The ambitions to make Frankfurt an international center of fashion with a Fashion Week are history.

But the project continues to arouse controversy.

The reason for this is the magistrate's report on a request from the Die Linke parliamentary group in the Römer last February.

The report states: The city did not spend any funds for the Frankfurt Fashion Week “in the summer of 2021 and for the winter of 2022, but only provided agreed mutual services”.

In this context, the city paid 4.1 million euros to Messe Frankfurt by March 2022.

For Fashion Week, 3.1 million euros have been used since 2020 for building the brand, international communication, conferences, setting up a digital portal and show formats in January 2022.

The remaining almost one million euros were reclaimed, but some of them were offset against services for the events in January 2022 and the transfer of trademark rights in the amount of 9,000 euros.

A repayment by Messe Frankfurt GmbH, which is 60 percent owned by the city and 40 percent by the state and had to be supported by high payments during the pandemic years, was made in June 2022.

FDP praises investments

Patricia Andreae

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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According to the original planning, the Frankfurt Fashion Week should build on the fact that the Berlin Premium Group with its two trade fairs "Premium" and "Seek" together with the "Neonyt" organized by Messe Frankfurt form the basis for sustainable fashion.

However, after only two fashion weeks, which were largely virtual due to the pandemic, the Premium Group returned to Berlin prematurely.

Meanwhile, Messe Frankfurt has moved to Düsseldorf with its “Neonyt”.

The trade fair, the city of Frankfurt and the state of Hesse had estimated a total of nine million euros for the entire project.

However, no money ever flowed to the Premium Group, as stated in the magistrate's report.

On the other hand, it had been calculated that the fashion events would generate a multiple of sales for hotels,

According to the magistrate's report, the funds provided by the city largely come from the tourist tax.

In addition, the city's business development agency raised a total of 14,500 euros for projects for Fashion Week in July 2021 and January 2022, including for marketing and events.

"The local fashion industry and creative scene has benefited from this brand development and the reach of the FFW," says the magistrate's report from the economic department of city councilor Stephanie Wüst (FDP).

While the Left Party questioned this and spoke of a waste of funds, the FDP in Römer praised the commitment as a sensible investment in the creative and fashion location.

"It can succeed"

There was also support of 3,000 and 5,000 euros in 2021 and 2022 for the Frankfurt Fashion Lounge.

This supported the privately organized events by Sevinc Yerli in the Hotel Sofitel, in the Old Opera and in the Carmelite Monastery.

In addition, a publication entitled "Violà" as a magazine and shopping guide with 20 Frankfurt fashion labels that are committed to sustainability, as well as a series of smaller events.

Sevinc Yerli is organizing her Frankfurt Fashion Lounge from January 27th to 29th again in the Hotel Sofitel and in the Alte Oper - this time inspired by Parisian fashion in 1970 under the motto "Le Chic Parisien", with various runway shows and brand presentations.

Whether there will be a repeat of the Frankfurt Fashion Week in the summer, which attracted a lot of attention last year with fashion shows in the stock exchange, on the Iron Bridge and in the Carmelite Monastery, is not yet certain.

There was no answer from the department headed by Economics Wüst, who is now also Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board at Messe Frankfurt.

However, the report says: "It can be possible to give the Frankfurt Fashion Week its own profile, with which the trade fair and the city of Frankfurt am Main can also assert themselves in international competition."