The labels WeDress, Maumar and Nechia present environmentally friendly and individual collections in the Sofitel at the Alte Oper. By Elisa Black

Some people know this: The wardrobe is full to bursting, but for a special event you need a new piece. So the way leads to the nearest store, you spend dozens of euros, wear the item of clothing two or three times at most – and then let it rot in the closet. Start the whole thing over.

Jasmin Huber has been trying to break this cycle for some time. In 2020, she launched the online platform “WeDress Collective”, which gives users the opportunity to rent high-quality clothing items on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Both private individuals and labels from all over Germany are involved in the project. Anyone who has found a suitable part on the website can pick it up personally from the supplier or have it delivered conveniently and in an environmentally friendly manner by a bicycle courier.

“We want to show that sustainability doesn’t have to be boring, but can also be pretty sexy,” says Julia Rabello, Head of Marketing at WeDress. “Borrowing clothes should be at least as accepted as buying new things on a permanent basis.” But not only the sustainability aspect is important to Huber and Rabello – they also try to make their offer as inclusive and diverse as possible.

This guiding principle is reflected in the fashion show that the WeDress Collective is staging on Wednesday in the Sofitel at the Alte Oper. As an event of the “Frankfurt Fashion Lounge”, an official side event of the Fashion Week, Jasmin Huber’s project made it into the program despite the corona-related decimation. Boosters also need a negative test plus FFP2 mask; and only a small audience in the lobby of the hotel gets the chance to be convinced by the concept of “borrow instead of buy”.

Diversity and empowerment characterize the varied show, which sends people of color, queer people or women with disabilities down the catwalk instead of the typical size-zero models. With self-painted signs, the models promote more tolerance, equality and authenticity. By the end of the show, the audience actually gets the feeling that she’s just contributed a little bit.

Dancer Viktoria Nowak is also on the catwalk. She moves weightlessly through the room to the rhythm of the music and gives the impression of being able to defy the laws of gravity. The group “Eyecandy” also provides a stage-ready performance.

“Eyecandy” is an online agency that wants to support artists from Frankfurt and the surrounding area by providing them with a common platform. 31 of these artists have gathered in the Fashion Lounge for a flash mob: Dressed in colorful scarves, they move loudly through the room, singing and dancing. There is thunderous applause from the audience.

Nechia, on the other hand, is a little quieter. The Frankfurt label, which invited to the fashion show in the afternoon, focuses on monochrome outfits, soft fabrics and wintry materials with its “Wild City Girl Collection”. The parts of the collection, which is mostly in beige and gray tones, are often frayed or asymmetrical.

In addition, Frankfurt designer Maurice Martinez will be presenting his new collection to the public on Wednesday afternoon. With his label Maumar, he was already a guest at the previous Fashion Lounge in summer – even then under the difficult pandemic conditions. Like 2021, he’s pretty excited now, Martinez tells before the show, but also “very, very happy” that so much more is possible this year.

You only notice his relief when the last of his models has walked through the lobby. Four to five months of work, presented within just under 20 minutes – despite the return to sustainability and “slow fashion”, the fashion industry remains very fast-paced in parts.

However, Maurice Martinez seems to be enjoying it. He will probably present his designs again at the next Fashion Week in July. Then, hoping him and all cases, without restrictions.