Awesome: The Sheats-Goldstein Residence at night*

Since the 90s TV-Series “Beverly Hills, 90210”, one knows that this address is one of the most elegant ones in California. In this top quality location the Hollywood stars are next-door neighbors. Here lives the US-American real estate mogul James Goldstein, an eccentric fashion- and basketball enthusiast, who sits in the first row of every international fashion show and whose best friends are the top players of the NBA-League; a secret monger when it’s about his age or how he made his money. In the hills of Benedict Canyon, the cosmopolitan lives in a puristic villa with concrete triangles, steel beam and glass rhombus and overlooks Los Angeles from here, on good days even to the Pacific. 1963, on behalf of the couple Helen and Paul Sheat, the house was built by the architect John Lautner, until Goldstein acquired it in the 70s and, since then, continuously reconstructed.

Stunning view from the pool terrace to Los Angeles, on the horizon, the skyscrapers of downtown

The living room with a breathtaking view of Los Angeles*

The most beautiful tennis court of Los Angeles: let’s take a pic!

James Goldstein, expert for fashion, architecture and basketball

MyStylery: Jim, is your neighbor Rupert Murdoch actually still speaking to you? You buy off the whole region successively and expect the residents to put up with continual construction sites and the associated background noises.
James Goldstein (laughs): True! I’m not really making myself pleasant. The new project – Club James – is nearly done. Then it will be quite relaxed again. And also, after all these years I’ve never really seen Rupert Murdoch anyway.
MS: To build the new grounds, you took down the house which stood on there. Now there is a new construction with guest rooms and a nightclub, above all a tennis court. Why the private nightclub?
JG: There are no good clubs in LA, so I needed my own one. And the first parties where well received by my guests like Quentin Tarantino or Karolina Kurkova.

Five years ago still under construction: Nightclub James

Infront of the glazed bedroom with it’s completly opened windows, there is an outside whirlpool

MS: Why would one buy a house which is constantly in renovation?
JG: I love changes. The actual reason for buying the house was my afghan dog Natasha, the love of my life. These dogs love to run. Therefore I needed more space. So I thought this house would be the ideal. Also I’ve always been a big fan of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wrights, who is from Wisconsin just like me. Coincidentally I was able to buy this house in 1972 and showed it John Lautner, one of Wrights’ pupils. He was shocked about the conditions and what the former owner had changed. They nearly destroyed the house, as they painted the concrete roof green and yellow. This is how our 15-year collaboration started, in which we transferred inside and outside of the house into its original condition, until John died. Now I work together with Duncan Nicholson.

Kitchen and counter were also designed by designer-legend John Lautner

MS: In the kitchen, the dining room and bathrooms one can now retract the sealing electronically, in the entrance hall there is a koi pond including a water fountain, the windows of your bedroom can be retracted as well… All this sounds pretty elaborate and expensive.
JG: Still there had never been a budget. It should always be realized, what is best for the house. This also applies to the new nightclub.
MS: Three Angels for Charly and The Big Lebowski – your house already served many film productions as a setting…
JG: … and Snoop Dogg got his music video produced here. Yes, this gave me a kick. I don’t open the house due to monetary reasons. I just want to have fun.  BvH

The dining room with a concrete and glass table and chrome leather chairs designed by John Lautner

James Goldstein in front of the stairs leading down to his private bedroom

Designer fashion is part of the lifestyle of James Goldstein. He knows all the top designers in person

Never without headgear: Part of the hat collection of James Goldstein

Room with a view: Watching L.A. downtown from the daybed

James with his VIP friends: fashion guru Karl Lagerfeld and model-icon Kate Moss

James’ retreat to relax and to chill

So cool!

Also the fireplace is made of concrete, beside an African sculpture

James Goldstein and the stars … everywhere in the house are framed photographs of James and his famous friends

The fashion-king and I

James Goldstein and me

The property is surrounded by exotic plants

Jim’s car collection includes a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud convertible from the 60s …

… and a Cadilliac from the 60s

Featured pic and photos marked* © ARTJOCKS

The post A visit to James Goldstein and his Residence in Beverly Hills appeared first on My Stylery.

“I do not feel naked on stage. On the beach, people are more naked. My costume and the makeup are my protective shields. “*

How does a well-educated literary scholar decide to become a burlesque dancer? And overall, Burlesque isn’t that Peepshow with a lot of fuss… Questions over questions were running through my head, as I pressed the bell of a flat in a beautiful old house in Berlin- Pankow. Marlene von Steenvang opens smilingly. She is a petite, blonde woman and in her brown skirt and the black sweater looks like the nice next-door neighbour. She serves tea in green Villeroy & Boch cups with hunting motives. Marlene, whose real name of course isn’t Marlene, tells how she grew up in the States, both parents teaching at the USC University in Los Angeles. Marlene was dreaming of Cinderella and Co, wants to become an actress. But both of her parents wish for their intelligent daughter to learn something ‘decent’. After graduation Marlene goes to London to enrol at the renowned drama school “East 15 Acting School” and works at a Café as a side job to finance her studies. She takes her chance and breaks through. Since 2009 she is living in Berlin and is considered the German answer to Dita von Teese.

