Bread&Butter becomes Bread&&Butter as it cultivates its image as a fashion and music festival

By

Christel Divert

Published
Aug 28, 2018

Bread&Butter by Zalando is returning to Berlin for its third edition, promising three days dedicated to fashion and culture. This time around, the trade fair, now open to the general public, has gained an extra ampersand to become Bread&&Butter. From 31st August to 2nd September, some 40 fashion brands will vie to stand out from the crowd with runway shows, exclusive capsules, discussions, customisation workshops, DJ sets and other concerts. 

Situated in the heart of Berlin, at the city's Arena (which also hosts the Seek and Bright streetwear fairs), the brand-based side of proceedings will be operating under the name of "B&&B Brand Pop-ups". The programme features 43 labels – mostly fashion brands but some cosmetics manufacturers are also present – who will be trying their best to grab consumers' attention, presenting limited-edition products and capsule collections that are either exclusives or pre-launches. 

Although some products will only be sold on Zalando, others look very much like test runs before wider launches in Europe. Everything on display at the see-now-buy-now fair will be available for purchase on site through a cashless system created in partnership with Visa, featuring bracelets which shoppers can charge up. A number of brands have already taken to social media to try and attract visitors and potential consumers to their pop-ups. 

Bread&&Butter's new format makes it feel like something of a Jack of all trades, as it plays with the vast space afforded by the Arena to divide the venue into eight brand universes, stages and a variety of different outdoor spaces, featuring food trucks congregated on the banks of the river Spree, stages and other nostalgic entertainment such as Wrangler bumper cars – not to mention the nail and hair salons, and braiding bars. 

Among the brands confirmed to be appearing at the fair are Adidas Original, Nike, The North Face, Timberland, Puma and Reebok, but also Columbia, Asics Tiger, Cheap Monday, Converse, Diesel, G-Star Raw, Hugo, Levi's, Obey, Pepe Jeans, Superga, Vans and Wrangler, as well as BDG Urban Outfitters. 

This edition will also see the launch of a new online premium streetwear boutique associated with the event. Dubbed B&&B and set to open through a dedicated website at the end of August, the platform will offer exclusive products "for the next generation". The e-shop's assortment will include products created for the event, but also a selection of apparel, footwear, accessories and cosmetics pulled from the Zalando catalogue. The site also promises an editorial section to complement its commercial offerings. 

Three see-now-buy-now runways are also on the programme, from Hugo, M.A.C and Zalando, which will spotlight a selection of brands to celebrate the tenth anniversary of its website. Eight conferences and discussions have been organised, including one each from G-Star Raw x Jaden Smith and Timberland x Christopher Raeburn, both of which will address sustainable fashion, while another from 0032C x Jerome Boateng will discuss their exclusive collaboration and two others will focus on social networks. 

Marketed as an event bringing together style and music, Bread&&Butter has announced 70 concerts and DJ sets with Lauryn Hill headlining a long list of artists including Luciano, Princess Nokia, Evian Christ, Hamza, Kitty Ca$h, Paigey Cakey, Sheck Wes and Yung Hurn. 

Bread&&Butter's last edition attracted 30,000 visitors and reached 26.5 million people across Europe through social media.