to hold the Neonyt face-to-face, that we are quite well positioned with the digital Neonyt on Air and could certainly adapt the format for another summer event. We regularly exchange ideas with all market participants and try to get a sense of opinions and wishes from our community through surveys. Wait and see, one might say - in the end, we also have to act according to what the current health situation allows and what decisions are made by politicians.

The Interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius,
Managing Partner, Textination GmbH

(c) Messe Frankfurt GmbH - Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies (c) Messe Frankfurt GmbH - Thimo Schwenzfeier, Show Director Neonyt
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(c) Claudia Bitzer
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05.01.2021

Telling good Stories - PR Challenges of the medium-sized Textile Industry

Interview with Claudia Bitzer, Owner Bitzer PR, Albstadt

The past year was not only a big economic challenge for many companies, but also in terms of communication - whether in advertising or in PR topics - new ground had to be broken. Contact restrictions up to a strict lockdown, the cancellation of many trade fairs, congresses or other event formats made it necessary to rethink.

Textination discussed it with Claudia Bitzer, owner of the PR agency of the same name in Albstadt, Baden-Württemberg. Her customers include medium-sized companies from the textile and clothing industry as well as machinery manufacturers, public clients and the media.

Interview with Claudia Bitzer, Owner Bitzer PR, Albstadt

The past year was not only a big economic challenge for many companies, but also in terms of communication - whether in advertising or in PR topics - new ground had to be broken. Contact restrictions up to a strict lockdown, the cancellation of many trade fairs, congresses or other event formats made it necessary to rethink.

Textination discussed it with Claudia Bitzer, owner of the PR agency of the same name in Albstadt, Baden-Württemberg. Her customers include medium-sized companies from the textile and clothing industry as well as machinery manufacturers, public clients and the media.

With your PR agency based in Albstadt, you have also been busy in the textile industry for a good 5 years. If you had to introduce yourself in 100 words to someone who doesn't know you: Why did you decide to become your own boss after working for an agency, and what distinguishes your work?
Actually, self-employment gave me a call: An acquaintance suggested that I take over the communication for his employer, a textile machine manufacturer in the Alb, as a freelancer. When I was on the phone, I had our ten-day-old son in my arms. I was also a PR consultant at Ketchum in Stuttgart. Because I was curious, I got to grips with the matter over the next few months. With success: The textile machines have turned out to be surprisingly tangible products, after all, they make the clothes that we wear on our bodies every day. From this my access to the textile industry developed, which I would call my home base today.

Because I serve various companies along the textile chain, I have an overall view of the industry and can offer overarching stories with different perspectives. I also have a weakness for complex, "dusty" topics, regardless of the industry. I can delve in them with devotion in order to present them vividly. That's why I would call myself a content specialist.

In addition to German, English, Spanish and French, you speak Swabian fluently. Why is it important to have regional roots when you work for export-oriented companies in the textile industry in Baden-Württemberg?
You got that about fluent Swabian from my website, right? (Laughs) But yes, it is very helpful if you can feel whether "gschwind" – Swabian for “pretty fast” - tolerates a delay or has to be dealt with immediately.

I think the Swabian is really important in terms of the mentality behind it. I grew up in the Alb, my father ran a medium-sized company of his own. I understand many things without a customer having to explain them to me.

For example, modesty in relation to one's own person. Especially in long-established family businesses, the owners play an important role. They bear a great responsibility, both in the company and at their location. Nevertheless, the focus is always on the entrepreneurial performance, the product that, manufactured somewhere in the Swabian province, can keep up with the German, European or global competition. That doesn't happen by itself, but requires courage, entrepreneurial spirit and a great deal of openness to new things, and that fascinates me. I also often notice that by the passion, that these leading family businesses bring with them, I am carried away.

