New York City, October 23, 2024: For the third time, the Fashion Council Germany hosted an international Fireside Dinner in New York City on Tuesday evening. The occasion was the delegation trip that took place in the USA from October 20th to 25th as part of the Berlin Fashion X International project. The initiative is funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises and, with its delegation trips that take place several times a year, offers fashion companies based primarily in Berlin the opportunity to enter the US and South Korean markets.

In the modern location of Loft29, the photo studio of photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth, a selected menu by German chef Chef Simon was served. He has been incorporating influences from his home country into his “Speakeasy Dinner Concept” for many years, thus reinterpreting German cuisine. In addition to the delegation participants, the almost 50 guests included selected players from the local fashion and tech scene, as well as relevant representatives of the press. The evening provided an opportunity for a wide range of networking opportunities within the German-American community, with delegation participants in particular able to engage in initial discussions with potential business partners and get to know the US market better. The focus was on the challenges and opportunities of the market entry, providing the guests with an important basis for discussion.

Scott Lipinski, CEO of the Fashion Council Germany emphasized: “This evening is an important step in further strengthening the bridge between the German and US-American partnership. The positive response from the past two delegation trips shows that the format not only promotes inspiring discussions, but also enables sustainable partnerships. Take the opportunity to exchange ideas and connect with each other."

Guests included India Roby, Jian Deleon & Linda Cui Zhang (both Nordstrom), Karo Brandi(stylist), Lindsey Solomon (Lindsey Media), Marcel Ostwald(Michael Kors), Mark Holgate (Condé Nast), Melitta Baumeister(designer), Michael Ferraro (FIT Dtech Lab), Sam Knoll(Highsnobiety) and Shane O'Neill (The Washington Post).

The delegation included the designers from BALLETSHOFER, Carolin Dieler, Clara Colette Miramon, Effenberger Couture, Gerrit Jacob, Human Touch, LUEDER, Selva Huygens and Vladimir Karaleev. As part of the five-day program, they had the opportunity to meet representatives of US industry giants such as the CFDA, Condé Nast, Highsnobiety, and Nordstrom.