Exciting entertainment and informative discussions: the Talk Sofa of h+h cologne 2023

On the three days of the h+h cologne 2023, it was time for all trade visitors to take a seat and listen to interesting panel discussions on the "Talksofa". With a varied programme, trends were once again discussed in detail and debated with competent guests in 2023. Authors, designers and experts reported on the latest developments in the business and gave exciting first-hand insights.

About the host

Stefan Pinnow

As an experienced TV host, Stefan Pinnow can look back on a varied career and nearly three decades of media experience in both public broadcasting and on private television. On the Talksofa at h+h cologne 2023, he especially got into conversation with the guests and trade visitors and promoted an inspiring and informative exchange.

Highlights of the h+h cologne Talk Sofas 2023

Moyo Collective - Slowfashion for everyone! An all-round concept for sustainable clothing

This talk was about slow fashion for everyone! In a conversation with Christiane Dix, we took a look behind the idea of moyo collective (fb: facebook.com/moyocollective): The company was born out of the desire to produce clothing that has quality and thus makes a garment even more sustainable through long wear - even in the second and third generation.

The basis for this is, on the one hand, the very soft yard goods made of 100% organic cotton. But there are no ready-made collections. Because in order to act as sustainably as possible, only what is wanted is produced. This avoids seasonal overproduction.

Instead, there are stylish, cosy and timeless cuts for children's clothing, in the form of sewing kits or as individual productions. The sewing kits contain the chosen fabric with a printed and washable pattern in the desired size, thread, needles and zip as well as a video tutorial for immediate sewing to support the classic sewing instructions.

Christiane Dix - MOYO Collective

Christiane Dix

Christiane Dix is a communication designer and the creative head of moyo collective. She has been working in the textile industry as an independent textile designer for 20 years. She also develops concepts and strategies in other industries - future-oriented and close to the respective target group. Her goal is to design high-quality, gender-neutral, timeless and sustainable fabrics for moyo collective, so that they can be worn for longer than just one collection.

Sew, embroider, DIY: Talk with creative blogger Louise Lemke (Lieselou)

From hobby embroiderer to successful blogger, influencer and book author. That is Lieselou's story. In our talk, she told us why she is so passionate about embroidery, talked about her path to self-employment as a blogger and content creator and her experiences as an author. And of course she also shared some of her ideas about embroidery, sewing and DIY.

Louise Lemke

Louise Lemke (Lieselou)

Louise Lemke, or simply Lieselou, is a graphic designer, mum and loves to create. Her parents taught her to sew from an early age. It fills her with joy to let her creativity flow into work pieces that you can truly touch and wear. For her, embroidery is more than just wall decoration and she passes this on to her community. She shows her latest projects on Instagram (@lieselou.diy). On her blog, she publishes free instructions, video tutorials and templates for embroidery beginners and DIY fans. As an author, her book "Liebevoll Bestickt" (Lovingly Embroidered) inspires readers to add more sustainability to their wardrobes and shows how to transform their boring pieces into trendy it-pieces with pretty embroidery.

Panel: Woolinale team with the makers of the Yarnbombing Festival

How a software developer from the USA, a newspaper editor from near Regensburg and the enthusiastic knitter Elke Hahn found each other and created the Woolinale as a world premiere and why, that's what the three of them told our moderator Stefan Pinnow.

For all those who didn't know yet: the Woolinale was the first international Yarnbombing Festival in Cologne. It took place parallel to the h+h cologne, in front of and in the south entrance hall of our exhibition centre. And what is Yarnbombing? Yarnbombing is a special kind of street art. Yarnbombers create textile artworks for public spaces - often with a lot of humour, but often also as a statement and with high attention value."

Elke Hahn

Elke Hahn is the founder and organiser of the Woolinale. She met Heike Unger and David Wasser at the Frankfurt Yarncamp. The three are enthusiastic about Yarnbombing and have been active in this field since 2019. Now, together with Woolinale, they have set up the first international Yarnbombing Festival in Cologne. An absolute world premiere parallel to the h+h cologne.

Future handwork: the seamstresses of tomorrow!

How can we keep inspiring new target groups with handicrafts? What will change in the future and what are the current trends in the handicraft scene? Moderator Stefan Pinnow asked these and other questions of the two industry professionals from Burda.

Rashana Rebecca Jennings and Anastasios Voulgaris

Rashana Rebecca Jennings studied fashion design in Munich, London and New York. She then gained her first editorial experience in the fashion section of freundin magazine. In 2011, she took over as head of the creative department at burda Style and has been part of the editorial team as content director since 2016.

Anastasios Voulgaris has been working for burda Verlag for 20 years. After completing his design studies, he worked as a stylist and art director for various fashion companies. In 2002, he joined the fashion department of burda style as a designer and fashion editor and took over the position of Deputy Fashion Director in 2012.

As Creative Director, he has been responsible for the pattern collections since 2016 and, together with Rashana Rebecca Jennings, is the editor-in-chief of the print products.

Woolinale - The Artists

In conversation with our moderator Stefan Pinnow, four international Yarnbombing artists from Australia, Brazil and Germany told us how they came to Yarnbombing, what makes this art so special. And of course they reported on their experiences at art events all over the world.

Speaker

Scheyla Englert

Ina Werner

Scheyla Englert leads handicraft and art groups in Brazil.

Ina Werner crocheted the German Unity together with Elke Hahn and placed it in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

Annette Fiton is a textile artist in a class of her own from Australia.

Claudia Grünzweig, crochet activist known throughout the world, directs her campaign against violence against women.

Crochet, Illustration, Sewing! Talk with the french. Artist Zakaria Khchal (Zak a dit)

Zik a Dit talked about how to bring happiness and creativity into your life and live your passion.

Zak a dit

Zakaria Khchal lives in Paris in the 18th arrondissement and loves his neighbourhood as much as the atmosphere, the colours and the many different cultures in the city. Growing up in the countryside, the artist enjoyed playing with his sisters' dolls in his youth and sewing them clothes from the curtains he secretly cut behind his mother's back. Later he took art courses and learned to knit and crochet. Today, dancing, sharing, drawing, knitting, crocheting and sewing are not only part of his art but also his daily hobbies! So, through social media, he tries to share the love of crafting and the happiness of being a crafter with his community.

We are all designers - endless possibilities of knitting and crochet projects!

Under the motto "We are all designers", Sarah Prieur aka Sapri Design encouraged all handicraft fans not to always work according to given instructions, but to individualise projects in order to create something unique. In our talk, she explained how even small adjustments and a few tricks are enough to adapt existing instructions to one's own ideas and thus create truly unique pieces.

Sarah Prieur aka Sapri Design

Sarah Prieur is one of the best-known influencers in the German crochet and knitting community and has made her passion her profession. Born in the Rhineland, she lives with her husband in her adopted home of Munich and not only shows her followers her (woolly) DIY projects on her Instagram account @sapri_design, but also takes them on trips and excursions. Sarah started her handicraft career with crochet and knitting instructions. She received the knowledge for this from her grandmother and mother when she was still a child. Sarah places the highest value on quality work and high-quality content and wants to bring a smile to her followers' faces. In 2022 her books "Crochet super easy" and "Knitting school for Potterheads" were published.

Impressions Talksofa 2023