Breaking new ground means being willing to make decisions, overcoming fears - and thus also having the courage to fail. Not every project can succeed. In retrospect, which entrepreneurial decision are you particularly glad to have made?
Apart from being self-employed? The first corona lockdown with home schooling and closed daycare centers was a big challenge. On the one hand, I was relieved that it became quieter on the customer side between the end of March and the beginning of June, otherwise it would not have been feasible either professionally or in terms of family. On the other hand, this silence scared me and I often asked myself whether self-employment was the right way to go.

In early summer, when the situation on all sides had stabilized somewhat, I tackled the problem head on: I looked for co-working spaces and took extensive further training in online marketing. Being honest, of course, these were business decisions. Fortunately, they are already paying off, even if I may sit alone in the office for now.

Is there any work you are particularly proud of? Which story moved you beyond normal and which thematic challenges do you love?
One project that I fondly remember is the communication referring to a repdigit anniversary one of my clients was celebrating. For this, I first put 111 years of the company’s history down on paper in weeks, no, months of archive work. Because I had delved so deeply into the subject, I came up with many ideas for the messages of the anniversary celebration. Fortunately, the client was quickly convinced. At some point we had a signet, a slogan and a really good story for the anniversary. Incidentally, we still benefit from the numerous proof points we worked out for the occasion in our product and corporate communications today.

In addition, the project has naturally deepened the relationship with this client. I also work closely with the advertising agency that accompanied the anniversary communication. I consider such long-term partnerships as a great asset.

Have the messages you want or need to communicate for your clients changed in Corona times? And what was the focus of your work in 2020?
Unsurprisingly, the focus of work in 2020 was on online communication. For almost all of my customers we will start planning and implementing new measures in this area in the coming year.

As for the messages, little has altered. This is certainly due to the fact that the meta-topics have remained the same. Take sustainability, definitely a long-running favorite in the textile industry, and the sub-topic regionality. In contrast to previous crises, the Corona pandemic has not sidelined these approaches, but intensified them because it has shown us how dependent we are on production abroad. The same applies to the issues of transparency and quality.

Precisely because the themes have stayed the same, the crucial part for me is to find a unique story within these permanent themes so as not to disappear into the big river. That requires empathy, creativity - and a good portion of diligence.

Moving away from the simple advertising message to storytelling - what recommendation would you give medium-sized companies in general regarding their communication for the coming year? Are there any special features that the textile industry in particular should consider?
I think that will go in the direction of "We are still there, and even stronger than before". After all, the crisis demanded a lot from everyone. But it is always a productive phase, because when it comes to a head, it forces us to develop further that otherwise would not have been initiated or at least would have been initiated later. Therefore, it can represent a turning point, definitely for the better.

Take digitization, which is the most obvious approach: the crisis has given rise to a boost in this area; the online shop was or is to be expanded, the service is to become more digital.

Apart from that, there are certain individual changes in every company that the crisis has brought about. You can have the courage to name and tell them, because these are stories that interest everyone.

Goodbye Facebook - good morning TikTok. Which social media platforms do you recommend to your clients and under what conditions should medium-sized companies get involved?
TikTok has so far been more of a topic that I discuss with my daughter, who is almost 12 years old. But seriously: I recently read in a study published by Hootsuite that at the beginning of 2020, less than ten percent of Germans were using TikTok. On Facebook, the user share is still over 60 percent. For that reason alone, we shouldn't simply dismiss Facebook.

When I discuss the topic of social media with my clients, it is important for me not to think from the channels. Sure, it's tempting, but other questions should be asked at the beginning: What is the long-term goal of the social media activities? What resources are available - and what budgets? By now it is well known that social media is an extensive field of activity in its own right, which ties up corresponding resources. In medium-sized businesses, where I rarely have access to a multi-headed marketing team, a solid strategy is the be-all and end-all. It must be very, very clear which target groups are to be addressed. Then I can talk about channels and choose the most important ones. This almost certainly includes LinkedIn and Xing, as well as Instagram and Facebook, the latter especially in an international environment. By the way, the evaluation is just as important, it tends to fall behind. The relationship between measured values and corporate goals is anything but trivial.

