“Meet me for Tea” with Berlin fashion designer Anna von Griesheim

For 25 years, fashion designer Anna von Griesheim has been an expert in elegant evening dresses and daywear. Born in Munich, she dresses celebrities and politicians such as Chancellor Angela Merkel and advises women on style issues. She commutes between Zurich, Mallorca and Berlin, where I meet Anna for a cup of tea and a little chat.

Anna von Griesheim loves the KPM office cup: “The craftsmanship, the colours and the size make the cup perfect.”

MyStylery: Anna, has a woman who goes shopping in sweatpants given up on fashion?
Anna von Griesheim: When I go to yoga, I also wear sportswear. And nothing is more comfortable than cashmere trousers for a cuddly day at home. But jogging pants as a constant companion are a no-go.
MS: Why do successful women dress like their male colleagues? Does the trouser suit stand for competence?
AvG: Yeah, still. The pantsuit serves as a shield, especially in male-dominated professions. I encourage my female customers to wear dresses. We live in a time in which intelligence, success in life and femininity are not mutually exclusive. Women in an androgynous look miss their femininity.
MS: You advise female leaders on their appearance.
AvG: Women want to be well dressed without worrying about their outfit every day. When they go on a business trip, they expect a wrinkle-free, comfortable wardrobe that fits in their hand luggage. They don’t want any recognizable logos or a sexy-hexy look. Clothing is a form of communication. It conveys an attitude to life and expresses what one wants to portray and convey.

“Most women are overwhelmed by their own wardrobe”, says Anna von Griesheim

MS: Not every woman looks good in every colour.
AvG: That’s right. Look, my skin tends to yellowish, which is why I harmonize with warm colours. You, on the contrary, are a light skin type that is well suited to blue tones, for example. I recommend every woman a well-founded colour consultation on which to build wardrobe and makeup.
MS: My wardrobe is really not small. Nevertheless, I stand in front of it and wonder what on earth to put on. Most of the time I wear the same pieces.
AvG: Well, we all know that. Some women have a keen sense of fashion, they start to mix happily: Zara, Hermès, plus a vintage piece, that’s their perfect look. But that’s rather the exception. Most women are overwhelmed by their own wardrobe. Why not go back to the tried and tested? We often find our counterparts interesting because we recognize them. Jackie Kennedy has remained true to her iconic style and always looked great.

MS: It’s like cleaning out clothes that haven’t been worn for two years or more. Now it’s time for velvet blouses, which I disposed of in the 90s.
AvG: But honestly, would you wear them again this time? I advise you to regularly sort your wardrobe. Get an overview by putting together complete outfits, including accessories. If you don’t want professional advice, ask your best friend. First of all, put the pieces aside well packed and decide after a certain time whether you want to part with them for good.
MS: Trends don’t really bother me anymore. When Leo patterns and berry tones are hip this winter, I don’t really care. How do you feel about it?
AvG: Exactly the same. That’s why I’m not looking for the latest trend for my collections. My designs should accompany customers for a few years.

„KPM is a special brand of great German tradition“, says Berlin fashion designer Anna von Griesheim

MS: Does good taste depend on the size of the purse?
AvG: The variety of fashion today is bigger than ever. With a bit of intuition, you can put together great outfits at low cost labels. So, good taste has nothing to do with budget. What I find terrible, however, is the production of cheap clothes by child labour, which are so full of plastic that they can never be dismantled again. This is irresponsible from an ecological point of view.
MS: What do you do with mispurchases?
AvG: Don’t let it happen in the first place (laughs). If I want to do something good for myself, I’d rather buy a book, go to an exhibition or do yoga. This is balm for the soul.

MS: What belongs in the wardrobe of a mature woman?
AvG: Two well-cut dresses made of soft material like jersey, which you wear during the day with sneakers and in the evening with pumps or ankle boots. A trouser suit whose blazer also works well with a pair of jeans. The white blouse provides a fresh complexion. And a classic trench coat. My favourite piece is a knitted coat, which I can quickly throw over.
MS: And what should we avoid?
AvG: Too tight tops that emphasize disadvantageous areas instead of concealing them. I find the partner look very creepy in the leisure sector and both in the same outdoor jacket. Leggings may be comfortable, but they are not leg flatterers at all. And please always buy the right size and not a size too small in the hope of losing weight. Beware of wild patterns. With a plain look, you are on the safe side. Combine it with a colourful scarf or patterned cloth.
MS: A friend recently said that she doesn’t wear knee-length skirts. She persistently wears her minis.
AvG: Not everything that looks younger makes younger. Our body changes over the years. Unfortunately (laughs). Often the upper body looks more compact, which is accentuated by a skirt that is too short. Women who used to get compliments for their legs look like a barrel on two toothpicks. Everyone has something beautiful about them and that should be the focus.

Anna von Griesheim: “Compliments are part of everyday life in France and don’t end up in the Metoo debate.”

MS: Why are French or Italian women dressed so much better than German women? Even when they go to the weekly market, they do it very elegant.
AvG: This is due to the traditions and self-image of women. Elegance seems to be arrested in their DNA. I’ve lived in France for a long time and I know that compliments are part of communication and have something playful about them. They are part of everyday life in France and don’t end up in the Metoo debate. This also has an effect on the dress style. In Germany, the natural feeling for femininity was eliminated with the Second World War.
MS: There is a North-South divide in clothing issues in Germany. While Hanseatic women dress more classically casual and Munich women like to dress traditionally elegant, the style of the Berlin woman has something indefinable.
AvG: Berlin is a reservoir is for individualists. This longing for uniqueness is not compatible with given dress codes. Nevertheless, young women in Prenzlauer Berg all look the same. They want to come across as casual and easy-going, but they seem rather uniform. By the way, also a kind of dress code.
MS: I only think about how German actors walk the red carpet: They come in a T-shirt instead of a tuxedo shirt. What has gone wrong? The liberation from the fashion dictatorship or just bad education?
AvG: Good question. Maybe a lack of mindfulness. Or an after-effect of the 1968ers and the associated urge for freedom, which could hardly be lived out in the closed-off Berlin. A tuxedo is not only a sign of esteem for the artists on stage or the musicians in the orchestra pit, but also symbolizes an attitude to life. I hope for a renaissance of good manners.

