As the world’s most important sectoral platform for personal protective equipment and protective clothing A+A in Düsseldorf has, over the past few years, also succeeded in gradually improving its position in the field of Corporate Fashion. It now rates as one of the most important international events for this segment – which is something that trade visitors from workplace security management, marketing, specialist retail or company purchasing departments can once again see for themselves from 27 to 30 October. Of the almost 1,800 exhibitors at least 60 companies alone ‘flag up’ Corporate Fashion as their special focal point and a total of some 180 exhibitors will be presenting products and services in this field. Current collections will also be on show in the A+A Fashion Show in Hall 11, with daily shows at the fair. A current clear trend in workwear is that it has to send out an emotional message. Function remains a key topic here, but modern workwear also has to look cool. It should be desirable to wearers – and not be limited to its area of application. “As design edges ever more in focus, price is becoming secondary,” is the experience of Joachim Geyer, from the firm Kübler from Plüdershausen. So workwear is becoming more fashionable and increasingly overlapping with trendy outdoor clothing. And according to CWS-boco, more and more SMEs are recognising the need for workwear. “The main idea here is to convey a uniform professional image of employees to customers and the public. This is how to convey expertise,” explains Werner Münnich from CWS-boco. “Stylish, multi-coloured garments are in fashion,” explains Joachim Geyer (Kübler) though he does mention that every sector has its own specificities and is impacted by individual developments. Yet this is not the entire picture. Acceptance is also important – which means shorts in summer and all-weather jackets in winter – obviously everything in bright and matching colours. With all-weather clothing the motto is “Workwear meets Leisurewear” – featuring garments like cardigans and/or fleece-softshell jackets that are also totally suitable for leisure use. With fashion trends and developments all tending to great emotionalisation, the importance of protective wear is also growing. For more and more professional activities employees have to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Personal protective equipment is subject to strict norms that are uniformly regulated across the EU. The numerous quality suppliers presented at A+A 2015 can position themselves particularly well on the market in this field. These suppliers stand for high-quality clothing with the best possible protection, appealing design plus wear comfort that also meets the demands of industrial cleaning.
Author: Kirsten Rein, Freelance Trade Journalist for Fashion and Technical Textiles (Frankfurt a. M.)
Published: 15-10-15