Trade fairs, events, press conferences and meetings - these have almost completely fallen by the wayside in 2020. How important do you consider face-to-face communication to be in the long term, and which channels and measures do you recommend to your customers to compensate for these losses?
Face-to-face contact remains important! Of course, we all realised last year that not every event has to be a face-to-face event. A video conference saves time and money and, with the right discipline, can be just as effective as a face-to-face meeting. Many service cases can also be solved by video telephony, no one has to travel around. I am therefore convinced that we will not return to the meeting in person culture we had before Corona, even if this will be possible again at some point.

That's why I advise my clients to take advantage of the digital opportunities that are opening up everywhere. At the moment, everyone is still a beginner, you can only learn. Take virtual trade fairs: This is a fundamentally different approach than the classic presence fair. There is no need for a large trade fair team that is ready from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are no press appointments either. It is much more important to contact the visitors directly, i.e., to collect leads, to group the visitors and to stay in touch with them after the event by providing them with tailor-made content. Speaking of content: at the latest with such online events, it becomes clear how diverse content must be prepared. To pick up customers in the virtual space, you need graphics, videos, animations and much more.

Nevertheless, it will not work without direct, physical contact. I remain convinced that people buy from people. Video conferences work particularly well when the participants already know each other from real life. And the textile industry in particular thrives on haptics. I can never feel a yarn or a fabric digitally. Nor can I feel the production speed of a machine. With every revolution there is a slight breeze. You can't get that digitally.

 

The interview was conducted by Ines Chucholowius, CEO Textination GmbH

Claudia Bitzer, (c) Claudia Bitzer, photographer Ralph Koch (c) Claudia Bitzer (c) Pixabay
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TV TecSTyle Visions proved its status as a leading trade fair of the European textile decoration industry in an impressive way. (c) Messe Stuttgart
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11.02.2020

TV TECSTYLE VISIONS: IMPRESSIVE CONFIRMATION OF STATUS AS LEADING TRADE FAIR

  • High internationality and excellent visitor quality ensure top ra-tings

The trade fair combination for visual communication and haptic adver-tising, EXPO 4.0, was an impressive event with 421 exhibitors and 12,518 visitors held from 30 January to 1 February 2020 in Stuttgart:

  • High internationality and excellent visitor quality ensure top ra-tings

The trade fair combination for visual communication and haptic adver-tising, EXPO 4.0, was an impressive event with 421 exhibitors and 12,518 visitors held from 30 January to 1 February 2020 in Stuttgart:
TV TecStyle Visions, trade fair for textile decoration and promotion, enriched the trade fair combination with a top-class exhibitor offering, high internationality and an accompanying programme characterised by innovations and know-how transfer. It proved its status as a leading trade fair for the European textile decoration industry in an impressive way: 262 exhibitors, including all relevant companies from the exhibition segments textiles and technology, mark the importance as a European industry get-together every two years in Stuttgart. The leading trade fair confronts the uncertain European market situation and uncertainties in trade, the number of exhibitors remained almost constant compared to the previous event (2018: 270). The 126 international exhibitors came from 21 countries to Stuttgart. The top 5 countries of origin are Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Poland and Italy.
 
Many decision-makers from the Germany/Austria/Switzerland region
Within the framework of TV TecStyle Visions the visitors were particularly interested in the different printing processes, embroidery and textiles. The EXPO 4.0 trade fair combination attracted 17 per cent international visitors from 50 countries to Stuttgart. The appeal of the leading European trade fair is manifested with the top visitor countries Switzerland and Austria. 35 percent of all visitors to TV TecStyle Visions travelled more than 300 kilometres to Stuttgart.

The quality of the visitors has been a reliable constant for years: four out of five visitors are actively involved in purchasing and procurement decisions, 87 percent have concrete intentions to invest and 84 percent of the visitors want to invest in the next 12 months. An overall rating of the trade fair combination of 2.0 ("good") and a return visit rate for 4 out of 5 visitors highlight the positive synergy effects created by the parallel timing of the three trade fairs in the trade fair combination EXPO 4.0. This is also reflected in the amount of time visitors spend at the event - on average 4.8 hours at the three trade fairs.
 
