Meet me for Tea with Thomas and Claudia Anders: Thomas, former singer of the pop duo Modern Talking, and with 125 million sold phonograms and 420 gold and platinum sound records one of the most successful German musicians ever. Claudia has been married to Thomas for 17 years and has been a businesswoman for four years with a lifestyle-shop for dog and keeper. I meet the relaxed couple first in the Klostergut Besselich near Koblenz, home and company seat of the pop star, from where one can look over the Rhine valley until the beautiful viewpoint ‘Deutsches Eck’. For a shoot with the gorgeous cups of KPM, Claudia and Thomas Anders are ready for another meeting at the Berlin Hotel Adlon. A MyStylery interview with a sympathetic, humorous couple.

Claudia and Thomas Anders admire the hand-painted office cups by KPM

MyStylery: Thomas, you are a native “Rheinländer”, born in Koblenz, where you still live today. You have been in L.A. for several years and also for several years in Berlin. Did you never think of living together in a different place again? Why Koblenz?
Thomas Anders: Why not? As an artist you do not necessarily live in cities like Berlin, Hamburg or Munich. I think you should live where you feel good.
MyStylery: Wouldn’t the metropolis be more pleasant for you, with regards to more anonymity and inconsistent recognition?
Thomas: No, on the contrary. When I am in Hamburg or Berlin, people call me on the street and ask for an autograph. The Koblenzer know me, but leave me alone, whether in the supermarket, in the cleaners or at the gas station. With one exception: A few years ago, I met a group of young people at our vegetable dealer. They asked for a photo and said that they were on a class trip in Koblenz. First day here and already met a celebrity, one of the guys said. Whereupon I countered, many more you will not meet here. (laughs)
Claudia Anders: We can also live as a normal family here and that is important to us. Although I sometimes miss the big city air. I love Berlin for example, but I am also looking forward to going back home. Koblenz is our retreat.

“Koblenz is our homebase.”

MyStylery: Thomas, you are very popular internationally. Especially abroad your audience awaits the old Modern Talking songs. Is this a burden for you?
Thomas: No, not at all. Modern Talking’s career was unique. I am still today performing in front of approximately 250,000 people around the world, so the word “old” does not fit here at all. (laughing). This is my life. I am in the fortunate position to be able to sing the songs that are still demanded today and were world hits. This is a gift. I fortunately have never had this Roy Black-fate to make hits like “Ganz in Weiß”, though being a rock’n’roller by heart.
MyStylery: Especially in America, you appeal to all age groups, also many young people.
Thomas: Right. 10,000 people were at the concert in Los Angeles. It’s a good-mood music that does not go out of style.
Claudia: A concert without “You’re my heart, you’re my soul” does not work at all. The audience loves the 80s. With the Teens the decade has almost cult status.
Thomas: In Germany one often remembers first and foremost the controversies between Dieter Bohlen and me, while abroad, one thinks about the music when it comes to Modern Talking.

Songs that are still world hits

MyStylery: Many artists want to be noticed by their new songs and not to be reduced to the old successes. You have just released your first German-language album in April. How did the fans react?
Thomas: So good that another is planned. “Pures Leben” (“Pure Life”) has been sold nearly 100.000 times.
MyStylery: And what kind of music is playing at your home?
Claudia: I like jazz from Diana Krall or Lounge Music. In the car I always have a Modern Talking-CD. With us, music is playing all day, so in the evening I just yearn for quietness.
Thomas: I am a very sensitive person. For me, music is just as cozy as candles. They burn all day. I like it a lot.
MyStylery: Your son is now 15, how does he like your music?
Thomas: Either Alexander does not dare to say that he finds the music stupid or he is actually not embarrassed (laughs). He listens to music of his age group, DJ Khaled or Kanye West, for example.
Claudia: His classmates ask for autographs from Thomas. And when we visit Alexander at the boarding school, his schoolmates often tell us that they have seen Thomas on TV.

During the interview we enjoyed my favorite tea “Morgentau” by Ronnefeldt

MyStylery: Claudia, you have been running a lifestyle brand for dogs and keepers for four years and are producing your own line for high quality dog ​​food and dog beds. Why dog ​​products and not a fashion boutique?
Claudia (laughs): I love fashion, but a boutique would have never been an option for me. I am interested in a beautiful home where the animal is a family member. Important is a healthy nutrition to me, also for our four-legged friends. And since I have hardly found any appealing articles and dog food for our dog, I just put it on the market myself. My customers want healthy but appetizing dog food and the right dog basket to the domestic sofa as part of the living concept. I am not a bling-bling type and do not need strass-studded dog neck straps. Quality and sustainability are demanded. A discarded dog basket should not contribute to garbage dumps increasing after only one year. For all of this I have made a big dream of mine come true with Home & Dogs.
MyStylery: You’ve been dog owners for many years. Who walks your dog “Summer”?
Thomas: Claudia or Alexander. I only do it if there is no other way. (laughs)
Claudia: Therefore Thomas is our chef.
MyStylery: Is this more like show cooking for guests or like everyday basic care?
Thomas (laughs): No, I always cook. At the vegetable dealer of my trust, I get inspired by the seasonal offer. And I love the Asian cuisine or freshly grilled hamburgers. When cooking I relax completely and leave the whole everyday routine behind me.
Claudia: Thomas makes great spaghetti Bolognese with chili and red wine. I am responsible for the decorative part and do the table. Food is celebrated with us and is not simply devoured in passing. When everyone is there, we try to sit with the family at the table once a day.