Anna von Griesheim: „My first KPM tableware was ‘Arkadia’, I was a student then and for me KPM was the epitome of luxury. Nevertheless, I was happy about the dishes every day and have been adding new pieces ever since.“

MS: Apropos, may I pour you some more tea?
AvG: With pleasure. Tea is my wellness program through the winter. I grew up with tea. My grandparents lived on Sumatra, where they had plantations, from where my father brought the tradition of drinking tea to Germany. And I have been used to drinking tea since childhood. Every morning my mother woke me up with a toast and an Earl Grey tea. Today I drink myself through the whole range of black, green and herbal teas. Always served in an antique silver pot, which is in daily use with us.
MS: You started with your own label in 1991 and have been represented with your own brand in Germany ever since. Have you ever thought about expanding abroad?
AvG: There have been international inquiries. But in retrospect, I’m very happy to be working only in Germany. I decide alone and don’t have to ask anyone. You can only do big things with big partners. And I never wanted to be the plaything of different interests. BvH

Contact Anna von Griesheim

AnnavonGriesheim.de

The interview-series “Meet me for Tea” is sponsored by KPM – Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin.
More MyStylery interviews you’ll find here.

The post Anna von Griesheim: “As a child I was woken up with a cup of tea every morning.” appeared first on My Stylery.

Designer duo Johnny Talbot, Adrian Runhof and I in their Berlin showroom

For 26 years, the Munich fashion label Talbot Runhof stands for classic elegance and feminine eveningwear. When US actress Kristen Stewart appeared years ago in a black Talbot Runhof robe during the Oscars, the designer duo also made the international breakthrough. Not just celebs appreciate the timeless look of Johnny Talbot and Adrian Runhof. It is important to both designers that women of normal proportions also make a good figure in their clothes. I have an appointment with the two Munich residents in Berlin, where they live in a pied-à-terre in the back of their showroom, which opened in 2017 in Berlin-Charlottenburg. However, Meet Me for Tea takes place without Johnny Talbot, who spontaneously assists a client with her bridal gown selection. An interview with Adrian Runhof. Not just about fashion.

Meet me for tea with Adrian Runhof in his Berlin pied-à-terre

MyStylery: It’s cozy here…
Adrian Runhof: The apartment has been completely renovated. The previous occupant died in this room. So firstly we had to get rid of the “bad vibrations”.
MS: I always find it exciting to see who has lived in such an old apartment before.
AR: Me too. In my Hamburg apartment in the Schlüterstraße, at the corner of Johnsallee, lived a Cape Horner once…
MS: A sailor?
AR: Exactly, one who sailed around the Cape Horn. I happened to meet my neighbor on the street in the middle of the night, when he told me en passant that the captain had died in my apartment. From then on, I could not be in the apartment any more, imagined a one-eyed person with a wooden leg, saw him ghosting around in my apartment at night. Suddenly, I also realized that something was always creaking in the apartment. That was scary.
MS: Seems like the childish fantasies appeared then. Do you like to think back to your childhood?
AR: No, not really. Although, of course, I am grateful to have been born and raised in this country.

“Generally I do not like to think about the past. I’m a forward-looking person who lives in the here and now.”

MS: How did you experience your childhood?
AR: As a kid, I felt locked up. My parents’ house was not the environment, in which a child could to grow up happily. It felt more like a bourgeois museum where nothing was allowed to break. My parents were always worried about us, they were afraid of kidnapping. We lived in a huge Art Nouveau villa, from whose windows I could watch the other children playing in the street. I was not allowed to play, because we always had to stay on our property, on which there was a large garden with a swing, slide and sandpit. The other children were not allowed to come to us either. My siblings and I always played in threes.
MS: Hmmm…
AR: Do you feel sorry for me?
MS: Yes. Your parents probably had their reasons. But for you children that must have been difficult to understand.
AR: That’s true.

Adrian Runhof thoughtful during the Meet Me for Tea interview

MS: You come from a wealthy home. Did you want to prove anything to your parents by doing your own thing?
AR: That was not the point. It was important to me to never depend on my parents. They made it clear from the beginning that I would not get anything anyway. While other children from the well-heeled circle of friends of my parents were overridden real estates. The fact that I later actually inherited something was a big surprise.
MS: And how did you free yourself from the childhood trauma of being locked up?
AR: I went to Munich, that was always my absolute longing. As a teenager I browsed through the Bild Zeitung and Bunte magazin, saw the column of the author Michael Graeter and thought, there can be nothing better than Schwabing. I studied in Munich and met Johnny. That was my lifeline.
MS: And then came Paris.
AR: I already knew Paris from my youth, was street-smart and felt like I belonged there. Actually, I’m someone who likes to be everywhere at the same time. When we were in Amsterdam, I wanted to move there straight away, and I felt the same way with London.

MS: In which Parisian arrondissement do you live?
AR: In the first. We are there every two months. But I also like to be in Berlin and I am glad that we have our little apartment here. We also visit Zurich regularly and commute between the cities.
MS: Living out of the suitcase. That sounds like a certain restlessness…
AR: …that I do not like very much. I like to arrive. But do not like to leave. But this is brought along by the fashion circus (laughs).
MS: And which of your locations do you prefer?
AR: Munich. Munich stands for continuity, nobody moves away, everything is in its place. In Paris, you never know before, whether it was broken in, there was a water damage or a mouse infestation during your absence.

