Munich Fabric Start & Bluezone: Pleasure, imperfection and the return of elegance

Munich (Germany) - This was the second edition of Munich Fabric Start/Bluezone under new leadership. Last March, new managing director Florian Klinder took over responsibility for the trade fairs from his brother, Sebastian Klinder, who had led them for over 17 years.

“We deliberately chose the motto ‘Pleasure’. It is about enjoying fashion, even when the challenges are significant,” explains Klinder. The fashion market is currently anything but pleasant. Consumers are in saving mode and careful about spending, and so are fashion companies. Design teams are being downsized, order budgets are being adjusted and trade fair visits are being reduced. The booked space is around 20 percent smaller than at the last fair, says Klinder, noting that summer fairs are often weaker than winter ones.

Rescheduling the trade fair

There is a lot in flux, including the trade fair dates. The upcoming autumn edition is set to move from its original September date to mid-July. “Then we will be back at the start of the season,” says Klinder. “We surveyed our exhibitors and visitors, and 80 percent are in favour of this change.” Lead times have also become longer. Cost pressure demands greater supply chain efficiency, which means less warehousing and more streamlined logistics, often resulting in longer timelines.

The subsequent trade fair for the spring/summer 2028 season is scheduled to start in December, instead of late January.

Print suppliers, in particular, preferred to keep the September date, as prints are typically finalised as late as possible. Denim supplier Isko also has reservations. “July would be the worst possible date for us,” says Fatma Korkmaz, product development manager at Isko. She would prefer to start even earlier, in June.

Spring/summer 2027 trends: denim embraces imperfection

Tilmann Wröbel, creative director and founder of the denim studio Monsieur-T., also addressed the theme of pleasure in his trend presentation. He argued that not everything was better in the past, contrary to popular belief. Fifty years ago, the denim industry was much smaller and there were no denim trade fairs. At that time, denim was not an established part of fashion collections. “We should think positively,” says Wröbel. “We must focus on the opportunities that are always present.”

His central trend theme was “Imperfection”. In a world that appears increasingly perfected, polished and interchangeable due to mass-produced AI images, the imperfect is what captures attention and allows for identification. Studies also show that Gen Z is increasingly bored by idealised body images, flawless self-portrayals and overly styled campaigns.

“We can cater to this desire for the imperfect very well with denim,” the designer emphasised. He sees growing interest in imperfect surfaces and stronger textures. Anything simple and smooth is becoming too boring. “People are looking for things that create disruption, that are not easy to understand and perhaps not easy to find.” At Isko, for example, the trend is realised with coloured flock prints or a crinkle look. This is achieved by shrinking parts of the yarn when exposed to heat.

SS27 trends: rise of more formal looks in fashion

Trend researchers are also noting the growing importance of textures and tactile experiences in fashion. According to Volker Orthmann and Katharina Majorek from the style agency o/m Collective, natural fibres, craftsmanship and genuine patina are experiencing a renaissance as “status markers”. “There is a strong cultural need for an authentic material experience,” says Majorek. “Genuine creativity will gain new importance because people are tired of the AI-generated content,” adds Orthmann. Fringes, knitwear, crinkle and loop yarns remain significant, while lace and embroidery are becoming even more important. “Embroidery and lace are a growth market. They can be used to justify higher prices,” the expert says. New silhouettes featuring balloon shapes, ruffles and peplums are also emerging.

“The last few years were defined by oversized looks; now the waist is making a comeback,” is the consensus. The fashion choices of the Trump administration have also had an influence on this, says David Shah, publisher and CEO of View-Publications, in his keynote. He notes that not only do the women in his circle dress in a distinctly formal and classic style, but he also expects proper attire from men.

Simultaneously, the influence of sportswear with its overly technical looks will be scaled back. “Street style and sneakers are dead; everything is becoming elegant,” Majorek is convinced. In terms of colour, next summer will be dominated by various shades of yellow and orange.

Sustainability remains a key, non-negotiable topic

“Sustainability has lost its sexiness,” says denim designer Tilmann Wröbel, referring to the hype in recent years around more environmentally friendly denim production. “However, there is no alternative.” The image of denim and the entire fashion industry is tarnished, and a great deal of misinformation is circulating. For this reason, the industry must persevere, even if regulations are weakened or delayed. New technologies always hold exciting design potential, for instance in the field of digital denim. This involves printing cotton twill with a denim look, eliminating the drawbacks of classic washes or distressed techniques in terms of durability and resource consumption. Labels like Acne are already adopting this approach. Acne not only printed trousers with a denim look but also printed matching accessories, such as chains or patches.

German cotton specialist Cotonea also continues to focus on sustainability, having recently launched fabrics made from organic Pima cotton. The project was developed in collaboration with US cotton farmers. They agreed to grow this rare and exceptionally high-quality, GOTS-certified cotton fibre for a fixed purchase quantity. The fabric is woven in the company's own mill in the Czech Republic, which also includes a garment manufacturing facility. The target audience is designer labels that value sustainability and seek exceptional quality.

The first Demeter-certified textile from the brand Loads also premiered. It resulted from a collaboration between a Dutch Demeter farm and the UK-based NGO Dirt, which was responsible for developing the standard for the textile sector. The textile is made from biodynamically grown cotton from Egypt, dyed with biodynamically grown plant-based dyes from the Demeter farm. Both cultivation and the dyeing process took place in the Netherlands. A total of five dyes are available at launch. Loads is the brand under which the Dutch farm distributes its products. Demeter differs from GOTS through its complete avoidance of synthetic chemicals and its use of regenerative agriculture, where practices like ploughing are prohibited to protect the soil. The goal is to develop plant-based dyes for other fibre types, including dyes for leather.

Future plans: more formats for knowledge transfer and exchange

The next Munich Fabric Start / Bluezone for the autumn/winter 2027/28 season will take place from July 14 to 16, 2026. Klinder already has several new ideas for it. There could be more events for networking and knowledge transfer, such as round-tables or workshops. The website is also set to be redesigned. Florian Klinder still sees a need for trade fairs. This is particularly true because designers in smaller teams often take on more responsibilities in the office, leaving no time for creative periods. “I hear from many that they truly enjoy spending a day at the trade fair, completely undisturbed, and being able to focus solely on that.”