Berlin Fashion Week 

Berlin Fashion Week is fast approaching, and it’s bringing with it an important question: how can Fashion-Week and sustainability go hand in hand? It’s a complex and layered question, one that this blog will explore.

Last year, Berlin Fashion Week made a significant announcement — a collaboration with Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) to implement stricter sustainability requirements. This initiative, backed by (financial) support from the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, marks a pivotal step toward making fashion more sustainable.

The New Guidelines: A Trial Run in 2025

Berlin Fashion Week has embraced three core values from Copenhagen’s sustainability guidelines: freedom, inclusion, and creativity. These principles focus on transparency and traceability across the entire fashion value chain. The goal? Creating fairer opportunities for everyone – including the often-overlooked people working behind the scenes.

While these changes will be fully enforced next year, so 2025 feels more like a trial run. Until then, the sustainability aspect largely depends on the participants — designers, brands, and attendees like you.

How can you support sustainable fashion at Berlin Fashion Week?

Support your local Designer!

Berlin is home to an abundance of talented designers and brands that prioritize sustainability in their work. Many of them will host events during Fashion Week, providing opportunities for the public to engage and support their efforts.

One standout event this year is the opening of the pop-up by Natascha von Hirschhausen on February 1^st. She is a Berlin-based designer who champions sustainable practices, using materials like recycled cashmere and peace silk while keeping her waste to less than 1%. To put that into perspective, the fashion industry’s average waste rate is a staggering 20%!

Together with four other brands and designers (Société Angelique, PB0110, DAWN Denim, and Alina Schürfeld), her fashion will be available in the pop-up B‑Stories.

Go to Panel Talks!

Panel talks are offering opportunities to dive deeper into the topic of sustainability. Many organizations and NGOs host discussions that cover everything from innovation and diversity to design, technology, and sustainable development.

For instance, the Fashion Council Germany is hosting a series called METAMORPHOSIS – Dialogues About Change. This lineup features a variety of speakers and discussions designed to inspire and inform attendees about the future of fashion.

One panel of METAMORPHOSIS that is not to miss is the Expert Talk featuring Niki de Schryver, founder of COSH!. In this session, Niki de Schryver and other leading female experts will discuss how brands can authentically communicate their sustainability efforts. Niki de Schryver, Kirsten Siegler (vbc Agency), Marie Lüder (LUEDER), Sophie Claussen (Avenir) will share insights into transparent storytelling, building trust with audiences, and steering clear of greenwashing. It’s a must-see for anyone passionate about ethical fashion. The talk will be moderated by Emma Vloeimans (Harper’s Bazaar NL).

Why Your Participation Matters

Berlin Fashion Week’s journey toward sustainability is a collective effort. While the framework is being established at an institutional level, much of the progress relies on designers, brands, and attendees taking action and showing interest. By supporting local designers and attending panel talks everyone can be an active participant in this journey.