“Berlin is not in the forefront in international fashion business. Although the local street style influences young labels. Berlin is undoubtedly a metropolis in which fashion is created.”

MS: You have been in the fashion business for 26 years. How do you manage to survive in the industry?
AR: It has a lot to do with discipline. We have to design 32 pieces per collection, the show in Paris is coming, there’s a lot of pressure on us. You have to be good at different things at the same time. Creativity, courage, a good product, commercial know-how, contact care are among them. But you also have to recognize your own potential, explore your own limits, always be honest with yourself. We have a good team. As for Johnny and me, we both do everything.
MS: It did not always work out for you. Your cleaning lady had to help you with a cash injection in the beginning.
AR: That was really the case. Since then it has been uphill, though in small steps. We still have to do our calculations today. Thus we are self-financed. We do not have the big investor in the background.

MS: Your strength?
AR: I can hide my dilettance well. I have learned nothing and cannot do anything really well.
MS: Is this supposed to be fishing for compliments?
AR: I can do a lot a little good. I cannot read balances, cannot draw, have no patience, can not express myself creatively.
MS: That sounds a bit desperate. Maybe you put the scale on yourself too high.
AR: No. That’s my self-image. During my studies, I always bought all the books that were recommended to us. With the purchase, however, I also thought that that’s enough. I had not even read a single copy. Nevertheless, I came through somehow.

“Inspirations for the next collection? For example, the embroidered collar of your blouse may be an idea for the next dress. The street, the television, books – one is bombarded with impressions. But you have to filter them.”

MS: You made it fast into the international market. What else can come now?
AR: The industry is very dynamic, new markets in Asia, countries that I do not really care about, but still need to be served. The status quo there and the pure brand orientation isn’t for me. I miss the subversiveness.
MS: Strange that big online shops such as “Net a Porter” or “Mytheresa” do not carry your brand.
AR: Yes, and that offends me. Presumably, it’s because we do not have relevance in the new media. We just do not make printed logo shirts, where you can immediately tell, who they are from.

MS: What do you think of fashion bloggers?
AR: When we had publications in a magazine in the past, there was a measurable demand. On blogs or posts, on the other hand, there are only a few reactions. Then, a Caro Daur must have worn our dress on New Year’s Eve in Dubai. With 70,000 likes, maybe two people will get in touch and ask, where they can buy the dress.
MS: Is the hype about the fashion bloggers maybe a bubble that bursts at some point?
AR: Quite possible. But the budgets of the high-end brands are very high, they do not run out of steam so quickly. It is interesting that in the USA still 70 percent of the advertising budgets flow in print media and only 30 percent online. Here, 90 percent of digital media are consumed and only ten percent in the print sector. We rely on good PR. At the heart of our public relations work is the Defilee in Paris, where not only a great deal of energy, but also a lot of money is invested with the goal of far-reaching media coverage.

“I really like the KPM cup because it’s classic but still modern,” says Adrian Runhof about the KPM Kurland porcelain

MS: What is your own digital user behavior?
AR: Of course, I also spend time on the phone all the time. Recently there was a technical problem. Then the feeling of a slight panic sets in. It’s terrible without a cell phone (laughs).
MS: Are you an online shopper?
AR: Only. I buy every spoon online and nothing in real shops anymore.
MS: The cow you milk should not be slaughtered, they say. After all, you also own stores.
AR: As a customer, I’ve always found stores horrible. How many jeans have I bought in my life, which the sellers claimed, oh, but it fits perfectly. The opposite was the case, as I found out in retrospect (laughs).

MS: Is it difficult to survive alongside the industry giants in Paris?
AR: You cannot make the mistake of comparing yourself to labels or the shows of Louis Vuitton. But it would be stupid to show the best show in Berlin and nobody comes. Whereby the Berlin Salon is a pleasing and important exception.
MS: How do you manage to separate job and private?
AR: Talbot Runhof is our project and that connects at all levels. Even though we now live separately in Munich, we do a lot together. In Berlin, we shop together at the KaDeWe, in Paris, on the market. The German actors Nadja Tiller and Walter Giller were once asked for the recipe for a long partnership: You just have to accept that you cannot change the other one. And there is some truth in it. Johnny stands closest to me, that’s a very special kind of intimacy, and that’s great. We also have a common dog, a Border Terrier, an important and connecting factor.

“When we had 10,000 Euros, we always made sure we did not spend more than 11,000. This is a ubiquitous problem in the industry. Our motto is: It’s all about knowing when to stop.”

MS: And you drink tea…
AR: Absolutely. In the morning we start with ginger tea. Detoxing and staying healthy is important to me. By the way, the KPM cups are great. I was spontaneously happy, when I saw them here earlier and hoped that they would be our latest achievement. The colors match perfectly to the green of our walls (laughs). Of the many dishes I inherited from home, there are very few things that I like. A glass series from the sixties of Theresienthal with a gold rim, for example, that stood in a showcase at my parents’. At ours it is being used. Even at the risk that something breaks. That’s part of it.
MS: You manage to reinvent yourself over and over again. Talbot Runhof features films such as “High Society”, you designed “Fashion 2 Sea” for the MS Europa2 and “Couture feather tops” for the Meiersche Art Institution.
AR: That’s right. Whenever we meet people who we find interesting, we say: Let’s do something together. We do not go out of ideas so fast.  BvH

“The antique cabinet is an heirloom from my mother,” says Adrian Runhof, who was born in Mainz and grew up in Wiesbaden. “In Munich, it does not fit into our living concept. Everything is very modern and more design-like. In Berlin it has now found a good place.”