Comprehensive accompanying programme
Apart from the exhibition offering, TV TecStyle Visions has been convincing for years with a comprehensive accompanying programme. Not only real innovations and trends that move the industry are showcased at the stands. At this year's trade fair the TecCheck Area acts as a look into the near future. In the digital microfactory nine companies demonstrated the possibilities of digitalisation in production under the coordination of DITF (German Institutes for Textile and Fibre Research, Denkendorf). A polo-shirt was made in one hour, from the 3D design and conception, through to the printing, thermosetting, cutting and making-up of the garment. The trend topics of the industry and the degree of innovation were also shown in the forum, such as the option of personalisation and automation in textile finishing/textile decoration/garment decoration. The TecStyle Fashion Show, the forum and also Charlie's Corner gave visitors a platform to exchange information and ideas and for know-how transfer, as well as another presentation possibility for the exhibitors.
 
The next TV TecStyle Visions takes place in the EXPO 4.0 trade fair combination with WETEC and GiveADays in two years. The dates 10 to 12 February 2022 are currently reserved.

The quality of the visitors has been a reliable constant for years: four out of five visitors are actively involved in purchasing and procurement decisions. (c) Messe Stuttgart The 126 international exhibitors came from 21 countries to Stuttgart. Messe Stuttgart holds the copyright to all images. (c) Messe Stuttgart At this year's trade fair the TecCheck Area acts as a look into the near future. (c) Messe Stuttgart Within the framework of TV TecStyle Visions the visitors were particularly interested in transfer printing, embroidery, textiles and stock, textile screen printing and digital textile printing. (c) Messe Stuttgart
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TV TECSTYLE VISIONS: TRADE FAIR ATTENDANCE WITH VALUE-ADDED (c) Messe Stuttgart
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17.12.2019

TV TECSTYLE VISIONS: TRADE FAIR ATTENDANCE WITH VALUE-ADDED

  • More than just a product exhibition
  • Talent promotion during the Young Professionals Day

Knowledge transfer and inspiration are the focal points of the accompanying programme of TV TecStyle Visions which will be held in Stuttgart from 30 January to 1 February 2020. In addition to a broad product portfolio, the eleventh edition of Europe's leading trade fair will offer trade visitors various special shows and technical forums in the L-Bank Forum (Hall 1).

  • More than just a product exhibition
  • Talent promotion during the Young Professionals Day

Knowledge transfer and inspiration are the focal points of the accompanying programme of TV TecStyle Visions which will be held in Stuttgart from 30 January to 1 February 2020. In addition to a broad product portfolio, the eleventh edition of Europe's leading trade fair will offer trade visitors various special shows and technical forums in the L-Bank Forum (Hall 1).

Knowledge transfer for doers
The special technical show TecCheck Area is a new addition to TV TecStyle Visions: Visitors will be able to follow the complete production process for a polo shirt during this special show. A shirt - from its 3-D design through to the finished product - will be produced live within one hour on stand 1B80 in a digital textile micro factory, i.e. a digitally networked production line. The German Institute for Textile and Fibre Research (DITF) is responsible for the technical management of this special show with the support of Albstadt-Sigmaringen University and Cologne University of Applied Sciences. Renowned manufacturers and retailers such as Assyst, Caddon, HP, Multi-Plot Europe, Schöller Textil, Rebstock Consulting and Zünd Systemtechnik will present the latest products on the market for the live production demonstration. The production line will bridge the gap between virtual and real products, virtual reality and networked production, based on specific requirements.

In Charlie’s Corner Charlie Taublieb alias Dr. Print will shed light on the technical aspects of textile finishing by means of screen printing. On Stand 1C11 visitors will be able to print a T-shirt themselves under the supervision of this expert and profit from his know-how through its design. Together with his expert network, Dr. Print will be pleased to answer all unresolved questions.

