Supporters and partners of the startup, Prof. Dr. Stefan Spinler from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, Tobias Werthwein from the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts and João Matias from YKK Europe came to wish the team a good start and highlighted the increasing importance of digitalization in crafts and the need for cross-industry collaboration.

At the second panel talk, on the topic “Globalization and Local Craftsmanship”, Heiko Wunder from Wunderwerk Fashion, master shoemaker Rolf Rainer from Runder Tisch Reparatur, and Lukas Punder from CANO Shoes & Retraced shared practical insights from their many years of experience. The guests learned to appreciate the added value of quality craftsmanship and saw the problems, that lack of transparency within the global fashion industry has caused. In the final panel “Future Fashion: Resell, Rent & Repair”, Design & Brand Communication Expert Sandra Lai-Chun Cheung and The Mintage Vintage Store founder Janice Saya, shared insights from the second-hand fashion sector, as well as easy-to-implement tips on how to shop more sustainably. The motto was, wear what you already have in your closet as long as possible, otherwise buy second-hand or rent, so that you buy new, even if sustainably produced clothing, as the last option.

In addition to the sustainability aspect, Janice Saya explained the importance of authenticity for the younger generation of shoppers who visit her vintage store. Sandra Lai-Chun Cheung emphasized that price is still a major barrier to sustainable consumption, but she was also very optimistic that we are witnessing a new era in fashion. Consumers today are beginning to see fashion as a long-term investment! With the saying, “Good design has no expiration date and clothes that contain memories of beautiful moments never go out of fashion,” Monika Hauck concluded the roundtable.