GROW Returns to ILM Offenbach

The expanded second edition of GROW with more materials, finished products, and student collaborations.

Project Overview

Project Client and Completion:
ILM Offenbach
September 30, 2025
Conducted Services:
Material Innovation
- Exhibitions
Project Challenge:
Move beyond raw samples and show how biomaterials perform in real products and production processes.
Project Solution:
We exhibited prototypes from brands and students, offering hands-on insights into next-gen materials in market-ready formats.

Project Development

The Challenge

After the success of its debut, GROW – The Future of Leather Goods returned to ILM Offenbach for a second edition in August 2025. This time, the goal was to go further: expand the network of material innovators, deepen the conversation between science and design, and show not only what’s possible, but what already works. The challenge was to evolve the exhibition from a tactile material showcase into a platform where products, prototypes, and cross-industry collaborations take center stage –while staying accessible and relevant to a wide industry audience.

Our Solution

We curated an expanded exhibition featuring an even broader range of next-generation materials: from established players like MIRUM®, Hyphalite, and Elevate to exciting newcomers such as AltLeather (grape-based), GOZEN (bacterial nanocellulose), and INNOVERA (recycled tire-based).

The concept moved “from material to market”: alongside raw materials, we presented finished products developed by GROW the Studio, Calvin Klein, New Balance, and Veshin Factory, demonstrating how these innovations can already be used in real-world applications.

A dedicated area spotlighted emerging talent: design students from the University of Pforzheim, who created accessories collections from donated surplus materials, bridging creativity, circularity, and next-gen thinking.

Through this expanded format, GROW Volume 2 became more than an exhibition — it became a community platformwhere material innovators, designers, manufacturers, and brands connect to accelerate the adoption of sustainable materials in the mainstream.

Scope

• Curation & concept development
• Material innovator coordination (global)
• Product selection and exhibition design
• Cross-industry collaboration setup
• Educational partnerships with emerging designers

Highlights

• Over 8 featured biomaterials, including grape-, fungi-, algae-, and tire-based options
• Real products on display from GROW the Studio, Calvin Klein, New Balance, and more
• Student collections from University of Pforzheim using offcut materials
• Hands-on format bridging science, fashion, and industry application