Wide Range on Offer thanks to 2,150 Exhibitors and Collections

Düsseldorf stakes its Claim as Germany’s Fashion Metropolis

After years of reticence optimism is now returning to the German textile retail trade.
The country is undergoing an upward trend, the economy is continuing to gather
momentum and people are shopping with a greater desire to spend. Germany is
once again a greater focus of interest for both national and international producers.
International fashion brands now see this as an opportunity to regain the ground
lost over the past few years.

As the most important platform for women’s and men’s wear, lingerie, beachwear
and accessories the Igedo Fashion Fairs Düsseldorf are also feeling this positive
development. Fair organiser, the Igedo Company, expects around 2,150 exhibitors
and collections to present trends for the 2008/2009 Autumn/Winter season at the
four fashion fairs CPD Düsseldorf, HMD Düsseldorf, Body Look and Global Fashion
held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre from 10 to 12 February 2008. This means
the number of exhibiting collections remains constant. New exhibitors include Esprit
Maternity, Geox, DEPT, Noa Noa, Andy Thê Anh, Levante, Alba, Grinvest, Derhy,
Lauren Vidal and Mayer. Nowhere else in Germany is the fashion range larger than
in the Düsseldorf fashion metropolis during the Igedo Fashion Fairs. What’s more,
further brands are presented to the buyers from throughout the world at the 900
showrooms located in and around the city.

“The Igedo Fashion Fairs are the centre of the fashion business in Düsseldorf. With
our clearly structured product segments we present the entire spectrum of the
market and thereby bring all key trading partners together from all over the world,”
explains Igedo CEO Frank Hartmann. “The feed-back from exhibitors is most
definitely more positive than only a few seasons ago. Exhibitors are especially
upbeat about the international nature of buyers,” Hartmann continued.
Despite constant exhibitor numbers the Igedo Fashion Fairs Düsseldorf has initiated
a more compact hall layout for the new season. The halls occupied are Halls 4, 5, 7,
9 – 12, 15 and 17.

Commenting on this move Frank Hartmann said: “As part of our incorporation of
the ‘Style & Signatures’ segment into our new trade fair project WEARe Düsseldorf
(celebrating its premiere from 8 to 10 February in Hall 8b) we have decided to cut
down distances visitors have to cover and to relocate the very successful Fashion
Gallery from Hall 14 into Hall 12. However, the depth of the range presented will
not change in any way.”

Düsseldorf generates Synergies

An important key to the Düsseldorf approach is elaborating synergies for the retail
trade. Buyers are now tapping into the existing synergies created between the four
independent events at the Igedo Fashion Fairs to an even greater extent. For
instance, buyers at CPD also visit Body Look and HMD with great interest and vice
versa. Full-range suppliers, in particular, gain significant benefits from this
compressed and comprehensive overview at one location. Commenting on this
Frank Hartmann said: “Buyers’ time and budgets during the already short order
phase are very restricted. No retailer wants to first attend a dozen fairs before
gaining a halfway representative overview. The desire for a compact information
and orders platform encompassing all segments is today greater than ever. We
intend to continue down this road.”

By adopting this approach the Igedo Fashion Fairs, as an information and
procurement pool, also strengthen their function as an export motor. Buyers from
Eastern Europe, in particular, like to travel to place orders in Düsseldorf and this is
an upward trend. And this is also why more and more firms are now using the trade
fair itself as a contact exchange in addition to their showrooms. With its clear profile
Igedo Company underlines its role as a reliable and dependable partner for the
sector.

Comprehensive Supporting Programme aids Orientation

Alongside a varied fashion range the comprehensive supporting programme as ever
provides orientation and entertainment. An overview of some of the highlights:

Designer shows, trend shows, awards, information events and parties provide
‘unadulterated’ info and entertainment. The number of shows guarantees thorough
trend information. Over 50 shows and events are held in the Fashion Theatre, on
the Body Look show stage, in the Catwalk Café of the Fashion Gallery and at other
locations around the exhibition centre and the city itself.

The fashion shows, lectures and trend seminars are free to the customers of the
Igedo Fashion Fairs. An up-to-date show calendar will be published in good time
ahead of the fair.

Providing the right ‘glam’ factor are parties around the city like the Vogue Cocktail
event, Gala’s “Lingerie Stars” and the presentation of the GermanFashion Award.

Held in parallel with the Igedo Fashion Fairs Düsseldorf on the Tuesday of the fair is
the Fashion.Day of the German Fashion Institute (Deutsches Modeinstiut – DMI)
to be held at CCD Süd. The event provides a complete picture of the fashion for the
2009 Spring/Summer 2009 season for women’s, men’s and casualwear – with
philosophy, zeitgeist and background, themes, colours, fabrics, styles and
accessories. The Fashion Day thus offers the around 700 profashionals the basic
knowledge they need for the next but one season. The DMI Fashion.Day is therefore
a systematic point of departure for visitors’ own conceptional ideas.

A trip through the fashion of the past 160 years is offered by the exhibition
“Fashion:Pictures – Photographs from F.C. Gundlach’s Collection” held
at the NRW-Forum. The exhibition puts a different slant on fashion photography
using 100 photos to show how fashion photography is more than about just
illustrating clothing. Visitors to the Igedo Fashion Fairs Düsseldorf can visit this
important exhibition free of charge. (www.nrw-forum.de)

Power of D. – Events, Services & More

‘Power of D.’ – the slogan for the fashion metropolis of Düsseldorf – stands for the
lifestyle of all the fashion brands found across the city during the Igedo Fashion Fairs
Düsseldorf. Easy and simple to find: the Navigator Power of D. – the official
catalogue – lists the firms at the fair, the Düsseldorf Fashion House and the
Showrooms. The Igedo shuttle service between the exhibition centre and the
fashion locations makes moving around the city easy. Other services during Igedo
Fashion Fairs Düsseldorf include individual travel packages for buyers from
throughout the world offered in cooperation with DMT-Düsseldorf Marketing &
Tourismus GmbH. These packages make travel to the fair by plane, train or car
quick, easy, comfortable and convenient. A popular and traditional service in
conjunction with the admission ticket: access during the fair to all museums
throughout the city using the integrated Düsseldorf Art.Card.

Another bonus: free travel on all public transport within the networks of the Rhine-
Ruhr and Rhine-Sieg transport authorities. Plus much more.

Düsseldorf, 24 January 2008
Information on all the activities of the organiser of the Igedo Fashion Fairs, the Igedo Company, can also be found on the Internet at www.igedo.com