“Thomas is our chef.”

MyStylery: And after the meal, is there tea?
Thomas: For me. I am the tea drinker with us. The coffee machine I might use once in the quarter of a year. My morning ritual: The day starts with a tea, I am not a breakfast person. By the way, my favorite is a Ronnefeldt tea and a double-walled tea glass. I’m pretty pragmatic when it comes to that.
Claudia: I’m more of a coffee person. In the evening, however, I also very much like a Rooibos tea. After that I can sleep well.
MyStylery: Thomas, do you also drink black tea?
Thomas: Not at all. Black tea goes on the pipes. I like to drink white tea, which cannot be steeped too long because of the bitterness. And tea bags basically do not come into my cup. Only loose varieties such as “Fiery Cherry” or “Mango Orange”. In this way I can trick myself, when I suddenly feel like gummy bears in the afternoon.

Power couple with lots of humor

MyStylery: You’re not just a dinosaur in the music industry, you guys have been together for over 21 years and married for 17 years. That sounds like pure harmony.
Claudia (laughs): When Thomas comes home, we have to get used to being together again every time. We are not the orchestra that Thomas conducts. When Thomas is on the road, I take a lot of responsibility at home and in our companies and decide a lot of things. That’s why I never give the chief key out of my hands. Sometimes it bangs. But that also has something purifying and is better than if you had nothing more to say.
Thomas: Every argument is a loss of quality of life, so I try to avoid it. So I sometimes also give in. Women and men speak different languages. How do I know what is being expected or hoped for at the moment? I am a musician and not a clairvoyant.
Claudia (laughs): Exactly. Men need clear announcements.
Thomas: I definitely feel more comfortable then. (grins)

Meet me in Berlin: Claudia and Thomas Anders enjoy the big city atmosphere

MyStylery: Thomas, from 365 days in a year, you are on the road for 200 days, is there still time and leisure for hobbies?
Thomas: Tournees are admittedly already exhausting and sometimes limit my enthusiasm. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Hanoi, Buenos Aires or Istanbul are not just around the corner. But only sitting at home and cooking would be too little for me. Hobbies are needed by someone who needs a balance to everyday stress. When I work, I do not feel that as a burden. On the contrary, I cannot get enough of it. My job is my hobby.
Claudia: I regularly go to yoga and read a lot. And although Thomas travels a lot, we love traveling together as a family, too.
Thomas (laughs): Our son, by the way, has recently proved his repartee quite funnily. We were with Alexander in Los Angeles and drove through the chic villa district Bel Air. Claudia commented on the luxury houses and said, what are they doing to afford a huge dream villa for 40 million dollars? Then our son says: Mama, they sell cat food!  BvH

At home with Claudia and Thomas Anders

Thomas Anders has been successful in the music business for decades and can rely on the support of his wife Claudia …

… and Claudia – here together with husband and dog in front of her lifestyle-shop Home & Dogs – can count on Thomas when realizaing her projects

MyStylery visiting the Anders in Koblenz on the Rittergut Besselich with a view over the Rhine valley

In the historical monastery Besselich the Anders reside with the headquarters of their companies

Claudia and Thomas Anders with half-breed doggy Summer in front of the cozy fireplace! Almost like at home …

Thank you for the interview!

Tip: Cooking with Thomas Anders

“Modern Cooking” is published by TreTorri Verlag since October 10th. For those who love quick recipes and want to know what family Anders is up to

Did you know? Thomas Anders is the world leader in egg white beating: “Before I get my mixer out of the cupboard, I just beat the egg white with the fork,” says Thomas Anders. “So I’m not getting out of the exercise.”

Contact:

Claudia Anders’ lifestyle-shop Home and Dogs

The interview series “Meet me 4 Tea” is sponsored by  KPM – Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur Berlin.

The post Having a tea with Claudia and Thomas Anders appeared first on My Stylery.

Daniel Bruehl and I sitting in his Tapas-Bar Raval in Berlin. We drink tea from hand-painted cups by KPM

The image of a nice, young man, the dream of every mother-in-law is no longer associated with Daniel Bruehl. The actor, who had his first big breakthrough with the film Good Bye, Lenin!, has, with international productions like Inglourious Basterds, Rush, The First Avenger and Colonia Dignidad, arrived in Hollywood. I meet Daniel César Martín Bruehl González – as he is called by his full name – in his tapas bar Raval in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The man with the Spanish roots – his mother is Spanish, the father German – is currently not only the most asked for international German actor. Since 2011, Daniel Bruehl is also restaurateur. The multilingual all-rounder really wants to talk about his new tapas boxes and looks surprised when I unpack my teacups and pour in the tea.

