I had a great visit at the trade fair for ecological and ethical fashion at Berlin Fashion Week. I had the Knokkon business cards in my handbag and I just couldn’t get past the door at Berlin’s old airport, which in itself is already quite a chore, when I was already immersed in discussing recycling, sustainability and ecology in textiles.
My intention was just to see around a little and come back the following day, but the event was just too interesting to leave early! The fair had an amazing number of companies working with sustainable solutions and fabrics and recycling. With one entrepreneur, we wondered when will Neonyt conquer the entire airport. Hope it doesn’t take too long. I thought that Knokkon is going to have its own stand next year. It didn’t take more than a second to start a conversation with any company representative. There were lots of buyers, entrepreneurs just visiting the fair as well as random locals and tourists.
I met some amazing people at the fair, all sharing the same values. I learned so much new! Knokkon’s idea of replacing some of cotton as a material with stinging nettle as cotton need so much water even when produced organic. To my surprise I met an entrepreneur who told me that cotton grows in suitable areas close to the equator, where it doesn’t need all that extra watering. People just don’t talk about it too much.
Cotton is a natural fibre and every plant has its own breeding grounds. People just don’t talk about it too much. The problem is cotton grows much worse in the areas which are not natural for it to grow. As Knokkon sells products containing hemp fibre, I enjoyed talking with representatives of companies selling hemp clothing. It became clear that China was able to obtain certified, durable, manufactured hemp fabric. I had listened people talking the challenges they meet with selling outside EU or to EU from another countries. Knokkon also strives to cover some areas outside EU so it was good to hear what was to come.
The fair also had particularly interesting speeches. I was sitting in a very warm, old room waiting to hear, as representatives of different eco-standard organizations talked about standards and different materials. This was what interested me most and wanted to hear the word nettle. Did I hear? Please wait for Knokkon’s next blog and find out!