Contact Adrian Runhof

talbotrunhof.com

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The Entrée of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris with the imitated façade of the house on Avenue Montaigne, where even today atelier and flagshipstore of Dior are located: Bonjour, Christian Dior!

As a teenager, I was enthusiastic about “Miss Dior”, a fragrance that Christian Dior launched as the first perfume of Dior in 1947. My godmother gave me the perfume classic for my 16th birthday. My first luxury accessory, which flowery note I still have in my nose today. At the moment the Christian Dior exhibition “Couturier du Rêve”, which not only reminds of the perfume history of Dior, is running in Paris. The exhibition is devoted to the life and work of the haute couture master, whose empire turned 70 years on July 5.

Christian Dior loved the opulence, both in the interior and in his clothes creations

For me it was clear to go to Paris: This show cannot be missed as an art and fashion affine person. I had heard from friends that endless visitors were winding around the northern part of the Louvre, where more than 300 haute couture robes from seven decades were displayed in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs on 3,000 square meters. With my online ticket, I quickly passed the queue, into an exhibition that took me for hours on a spectacular journey through the decades of French luxury.

The garden theme with dresses by different Dior designers in floral prints and applications. The pink bustier dress (center) is a creation by Christian Dior, left Raf Simons, to the right Maria Grazia Chiuri

A retrospective of the history of one of the most important couture houses with personal letters and photos – also unpublished private photographs of Christian Dior, first fashion drawings and designs, campaign pictures and videos, accessories such as bags, shoes, jewelery and the legendary perfume bottles. The exhibition, which is divided into various conceptual spaces on themes such as the “flower dreams”, the “boudoir” or the “great evening gown”, begins with the collection debut of Christian Dior in 1947.

“Diablesse”: Red dress of Christian Dior’s collection debut in 1947

In addition to the partial robes of the great master, who died of a heart attack in 1957 at only 52 in southern France, the show also presents the successors of Dior. In the same year, his former assistant Yves Saint Laurent took over the fashion space that had been successfully established for a decade. He was followed by Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and today’s chief designer Maria Grazia Chiuri. “Couturier du Rêve” is a tribute to one of the greatest fashion creators of all times, the legacy of Christian Dior, which impressively shows how the brand has influenced the fashion industry and the culture for decades. I am impressed. J’adore Dior.  BvH

A retrospective of the history of one of the most important couture houses with personal letters and photos – also unpublished private photographs of Christian Dior

About Christian Dior

Born in Normandy in 1905, Dior, who wanted to become an architect, began as a gallerist in Paris with financial support from his father, an industrialist. Due to the insolvency of his father’s company as a result of the global economic crisis in 1931, Dior first designed hat fashion for the fashion supplement of the newspaper Le Figaro and finally modèces for Parisian haute couture fashion houses. The fashion designer Robert Piguet drew attention to Dior and engaged the talented painter and draftsman in 1938. After the Second World War, Dior received from the wealthy textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac 60 million francs as starting capital for the establishment of the Haute Couture house Christian Dior. In the same year he moved his studio to the elegant Avenue Montaigne in Paris, where the Dior flagship store still is today. The first fashion collection, presented by Dior in February 1947, was a sensation and was celebrated by American journalists as “The New Look”. After the scanty, simple ladies’ wear of the war years, Dior created a narrow waist, figurative tops, wide, opulent skirts of noble materials, combined with elegant wagon-wheel hats and long gloves. Critics criticized the lavish use of scarce resources and a return to antiquated fashion in times of emancipating women, but Dior’s influence was considerable: Quickly his high-priced haute couture designs were copied from the mass market.

Black-and-white fashion photographs showing Dior models

With every season Dior presented a new ‘look’, always cheered by the fashion industry and the wealthy customers. The calyx-line was followed by the dome-, lily of the valley-, the pencil-, H-, A- and Y-lines. Dior’s creations contributed significantly to making Paris a fashion capital.

With numerous worldwide licenses – including perfumes – Dior built up an empire within a few years. He was considered reserved, shy, and humble, and felt uncomfortable in public affairs in society. His homosexuality was not addressed in the public at that time. In October 1957 Christian Dior died, presumably due to a heart attack. He was one of the most internationally renowned fashion designers and left a mark that was successfully developed under his successors.

One theme of the exhibition is devoted to the development of Dior perfumes – including their elaborate flacons

Tip:

Book your ticket for the exhibition online. This avoids waiting for hours. You need patience anyway, because there is a great deal of excitement in front of the individual exhibition pieces. Therefore also be cautious of pickpockets (living without my beloved cashmere scarf ever since). Plan sufficient time: It took me four hours to look at the exhibition.

So beautiful: On the left a design by Christian Dior from 1956, to the right of his successor Yves Saint Laurent from the year 1960

Info Christian Dior Exhibition:

The world’s largest Dior exhibition „Couturier du Rêve“  runs until the 7th of January 2018 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Christian Dior, who wanted to become an architect, began as a gallerist in Paris

He first designed hat fashion for the fashion supplement of the newspaper Le Figaro and finally modèces for Parisian haute couture fashion houses

One dress more beautiful than the other

Personalities such as the English Princess Margaret (Foto), Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich and Lady Diana were dressed by the traditional house

Today, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman and Rihanna are among the fans of the Dior brand

Here are the designs by John Galliano (far back) and Raf Simons (middle) with a reminiscence of Christian Dior’s predilection for opulence

This part of the exhibition is devoted to colors: Accessories and clothing in white …

… black-and-white …

… Gray … and elaborately designed mini models, which show the respective design already in detail

… Orange …

… Red …

… Purple …

… in all nuances and shades …

… Blue …

… and Black

“Parfum is the finishing touch to any dress.”

One of my favorite gowns

Lush embroided evening peeptoe

And always John Galliano ..