Fair trade, sustainable products and ecological production methods are in demand. At the fair•eco•bio Infopoint (Stand 1G22) experts such as Mantis, Neutral and HRM will explain in more detail to visitors how the production, sale and finishing of advertising textiles are organised sustainably. Interested trade visitors will have an opportunity themselves to print a sustainably produced item of clothing using water-based inks.The programme of the Technical Forum (Stand 1D22) will include talks and best practice examples relating to the topics of smart textiles, finishing techniques and sustainability. Panel discussions in which experts from the industry talk about the latest developments in the industry will also be held every day. These discussions will be followed by a get-together which will enable visitors and participants to carry out networking.

Experience inspiration live 
During the TecStyle Fashion Show on Stand 1H70, models and dancers will present the latest fashion trends and outfits in a show accompanied by music. The show will feature the latest collections from    
renowned national and international textile labels such as HAKRO, JHK, Adler Czech, Result Clothing, Falk&Ross, Master Italia, Premier and Promodoro.

Talent promotion: Young Professionals Day
The Young Professionals Day will be held for the first time and is aimed at industry newcomers. Schoolchildren, students and young professionals are invited to attend the Action Day (30 January 2020) in order to become acquainted with the occupational fields of EXPO 4.0, i.e. textile finishing, advertising technology and visual communication. Students from the Stuttgart Media University and Messe
Stuttgart are jointly developing a programme by young professionals for young professionals. The Young Professionals Day will feature special talks, hands-on activities and tours of the trade fair tailored directly to the target group.

Information for visitors
TV TecStyle Visions will be held from 30 January to 1 February 2020 concurrently with the trade fairs WETEC and GiveADays in the L-Bank Forum (Hall 1) at Messe Stuttgart. Europe's leading trade fair for textile finishing and promotion will be open from 09.30 to 18.00 on Thursday and Friday, 30 and 31 January 2020, and from 09.30 to 17.00 on Saturday, 1 February 2020. Visitors attending TV TecStyle Visions can access the event via the Entrance East which directly adjoins the L-Bank Forum (Hall 1). A total of 7,000 parking spaces are available in the area around the trade fair grounds while the S-Bahn (suburban train) at Stuttgart Airport is just a few minutes walk away.
Tickets for TV TecStyle Visions can be purchased online at: www.tecstyle-visions.com/ticket. A free day ticket is available with the promotion code "TV20IhrTicket" and entitles the holder to visit all events in the EXPO 4.0 trade fair combination.
 
About EXPO 4.0 – Print.Produce.Promote.
EXPO 4.0 is the leading platform for visual communication and haptic advertising. The three trade fairs TV TecStyle Visions, WETEC and GiveADays showcase new products and innovations in the areas of textile finishing, advertising technology and promotion. In spring 2018, the trade fair combination recorded a total of 566 exhibitors from 28 countries and 13,700 trade visitors from 41 countries.

TV TECSTYLE VISIONS: TRADE FAIR ATTENDANCE WITH VALUE-ADDED (c) Messe Stuttgart TV TECSTYLE VISIONS: TRADE FAIR ATTENDANCE WITH VALUE-ADDED (c) Messe Stuttgart
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Shoes must glitter in winter 2016/17 © Messe Düsseldorf GmbH / ctillmann
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16.02.2016

SHOES MUST GLITTER IN WINTER 2016/17

Paint, glitter and metallic effects should provide the highlights at the foot in the coming autumn / winter 2016/2017. In addition, deep shades of red and the trend color cognac and camel. Otherwise it is said: more volume, more profile. Androgenic shoe types conquer the shoe racks.

Paint, glitter and metallic effects should provide the highlights at the foot in the coming autumn / winter 2016/2017. In addition, deep shades of red and the trend color cognac and camel. Otherwise it is said: more volume, more profile. Androgenic shoe types conquer the shoe racks.

