Under the new name, Berlin Fashion X International (BFXI), the Fashion Council Germany's third internationalization delegation embarked on a trip to New York City in late October. Nine specially selected designers participated in this market exploration journey, aiming to establish key connections and introduce their brands to the US market. This initiative supports Berlin-based fashion companies by fostering meaningful, future-oriented business relationships and laying a foundation for successful market entry. Funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises, along with the European Union, this project will be expanded in 2025 with a delegation trip to Seoul, South Korea, to explore opportunities in the Asian market.

The delegation consisted of the nine fashion labels BALLETSHOFER, Carolin Dieler, Clara Colette Miramon, Effenberger Couture, Gerrit Jacob, Human Touch, LUEDER, Selva Huygens and Vladimir Karaleev. In a program individually tailored to the participants, they received in-depth insights into the US market for a week. They were introduced to the unique characteristics of the American landscape, which shed light on differing needs compared to Germany. Through targeted sales and communication workshops, they gained strategic recommendations for entering the market and connected with local stakeholders, press representatives, and industry experts. This experience allowed them to build lasting connections and expand their international network.

Highlights of the program included meetings with Michael Ferraro, Executive Director of the FIT DTech Lab on the latest innovations in fashion and technology, with Julie Anne Quay, Managing Director of VFiles or with Mark Holgate and Nicole Phelps and their team from Vogue US, where the participants gained further insights and details about the US market. The program continued with a tour of the New York Embroidery Studio in the renowned Garment District, along with visits to Atelier Jolie, the Nordstromflagship store—one of America’s most iconic retailers—and Café Forgot. Participants received valuable tips on integrating retail concepts and targeted sales strategies. Meetings with representatives from DOORS NYC, Haus Incubator, and Lindsey Media provided further hands-on insights into retail, sales, brand strategy, branding, and PR.

In a meeting with Joseph Maglieri, Director of Fashion Week Initiatives at the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the participants discussed how synergies between NYFW and BFW could be utilized and how strengths could be bundled in order to connect the two locations in the best possible way. In a 'Pitch Prep' with Kim Lenar-Ehrhardt (CEO, The Kim Code), the participants were able to prepare for a pitch presentation in front of a jury of industry experts, who then evaluated it and provided valuable feedback. As in April, the delegation once again met German designer Melitta Baumeister in her studio, who shared her experiences and insights on the successful positioning of German brands in the US market.

For the third time, an international FCG Fireside Dinner was held at Loft 29 in New York City. The evening was rounded off with an exclusive menu by German chef Chef Simonand his “Speakeasy Dinner Concept”. The informal atmosphere provided further networking opportunities for the delegation participants. In particular, the focus was on strengthening the German American partnership.

Now that the trip has concluded, the goal is to build on the experience gained and foster proactive networking between players in both markets. Fashion Council Germany will continue to offer advisory support to all project participants and will provide additional insights on international markets through regular webinars and other resources.

A fourth delegation trip to New York City is planned for April 2025, followed by an internationalization trip to South Korea in autumn 2025. Application opportunities for future trips can be found on the project website: www.berlinfashioninternational.com