… who fascinates me with his imaginative creations as here on the topic of the Far East. To the right a design by Christian Dior

John Galliano: “Thamar” and “Shéhérazade”, Spring-Summer 1998

The Garden topic in rose variations

… and Dior’s lily-of-the-valley line (far back) interpreted by his successors

This filigree embroidered floral gown is designed by Raf Simons

And once again John Galliano: Beyond beautiful, isn’t it?

On a journey with imperishable fashion from all Dior decades

Dior on the titles of international high-gloss magazines: “The photographs and drawings published in the magazines often present me with an entirely new light on my creations.”

They shaped the heritage of Christian Dior and represent the further development of the Dior style: Yves Saint Laurent

Marc Bohan

Gianfranco Ferré

John Galliano

Raf Simons

Maria Grazia Chiuri

“I wanted my dresses to be moulded to the contours of the female body.”

Atelier atmosphere with designs, which are first made of white nettle, which is demonstrated in this part of the exhibition of seamstresses

At the end of the exhibition, the real highlight is the spectacular presentation of a staging of lush elegance, light and sound installation. For this room alone one should plan half an hour

MyStylery in action – the world’s largest Dior exhibition “Couturier du Rêve” runs until the 7th of January 2018 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris

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Best of IBIZA LOVE

In this pub it all started over 60 years ago: Las Dalias in Sant Carles

I wonder whether the Spaniard Joan Mari would have ever expected that one crazy idea he had sixty years ago would now be the hot spot of the island of Ibiza and – for me – the world’s best hippie market! But first things first: In November 1954, Joan Mari, a farmer and carpenter Ibizan, opened a small bar, which he called Las Dalias. The whole neighborhood went on to Sant Carles to abut with the newly minted restaurateur. The beginning of a legend.

Stands under shadow spending palm trees

At that time, tourism did not exist in Ibiza. But the so-called Spirit of the island attracted power and aristocracy. Men like Aristotle Onassis and Prince Rainier of Monaco, who had already seen it all, came with their entourage to inhale the beauty of the island, because nowhere else they could find something as original and authentic as it was in Ibiza.

The „it-bag” of this summer: colorful cotton look in rainbow colors. Pretty and much cheaper than in German shops

In the 60s, the hippies came and with them Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison, followed by Bob Marley in the 70s. The beginning of flower power, peace- and freedom movement. And also the start of small stalls opening around Joan Mari’s little pub Las Dalias.

„Fig Tree“ is one of my favourite shops on the market of Las Dalias. Alba crochets fine cotton and hence beautiful bikins emerge, followed by bags and handmade jewelry: www.figtree-ibiza.com

Nina Hagen, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Robert Plant, Bob Geldof, all got put under the island’s spell since then, and they have left their mark on the island and the market of Las Dalias. For the past 31 years, there is the hippie market Las Dalias – it is the most famous in Europe.

The idea of food trucks actually comes from California, but happens to be much liked in Ibiza as well

When Joan’s son Juanito took over in 1985, there were five stalls. Today there are more than 200 distributors who sell their goods under the bright blue sky of Ibiza, the cafes and restaurants invite you to siesta, the DJs play relaxing music, acrobats perform their stunts, there are live music acts.

Fancy for beach or shopping: The classic bast bag should not be missed and is available in thousands of varieties in Ibiza

And that attracts visitors in droves: in summer, every Saturday more than 20,000 visitors come to Sant Carles. These huge gatherings of crowds you either like or hate. And still, the special atmosphere you only have here. Only on the market of Las Dalias I would like to be a hippie myself and imagine how Nina Hagen and her associates have, back then, celebrated their never-ending parties. BvH

Mora is an artist and a relict of old hippie days. She can tell the best stories about the market: www.djin-mora.de

Here the DJ plays his music: Island groove around the clock

Looking for a new bed throw? Souvenirs can be found in each corner, such as these colorful cotton-plaids

In the antiquarian one can find books in all languages, also a collection of German titles

In love with the fringes suede scarf: This summer cannot happen without fringes, in Ibiza they belong to every outfit since the old hippie days

In Ibiza I become a hippie-girl and love to dress in this style, no matter if this look doesn’t work at home

Contact:
Las Dalias
Crta. Eivissa – San Carles, Km 12
Sant Carles de Peralta, Ibiza, Spain
+ 34 971 326825 // M. +34 661 234 672

May to October
Saturdays: 10am – 8pm
June to September
Mondays: Nightmarket 07pm – 01.30am

www.lasdalias.es

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Teatime at Michael Michalsky’s office: MM pours the tea and enjoys it black, without milk and sugar

We know each other for years and have the same northern German roots: Fashion designer Michael Michalsky was raised near Bad Oldesloe, I was only 35 km away in Lübeck. And we both love fashion and tea. Since 24 years Michalsky is active as fashion designer. He designs sets of cutlery and tableware for the German brand WMF, his perfume is a bestseller. After he conferred the fashion circus with a vociferous refusal last year, he is nowadays more present than ever. The chosen Berliner started his comeback in 2015 with the haute couture series “Atelier Michalsky”. And today he is even a TV-star.

Michael Michalsky and I drink tea from hand-painted big “Office Mugs” of the tradition series “Kurland” by KPM

MyStylery: Michi, I cooked Earl Grey for us, I hope you like it!
Michael Michalsky (laughs): How great that you brought some tea! I never experienced that at an interview before. And those cups. I would love to have them as well! I love English tea. When I’m in London I always go to Fortnum & Mason and buy Earl Grey classics.
MS: Have you always liked to drink tea or did you become a tea drinker in England?
MM: I was always anglophile. I lived six years in London and this characterized me. Every morning I drink a big bowl of tea as more goes inside than in a normal cup. Currently I also like to drink the Earl Grey Blue from Mariage de Frères.

Delicious cupcakes from Berlin brand “Just a Bite”: So yummy!

