Julian Daynov, an experienced buyer, fashion director, trend analyst and brand scout, presented the special NEUDEUTSCH project in January at the Pitti Immagine Uomo 105 in Florence, the largest menswear trade fair in the world. As curator, Daynov brought together a diverse selection of inspiring German designers. He relied on a mix of established and emerging brands that reflect different cultural origins and break the cliché of one-dimensional and purely functional German design.
Julian Daynov himself is not only active as a curator, but also as a consultant to global fashion brands and large retail chains. His discipline lies in reinventing and refining brand identities as well as adapting products, advertising habits and tone to current business, consumption and social patterns. In Berlin he runs his own brand strategy office, supporting renowned brands and emerging talents in trend forecasting, business development, transformation management and global communication. Julian Daynov also teaches fashion and brand marketing and is a regular guest at fashion weeks.
As an expert in the fashion industry and a passionate advocate of reassessing traditional gender ideologies, he has been invited to numerous interviews. We also had the chance to talk to Julian Daynov:
1. Can you tell us something about your background?
I am originally from Bulgaria, but have lived in different places my entire life. Nevertheless, I grew up completely German because I attended encounter schools, which are intended for children of parents living abroad to grow up German. Although I am the only person in my family who speaks German or has a connection to Germany, I learned the language as a foreign language at the age of seven. Later I came to Germany to study.
I have been working in the fashion industry for over two decades and got started in my youth due to my affinity for fashion. My career took me through various areas such as magazine, styling, editorial and content before I started my dream job as a buyer. The past few years have been fulfilling, but after a long career, as is the case with any job, a feeling of routine arose. Despite the constant exchange and diverse experiences. The glamorous side of the job, of travel and glamorous events, only accounts for about 5%, because every season there is enormous performance pressure that requires consistent performance.
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Today I am one of the few certified trends scouts and have already worked for renowned companies such as Barneys and Harrods. I work for both large department stores and smaller concept stores. My tasks include, among other things, general advice, portfolio building and brand exploration.
2. Where did your inspiration for the NEUDEUTSCH project come from?
With the NEUDEUTSCH project, I would like to refute the common assumption that there are no attractive German designs. Germany now has many designers with unique signatures in the areas of fashion, lifestyle and design. NEUDEUTSCH is a format I developed that deliberately has an ironic touch in its name. It symbolizes the possibility of combining modernity and tradition while being open to new developments. NEUDEUTSCH is my interpretation of current social changes.
After well-known German designers like Jil Sander and Karl Lagerfeld, we are in a space of change that can be filled by new emerging brands. The fashion I chose for Pitti has the potential to do this because it can work both on the catwalk and in retail. It's not a museum that wants to promote great clothes but doesn't want to sell them because they're too extravagant. That's why I focused my selection on finding brands that are inspiring and ambitious, but still transactional.
3. What values were at the heart of the project?
A central aspect when selecting the brands for NEUDEUTSCH was their sustainability. I wanted to support brands that needed an initial boost, but at the same time ensure they represented the right values. It was important to me that great attention was paid not only to raw materials, but also to human resources. All the brands I have selected produce locally and sustainably. They use recycled materials, buy raw materials in small quantities or upcycle old materials. Most of them even produce directly in Germany in order to maintain their philosophy of small-scale production. The same standards for companies, raw materials, production facilities and values also apply to products imported from abroad.
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4. What vision are you pursuing with NEUDEUTSCH?
I want to show the world that Germany is no longer stuck in a stereotypical and pragmatic pattern, but has changed significantly in recent years. German cities are now cosmopolitan and offer a home to creative people from all over the world, regardless of whether they identify as German or not. We should promote this openness and exclusivity and accept every individual, regardless of his or her origin or how long the person has lived in Germany. In the larger German cities you can already clearly feel this inclusive atmosphere.
5. Do you think that the current trends in the fashion industry regarding sustainability and consumption are going in the wrong direction?
Despite my positive intentions, I unfortunately have to realize that we are not moving in the right direction when it comes to sustainability and consumption. This not only affects the fashion industry, but also our entire consumption. We rarely ask ourselves the right questions before consuming something. In our society, and I don't want to exclude myself from this, over 80% of people make unnecessary purchases. I completely understand that we want to live a happy life, but this has consequences.
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We are in a spiral that is literally piercing our earth. I believe we have reached a point of no return and we continue to exceed it. We are all responsible for this problem in some way, we are all complicit in the problem.
This is particularly true for the fashion industry. Consumers want to buy, companies want to sell. With so many seasons and trends, it's hard to keep up with fashion. Therefore, the most important trend is: stay true to yourself and don't blindly follow trends. Find what is right for you, what makes you happy and not only makes you feel beautiful, but also looks beautiful. Because fashion gives us exactly this shell, the conviction to be attractive, not only for ourselves, but also for others. Therefore, it doesn't matter whether the item of clothing is from the current collection or has been in your closet for ages. If it makes you happy, that's great.