While the chilly autumn weather in September and in the first half of October still brought good sales for winter shoes and boots, the mild November and December thwart the retailers bill. Especially snow shoes and boots became shop keepers at many places, especially small and medium size enterprises had to record a decline in sales. Although the online trade had to fight with the same weather conditions, initial figures however indicate, that the online shoe trade was able to register last year a sales growth of around seven percent. The stationary trade is looking for new concepts, is even more intensely dealing with its assortments and suppliers and aims to react therefore with a proper weighting of new footwear trends. Many traders took advantage of the just ended GDS shoe fair in Dusseldorf in order to learn about the new trends for autumn / winter 2016/17: The hippie look with its inspirations from the 1970s finds its continuation. Folkloric elements are implemented with much attention to details: fringe, fur, embroidery and patchwork will be found not only on shoes but on boots as well. Velvets, animal prints, tapestry, floral or abstract patterns enhance the detail-note of the theme. Snake prints are found not only subtly used as an ornament, but all over the entire shoe. Pumps and ballerinas are interpreted feminine with curved heels. Hip, although probably not a bringer of numbers, the overknee, to be carried with the tunic dress.

Trendy remain androgynous types of footwear such as Budapest, Broques, Monks and Loafer, that are perfectly suited to types of trousers as the culotte and the new over long pants. Their soles are partly very distinctive but extremely light. Loving details such as perforations, tassels, straps ensure modernity. The new bootees convince thru reduced optics and different shaft heights: They range from almost ankledeep over classic variants to medium-high boots which are worn narrow to the leg. Copped and round boot strips stay, new are square forms. At heels block-heels and slightly tapered shapes are in vogue, the soles are ultra-light and come in their fashionable variants as plateau or wedge soles.

The sneaker is an indispensable part of the shoe closets and remains unbeatable in the coming autumn / winter. In the new season it will appear cleaner and with fewer details. Tone in tone leo, metallics and suede will be mixed with a little paint, which gives the new sneakers an extravagant touch. Matt-gloss and 3D effects give the sneakers a high fashion look. For the colder months the sneaker comes in a material mix with fur and a warm interior design. Neoprene, mesh and leather produce in combination with 3D printing a new trendy image. Side zipper, damping and padding ensure greater comfort. For the soles lightweight, flexible PU or mix variants remain important. Fashionably are darker soles or soles in a dirty look in addition to the white and light soils.

In the new season the classic black and will not disappear from the shoe cabinets, even though black will not be traded as the ultimate trend color in the new season. Buying impulses should be given by stone, timber and mineral tones as well as cognac and camel, rust and deep shades of red and khaki, olive and denim tones. Color gradients and strong contrasts create a new appearance. Gloss and glitter are back in the trend, through glittering colors as well as through pearls and strass.

The choice of materials by the designers for the new shoe fashion is versatile as seldom before, they like to mix in the new season: animated, soft qualities with haptic and structure, next to very clean, smooth qualities. It will be patched, stitched, printed, embossed, patterned and flocked. The trendy shoe materials include leather qualities in natural optics, often with noticeable grain pattern. Lizard embossments are back in vogue, especially crocodile and python. Soft suede and nubuck qualities are a must. Exceptional finish effects and fantasy embossments are very trendy. 3D is not just an issue for new high-tech qualities,
but can also be seen as brocade, bouclé, lace or jacquard pattern.

Shoes must glitter in winter 2016/17 © Messe Düsseldorf GmbH / ctillmann Shoes must glitter in winter 2016/17 © Messe Düsseldorf GmbH / ctillmann Shoes must glitter in winter 2016/17 © Messe Düsseldorf GmbH / ctillmann Shoes must glitter in winter 2016/17 © Messe Düsseldorf GmbH / ctillmann Shoes must glitter in winter 2016/17 © Messe Düsseldorf GmbH / ctillmann Shoes must glitter in winter 2016/17 © Messe Düsseldorf GmbH / ctillmann
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Susanne Schaper

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