MS: Do you also drink green tea?
MM: No, always and only black tea.
MS: Also in the evening? But can you sleep afterwards?
MM: After four o’clock I’m not drinking tea and coffee anymore. Otherwise I could stay awake until eight in the morning. But those days are long gone. There’s nothing more beautiful than an English-celebrated teatime with scones, clotted cream, sandwiches with salmon and cucumber, everything nicely decorated onto étagères. I love this.

Since the TV show GNTM (“Germanys next topmodel”) he often gets recognized on the street and asked for selfies. “But rather in cities such as Hamburg or Munich. The Berliner are too cool.”

MS: What else than tea connects you to England?
MM: As student I often drove to England to officially work on my English. My main motivation was of course the fashion, which emerged there like the music did. Everything I liked in the 80ies came from London. I saved money to buy myself clothes that you couldn’t find in Germany. Nowadays you’re getting the same things everywhere anyways.
MS: Are you an online-shopper?
MM: Absolutely! Just yesterday I bought myself a plaid shirt and a black hat. I love Mr. Porter. That’s the greatest online shop for men. I mean isn’t it wonderfully comfortable? Everything is getting delivered, I can try it on at home, preferably clothes from Maison Margiela, Prada, Haider Ackermann, Comme des Garcons and also of course Michalsky.

“London is a great city. I had a very exciting time there. I’m in London one to two times a year. There I would like to travel more often.”

MS: One year ago you launched the haute couture series Atelier Michalsky.
MM: And this was accepted very positive. This is the beacon of my Michalsky-brand environment, which expresses my love to fashion. Next to it there are other areas like carpets, perfumes, furniture, the cooperation with WMF. I’m now working freer of constraints, what I really like. My clients accept that they have to wait for a garment. The exclusiveness, longevity, quality of materials and individuality are more important to them than a quick availability.
MS: Why runs the fashion industry so hard?
MM: Fashion has become very fast paced. I think it’s great that fashion has democratized. If I would ask the people on the street whether fashion is important to them, safely nine out of ten would say yes. Only 20 years ago the people on the street looked very different. Then fashion had much more to do with exclusivity. Today fashion from the rod doesn’t cost much, there’s a permanently sale, people throw things away just because they don’t like them anymore. This is completely alien to me. Earlier I had jobs so that I could afford to launch a little bit.

We try the delicious cupcakes: “When I’m in a foreign country, I accommodate myself and in the USA it’s clear that you drink more coffee and less tea.”

MS: Since 2015 you’re also active in television as juror of a famous casting show and everybody’s darling.
MM: GNTM came completely unexpected. I didn’t plan to start a television career. Standing six months in front of the cameras, the responsibility to take care of twelve young women who I didn’t know before, that was a completely new experience from which I didn’t even know, whether I would be able to do it.
MS: At least you have pampered yourself in a luxury hotel while you were filming in Los Angeles.
MM: Yes, nearly four months. When I had breakfast in my room, they actually already brought a latte plus a pack of cigarettes. That’s what I call service. (Laughs) By the way I really liked the latte at Chateau Marmont.

Michael Michalsky is happy: GNTM season with him was the most successful season of the last five years

MS: What was your biggest challenge?
MM: I did not only see myself as juror, but especially as mentor. Authenticity was in this case extremely important to me. I’m a meritocratic human and I believe in Prussian virtues like order, assiduity and punctuality. I know that you have to work for everything. And this is a special, new territory for some girls, a territory they didn’t know before.
MS: Is that a question of generation?
MM: No, it’s a question of education. The children of my friends are well educated, as they got conveyed with the right values. But they’re still free and creative in their acting. But you’re not a philistine, just because you appear on time and are prepared for a date.

“My wish for the future? To stay healthy as long as possible.”

MS: Only some of the previous winners were able to establish themselves in the professional modeling business. What are the girls taking from this TV format?
MM: It depends on the volition of every single girl. At GNTM they’re doing kind of a training, in which they got to know the fundamental know-how. Supermodels know that the job is really hard work. One has to fight for the jobs and one has to burn for the thing, even if it doesn’t work out at the first onset. I’m speaking from personal experience. Seize every given opportunity! Today many young people lack the bite. They get a rejection and then they don’t know what to do.
MS: What would you do different today by looking at your experiences?
MM: Education is the most important thing and one should take everything one can get. I regret that as a student I haven’t accepted further education courses to learn French or Spanish. I was surprised by some candidates that we casted in Berlin. 16 years old girls who still went to school. They would have interrupted or even quit school just to take part on the show. With the consent of their parents. My parents would have never allowed this.  BvH

Contakt Michael Michalsky:

www.michalsky.com

“Meet me 4 tea” is supported by KPM – Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin (Royal Porcelain Factory Berlin)

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

Merken

The post Black or Green, Michael Michalsky? appeared first on My Stylery.

Ibiza Love Part XV

Why wait for bad weather? Shopping is always an option!

At current summer temperatures on my favorite island Ibiza it’s almost hard to imagine, but yes, they do exist, the uncomfortable rainy days. My suggestion for a rather suboptimal weather condition: shopping! Get in your car and on the Carretera Ibiza Sant Miquel towards Santa Gertrudis. At kilometer four lies the probably largest shopping paradise of Ibiza, the Sluiz, which was founded by its Dutch owners as a small store in 2006 in Sant Josep. Today there are 6,000 square meters retail space of colorful lifestyle assortments, from hammocks to crochet bikinis.

