Do you know Lindner Fashion already?
Do you know Lindner Fashion already?

Describe your store in three words...

Unmistakable. Edgy. LINDNER FASHION is always ready to surprise, true to its motto: #fashionisfun.

Do you see yourselves as more online or offline – or both?

At the moment we’re 70% in store and 30% online.  

What does your strategy look like as regards staying up-to-date with established brands while simultaneously always keeping a lookout for something new?

Everything always comes to us at the right moment – that’s what I believe... When tried and tested collections show weaknesses they’re abandoned, or aren't written about much. Ultimately, everyone goes through a slump sometimes.

How regularly do you incorporate new brands into your range? Which general expectations do they have to meet to be included?

Each season. The brand simply needs to make my heart beat faster...

Which brand was the highlight of the previous trade show?

Ah, there are always so many! Christian Wijnants is my favourite AT THE MOMENT. Dorothee Schumacher makes every season an experience... Nili Lotan is so gorgeously sexy. 

How much do you like coming to Berlin as a buyer? And what brings you here? What makes Berlin inspirational? And what do you find annoying about it?

I love Berlin because of Leyla and LALA BERLIN and just because of Berlin ;-)

The trade shows are too crowded for me and too far apart from each other. Total sensory overload AND Berlin is too early for me, so the collections are never fully finished and complete anyway. In addition to this, we buyers always need to be on the pulse of the latest trends. That’s why I prefer a later trade show, because the trends are then easier to spot clearly and I still need some budget.

How intensively do you engage with the brands’ philosophy, i.e. their stance? (Production requirements, sustainability, etc.) Can we still ignore these issues in any case? To what extent does demand rise afterwards/does pressure from the customer increase? 

I tend to be the one putting on the pressure: why are the goods no longer – as happened 10 years ago – shipped without plastic? Every single item is packaged in plastic, it’s a NIGHTMARE. International brands send boxes containing four items, then, two days later, send the next box with another four items in. What kind of madness is that?! I’d be SO happy to see this blown up into an issue – on a big platform like PREMIUM in fact – and I’d love it if we got some support with it. I don't know a single retailer that approves of this method of despatch. On a serious note: what do you think of a large-scale offer #nomoreplastic? I’M IN!

In respect of trends and innovations, how can we succeed in capturing the zeitgeist in such as way so as to avoid trailing behind the brands but also not get ahead of the customer?

I rarely achieve this, but with age comes wisdom – so more often I just wait and see.

How do you attempt to build a connection with your customers and to retain them, too?

Through the advice we give and the atmosphere in our store, of course. We know our customers really well and often order things proactively for specific customers. As well as this, 24/7 Instagram is leading to an increasingly personal connection. Instagram guidance has now become a job in its own right.

Which philosophy are you keen to embody within your store and pass on?

We’re there for you and we’ve discovered something new for you yet again.  #welovefashion #happyclientshappyus #fashionisfun