MyStylery: Mr Bruehl, I hope you like tea?
Daniel Bruehl: Of course. What is the sort?
MS: That’s Morning-dew tea, an herbal blend with green Sencha, sunflowers, cornflowers and rose petals.
DB: Ah yes, the I order this one when I’m traveling with Deutsche Bahn. I like drinking Tea.
MS: You grew up in Spain. Spain is more a coffee nation.
DB: True. But my mother is a big tea drinker. That’s why I mainly grew up with Earl Grey and Assam. Now I just discovered Kusmi-tea for myself, they really have great mixes, for example the Detox Tea.

Earl Grey and Assam

MS: Most of my interviewees don’t get out of bed without their caffeine doses in the morning.
DB (lauhgs): That’s right. But in the afternoon there’s tea in the cup. When I film in England, I drink almost exclusively tea, preferably “white”, so with milk, as the most drink it there. I watch my English friends taking out the bag instinctively at the right time. They seem to have that in their DNA. When I let the tea steep myself, I always put a stopwatch next to it, to not miss the right moment. By the way, you brought beautiful mugs.
MS: They’re from KPM. Each of these cups is unique, where the artist has immortalized himself with his character.
DB: Ah wow! Large cups also affect the taste. When one drinks our traditional Spanish gin and tonic from balloon glasses, it develops its flavor much better and tastes different than a highball glass.

Daniel Bruehl: “Basically, I’m a positive person, but there are things that go against the grain. I might be short-tempered and sometimes grumpy then.”

MS: Your Gin comes from Spain? Doesn’t Gin originally have French or English roots?
DB: The British have brought the gin to Spain and the Spanish love gin and tonic. On Menorca they make quite excellent Gin Mare with flavors of the Mediterranean, such as thyme and rosemary.
MS: How did you become a restaurateur? Don’t you get enough to eat at home?
DB (laughs): I was homesick for Spain and therefore had quite selfish motives. Also, I missed my mother’s dishes, when I went from Cologne to Berlin when I was 20. These are dishes that only she can cook, although she tries to tell me what to do per phone.

MS: Some of your fellow actors went, after the absence of new film offers, in the catering industry. This is evidently not your case.
DB: I do this out of genuine passion. To have brought a piece of Spain to Germany, makes me totally happy. I was from the beginning not naive enough to believe that the catering could be a second pillar.
MS: You are expanding. Soon there will be a tapas branch in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg. Would you see yourself as a bartender who taps the beer at the bar in the future?
DB (laughs): No, I leave that to the pros. With me in the kitchen or at the bar, we would probably go bankrupt.

Daniel Bruehl loves gin from Spain

MS: Recently, you can order your tapas & co online. Pushing a button and the Spanish cuisine is on the German table.
DB: When I come back from Barcelona, half the suitcase is full of products that I love to eat in Spain and which do not exist here that remind me of my childhood and youth, for example Espinaler, a spicy sauce which is served with cold mussels, paprika over it, ready. This is the classic setting for watching football matches. My buddies love it.
MS: Are you a football fan? Which club do you like best?
DB: Clearly Barcelona. You are from the north, right?
MS: Yes, born in Lübeck.
DB: I like the northern German accent so much, which is much nicer than the one in Cologne. Many of my friends are from the Hamburg area.

“The cliché about Spain annoys me: Mallorca, paella, bullfighting. Spain is so much more”, says Daniel Bruehl

MS: Thanks for the compliment! Are you an online shopper?
DB: I’m getting one more and more. To order food is convenient. On Ebay I sometimes discover the weirdest things. Nevertheless, I like to support local, small stores in my neighborhood.
MS: And your favorite meal?
DB: With Pimientos de Padrón or Boquerones I cannot say no. Unbeatable is the ham of Iberian pig, the whole seared á la minute. Simply delicious!
MS: Do you cook yourself?
DB: Yes, although I notice again and again, how limited I am with my opportunities. There is still much room for improvement. When I cook, then preferably black rice.

MS: You have filmed a lot abroad recently. Would Hollywood also be an option for you privately?
DB: I’ve just been to Los Angeles for three months and noticed that I myself am already very European. I’m missing there certain traditions, the history and variety that I can experience in Europe in the smallest space. I grew up between two cultures myself. And I love Italy and France very much.
MS: As a producer, you are already active, how about directing?
DB: If there is a story that I really want to tell, why not? I am a very restless type. As a producer, I can already live the creative me now. That’s what I sometimes miss as an actor.

Father’s delight

MS: You will be a parent soon. What do you wish for your child?
DB: I am very privileged that I grew up in such a great family. If I can pass on what has been exemplified to me, I’m happy.  BvH

Contact:

barraval.com

Pics by Eva Schroewig

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The post Tapas and Tea, Daniel Bruehl? appeared first on My Stylery.

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)

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