Also in the assortment: Spanish ceramics and basketry

Who spotted the closet or the lamp of his dreams here, does not necessarily have to own an Ibizan finca, to embellish it with the new piece of furniture. The Sluiz offers a delivery service until the domestic front door, i.a. to Germany. And since I am in love with the blue ceramic dishes, I can therefore opt for more than one. Or should I rather take the floral-printed variant? Now at the latest, my husband’s patience languishes, so I can conveniently park him at the bar of Sluiz. Here, the friendly bartender serves a cool Cerveza whilst I take important consumption decisions. Shopping makes you hungry. Therefore, there is a restaurant next to the bar, that is also a popular lunch place even for the Ibicencos, and where delicious hamburgers and homemade cakes are served.

Charging station for tired shoppers and their companions

My Tip:

Regularly, the Sluiz organizes wine tastings, on the food factory, regional products are offered and fans of the good old records should not miss the vinyl-record-fair. Dates and events can be found on the website. BvH

Here everything’s so colorful!

Contact Sluiz:

http://www.sluizibiza.com/

The white porcelain boxes now adorn my kitchen!

Info:

Mallorca travelers do not have to be sad or even rebook their holiday: The Sluiz opened in Palma in April 2016! Shop ’til you drop.

Colorful lifestyle assortments on 6,000 square meters

The turquoise lanterns also look beautiful individually

Everything for a cozy bed and a good night’s sleep can be found here

Wine, tea, spices: The culinary department has plenty to offer

Shopping paradise Sluiz: Am I in heaven?

In addition to goods from around the world, the concept store also offers its own range under the name Sluiz.Ibiza

Fashion in casual Ibiza style – for men …

… and for women

These parking signs are just hilarious – maybe a gift instead of flowers?

Decorative accessories for every living room and every taste

Bring time and don’t forget the credit card!

Bargain hunters, check it out: In San Antoni, Sluiz has an outlet, too

Everything under one roof: boutique, cafe and bar

Trademark of Sluiz are the blue cows: Buen Venuto!

The post Ibiza Love: Shop ’til you drop at Sluiz appeared first on My Stylery.

Best of MyStylery

Claudia von Schacky likes to surround herself with beautiful things – even when working. The china “Perlrand” is from Nymphenburg

She is the specialist of fine leather- and fur fashion and made it to a “one-woman-show” within ten years of entrenching on the hard-earned fashion-market: Claudia von Schacky, designer and successful entrepreneur – also in other German-speaking countries – with three employees, a showroom in Munich and in New York and two collections per year. The native East-Westphalian, who did a classic tailoring training and absolved a fashion degree in Munich, subsequently working for Escada, Ralph Lauren and Rena Lange, wanted to do something of her own after 25 years: She created the perfectly fitting leatherpants made of stretching leather. Soon, her clients wanted more, which is why now the label Schacky and Jones also stands for trendy leather dresses and cool fur coats – with certified materials, emphasizes the designer. Since 2005, Claudia lives in Berlin with her husband Andreas Freiherr von Schacky.

The designer skillfully mixes old pieces with new ones. Many furniture and pictures are from auctions. I love Claudia’s cozy style

Fashion designer Claudia von Schacky in her livingroom

MyStylery: How does a chosen inhabitant of Munich end up in the middle of the capitals heart?
Claudia von Schacky: After more than 20 years in Munich I needed a change of scene. Berlin is so inspirational and full of creativity, it really fascinates me. There is permanently something new to discover: Restaurants, shops, exhibitions. I constantly meet new people. Berlin is simply a lot more open minded and more cosmopolitan than the straightforward and beautiful Munich.

Amaryllis in an antique glass vase

MS: In the fashion industry – especially in the international – Berlin and its Fashion-Week is often derided…
CvS: Unjustly! The first fair of the season takes place in Berlin and hence it is important, even though no orders are written here. Berlin gives more impetus than every other city. The only alternatives to Berlin are the abroad metropolises.
MS: Why did you establish yourself in the middle of Berlin and not in the west of the city?
CvS: There is nothing new in the west (laughs). Charlottenburg is like Schwabing. And this is what I had for all these years. I am totally excited about the modern architecture in Mitte, especially in the townhouses in Caroline-von-Humboldt-Weg. Our house was designed by the architect Bernd Albers. No townhouse looks like the other. Some have super modern facades; others stand more for the New Objectivity. There are convoluting-historicizing facades, which remind of the townhouses in London, Amsterdam or the ones on New York Upper West Side. An amazing, prizewinning ensemble, where we feel very comfortable.

The Townhouses in Caroline-von-Humboldt-Weg in Berlin Mitte …

… with different facade design. Award-winning architecture

MS: … and for architecture-lovers it is the obligatory program of sightseeing….
CvS: True, the tourists are dropped off in bus-caravans. But I don’t mind at all. Quite the contrary, I find it funny.

Claudia von Schacky loves porcelain of Nymphenburg, like this Irish Setter

MS: What mattered to you for the arrangement of the flat?
CvS: I’m trying to make things differently and always end up with the same color scheme. I like dark colors and the whole palette of muddy colors.

Furnishings and walls are decorated in warm mud tones. The painting above the sofa is from Karl-Friedrich Lessing

A chic mix: Baroque velvet cushions combined with simple ones from Ikea, which Claudia von Schacky embellished with handmade beading

MS: When it comes to your interior design, you didn’t really adapt to the cool, puristic capital-look.
CvS: I love it modern, but still classic and thus combine old with new. We collected a lot over the years and partly bought it at auctions. Our chairs in the dining room are Art Deco and above hangs a Murano-chandelier, which I could never part with.

