FashionTech Lives at #rp15?

Muchaneta Kapfunde | @FashNerdEditor

Re:publica Berlin is the place to be this week.

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10h

The FashNerd teams plans to indulge in all things fashion technology. We especially look forward to being educated by Danny Krautz on Resources and Development, Monika Konokova on luxury fashion and Mike Betts on Sustainability.

11h

As first timers, we wait patiently for the Woven Internet talk to begin. Standing still, we first observe and quickly notice the too cool for skool crowd in attendance.  So what makes Re:publica stand out? Well for starters, the staff zoom around the venue on a scooter. Whizzing past us, we can’t help but notice how expertly they move, like they were born to be transported on two wheels. Secondly, the layout of the venue is amazing. High ceilings, old warehouse style look all accessorised with throwback lampshades and windows that continue to wow us. Lastly, the independent vendors. There is no Starbucks or high street food brand insight. They are all small, German and independent, which is great.

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With time not on our side we are now heading to Stage 11, ready to hear Julia Kammel talk.

12noon

Lunch time. We are lucky enough to be having lunch with Lisa Lang. She is the CEO and founder of Electro Couture. A pioneer of the FashTech movement, she is a woman who is unafraid to speak her mind.

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The interview was one of leisurely chit chat about Fashion technology industry, where it has come from, where it is and it is going. Enlightening and innovative she is certainly a woman to watch. Her interview, in detail, will be posted tomorrow, be sure not to miss it.

13h

Took a moment with Pietro Oluyede. Introduced to him by Lisa Lang, the conversation evolved around enabling one-off apparel design for the consumer via technology. It was eye opening being in the company of someone passionate about their trade.

Pietro Oluyede
Pietro Oluyede

14h

After the Future of 3D Printing talk by Sara Bonomi, we stayed to listen to Tobias Ulmer whose talk was about digital strategies for the future of fashion. This was a must attend talk for social media enthusiasts. In 15 minutes Ulmer successfully drummed in the common mistakes made by brands when it comes to social media. These included the ‘Copy and Paste’ method of the same news on social media platforms. He argued that to make an impact, repetitive is not recommended.


15h

With 3D printing being such a buzz word when it comes to Fashion Technology, we tracked down Sara Bonomi for a chat. Passionate about 3D printing, she gave us a demonstration on how it all works. It was amazing to be able to see it all at work. From the design on the laptop to the creation using the printer, ‘wow’ was the word that came to mind. We will be profiling Sara in the coming weeks on FashNerd.com, so be sure to stay tuned.

16h

Street Style at RP15 was an eye opener. The common thread was a non-fussy, easy style. Adopted by the majority of attending women, comfort was the name of the game. No heels or awkward looking clothes in sight. It is a look that is all about layering complimented by Aigle boots, Nike trainers or simple plimsolls, it is only a stray few, like ourselves, that dared to brave the high heel. With interest time was spent capturing the Berlin Street Style, read more HERE

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17h

With so many organic and vegan style food vendors selling yummy food, we knew we simply had to sample it. Healthy means guilt free. So we enjoyed burgers from cows that lived a happy life, drank popular Berlin drink Club-Mate and finished it all off with handmade vegan lollies- yummy.

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18h

Following a long day, it was now quitting time.  So did FashionTech live at re:publica? Well we definitely give the event A for effort, but we did expect more. If the event proved one thing, it is that FashionTech is definitely still in its incubation period, which means that there is room for improvement and growth. It is great the organisers are putting together these events, so like mined people can meet up, but I do wish instead of it being so specialised this is an event that should simply be the norm, because we have a feeling that Fashion and Technology is a relationship that is here to stay.

Where you there? Feel free to add to this article by sharing in the comment section below.