The Sabel antelope comes from a hunt in Tanzania, the ancient Murano chandelier is a souvenir from Italy

Claudia von Schackys husband brought the zebra from Namibia

MS: You are surrounded by one or two exotics here, where for example is the zebra fur from?
CvS: My husband shot it in Namibia. This is also where the Sable antelope in the dining room is from. Andreas is forest manager and has a forestry near Berlin, where I gladly accompany him on weekends.
Best I like it out there, amid the nature, in a different world and breathe in deeply.  BvH

What an decorative eye-catcher: the Kudah is guarding the staircase

The poster was the invitation to an exhibition. The depicted skirt was sewn from all the skins of the collection

This drawing is the first one that Claudia Schacky bought at an auction

The modern chandelier is a break in style in the harmonious room design

The ancient China cabinet was also purchased in an auction …

… Japanese vases and figurines from the 18th century, brought from a trip to Osaka

“Sumo” by Helmut Newton (2000)

Also for the bedroom Claudia von Schacky chose her tried and tested color concept. The bedspread is made from fine cashmere, the kilims are antique with beautiful colors!

Chinese, colored ink drawings from the 19th century are hanging above the bed head

Lightreflections: The chandeliers in the hallway give a decorative light

Contact Claudia von Schacky:

www.schackyandjones.com

The post At home with fashiondesigner Claudia von Schacky appeared first on My Stylery.

IBIZA LOVE Part V

Even the colorful entrance of the World Family Shop has something seductive

Since my first visit to the hippy market of Las Dalias I’m in love with the colorful creations of the Spanish label World Family. Shoes, bags, clothes – everything comes in gorgeous colors, elaborately embroidered and decorated. It’s great that the entire World Family Collection is now under one roof – including beautiful home accessories and small furniture for our home. If you drive the street 733 towards San Juan, the World Family shop is at the height of kilometer 17, right next to Can Curune. Then it’s about either passing the accelerator and proceeding quickly – or getting out your credit card and shop.

A nice couple: Alok and Merel founded in the mid-90s their label World Family Ibiza

World Family is actually a family business behind Alok and Merel, standing with their children and grandmother Joke. Alok, who came in the mid-90s from Barcelona to Ibiza, where he met Merel, a former Dutch model, both looking for a new beginning. They made a tepee, where they lived together with their children coming from previous relationships and the three common as patchwork family.

The amber-colored bag is from the new collection. A moderate hippie look that also works well at home

Sweet: In leather framed, colorful clutch with embroidery and fringed pompons

Cool Leather Boots – for a perfect Ibiza look

Their first findings, which they had discovered on a trip to Morocco, they were selling on the beach of Benirras directly from the back of their rickety Mercedes transporter. Later, they managed to get a stand at the famous hippy market of Las Dalias – that was a breakthrough for their current success with a total of three stores in Ibiza and a showroom in Barcelona.

Aren’t they extremely chic? Turquoise peacock chairs and matching side table

In spite of the demand, each part of the World Family Collection is produced 100% handmade, designed by Merel, lovingly decorated with Indian borders and Moroccan beads. And why have Alok and Merel called their label “World Family”? “Because we all have different backgrounds with own traditions, customs and habits. But we all have in common, that we share this beautiful planet called earth.” BvH

I love these colorful cushions!

Interior and Fashion under one roof – to me, this is the perfect store!

Help, I can not decide!

Even from the outside the World Family Store is an eye catcher

In love with this elaborate embroidered dress. Is this possible? Cecilie says: Yes!

Adiós, World Family, we will be back!

Contact World Family Ibiza:

Crta. San Juan, km 17
07810 San Juan, Ibiza

www.worldfamilyibiza.com

The post Ibiza Love: World Family Shop appeared first on My Stylery.

The new fall-autumn cashmere collection by Allude …

Once cashmere, always cashmere – that was the well-intentioned advice of my mother-in-law, long time ago, and now a saying in my family. Whoever believes Cashmere is solely a material for the cold season, has probably never worn a soft sweater made of light summer cashmere. The ideal companion for cool evenings and my savior during my vacation in Ibiza, where someone like me, who feels the cold quite easily, does not want to miss this woolen companion – even in the super hot months of June, July or August.

… by designer and author Andrea Karg

I still remember vividly how I demolished my favorite sweater, a casual, anthracite-colored cashmere sweater with a (back then) mega-trendy V-neck, in the washing machine: 60 degrees and the full spin program made it – and myself – the purest whiner. Why a noble cashmere piece nevertheless must not be chemically cleaned, how the favorite sweater is best stored and what you can do about the annoying pilling is written by Andrea Karg, the German cashmere queen and founder of the luxury label Allude, in a beautiful coffeetable book.

Allude designer Andrea Karg discusses her new collection

In twelve chapters, Allude designer Andrea Karg tells the story of the noble yarn and takes us on a journey beginning with the cashmere extraction to a finished Allude collection, which incidentally does not only include sweaters and scarves! The casual, light-gray coat (see below ;-)) would be right up my alley and the cushions from the home collection would do nicely on my own sofa.

Gorgeous coat made of the coveted luxury wool by Allude

By the way, cashmere-goats are not all the same. There are 20 goat species, to which the term applies and which are all originated in the Central Asian highlands. Cashmere is one of the most wanted and most nobly materials in the world and is not a product of our modern crave of luxury. “The use of goats’ hair for clothing, carpets, tents or wall decoration has been an old tradition in Asia over two millennia”, says Andrea Karg, who founded her own label in 1993 and, with her innovative collections, brought the material to the Paris catwalks of Pret-à-Porter in 2012. Cashmere – an informative book and aesthetic photos for fans of the cuddly noble yarn. BvH

Cashmere-goats are not all the same. There are 20 goat species

Allude designer Andrea Karg about the history of the noble yarn in her coffeetable book

Cozy, not only during the cold season: luxury cushions from Allude homecollection

So sweet: Small cloak from the precious yarn for the youngsters

A critical look at the sweaters of her luxury collection: Designer Andrea Karg

Cashmere Tip:

Small moth holes can be repair by a cashmere-professional, for example in the Allude cashmere clinic

Info:

Cashmere
by Andrea Karg
published by Callwey

All pics by Allude

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