Everything in white: Marlene poses on her bed

MyStylery: Marlene, you are considered “the star” in the burlesque scene. What brought you into the burlesque scene?
Marlene von Steenvag: At first I didn’t have a clue what Burlesque actually was. After my studies I was in London, where I worked as a substitute waitress and at the time my boss asked me if I could fill in for a sick stage actress. And there I was on stage, couldn’t really sing and had a German accent. And to compensate, I had the idea of changing my clothes while singing. The stripping came later… (laughs)

Fotoshooting for the “Teaser Magazin”. Foto by Esther Haase

MS: There’s still the persistent cliché that Burlesque was a variant of striptease…
MvS: …and that is completely wrong. The difference to striptease is, that stripping should animate in a sexual way. The dancers are giving you the feeling that you can have them. Burlesque is an art that demands acrobatics and body control and shouldn’t be reduced to getting undressed. It is to move in the head and not in the pants.

Marlene in her living room and study. She loves to mirror herself

MS: Marlene von Steenvag is your stage name –that sounds very noble and nostalgic. How did you come up with it?
MvS: When I started dancing, I was in England and needed a Nordic, German sounding name, especially since I was singing in German. The “von” in addition creates a little distance.

Sugar bowl and milk jug by Villeroy & Boch date back to the hunting lodge of the parents

MS: You teach at the Akademie Burlesque, which was founded by you. What do your pupils learn?
MvS: For my performance I create a real story, that’s why story- telling appears on my timetable as well as the development of an own character, next to choreography and directing. A great Burlesque dancer captivates the audience and causes them to watch the show- attentively.

An 18.000 Dollar dream gown embroidered with Swarovski stones by Roberto Cavalli. “I discovered the dress in Hollywood and it should remind me of what I have been doing.”

MS: What kinds of women are in your class?
MvS: We train young artists, but also just normal women that want to explore their femininity or want to learn how to stage themselves. Often these women lack the sense of confidence and a feeling for their body. They complain about not having any hips or too small breasts. I always tell them: “Girl you got it! Just stand upright.”
We also frequently get booked for bachelorette- evenings, like we just did by five women from Abu Dhabi.

“The Disney characters and their costumes made a big influence on me when I was a child,” says Marlene. “Snow White and Cinderella were my dream princesses.”

MS: How long can you generally practise Burlesque? That’s not until retirement, right?
MvS: Physical attraction has nothing to do with age but with charisma. I don’t want to be on stage all time long. I see myself as entrepreneur and Marlene von Steenvag as a brand. Besides the academy I also founded the Burlesque festival that takes place this year in September for the third time in Berlin.

Marlene having a small breakfast in her kitchen … always elegant!

MS: I always wanted to know, how do those round things that cover the nipples actually hold?
MvS: (laughs) You mean the pasties? They are applied with glue. Either with theatre-glue. But toupee glue also holds very well even when you sweat.

Marlene retains many of her treasure-costumes and stage outfits in her closet, everything is minutely sorted, because keeping order is a must

MS: You’re a person of stage and therefore public. What does your home mean to you?
MvS: Home means protection. There’re two places where I feel secure, the stage and my home. There I like to be surrounded with antiques as I’ve been raised in such an environment as a child.

The living room with a total of five mirrors, a fireplace and an antique cabinet that comes from Marlene’s studies in Freiburg

MS: You have got lots of mirrors hanging all around. Even in this room are five…
MvS: Yes, I have to admit, I’m narcissistic. (laughs) I just love to mirror myself. In the past I always argued for “space enlargement”. Today I stand by it. Burlesque is a dream world, also maybe the other side of the mirror… who knows. BvH

“Burlesque doesn’t intend that someone from the audience gets an erection.”

Showtime in Champagne! Berlin Burlesque Festival 2014**

Contact:
www.marlene-von-steenvag.com

Berlin Burlesque Festival:
17 to 21 September 2015, in “Wintergarten”
International performers present Burleque shows at high level
For more information and tickets www.berlin-burlesque-festival.com

*Photo by Deniz Akgüntüz
** Photo by Verena Gremmer

The post At home with Germany’s Burlesque Queen appeared first on My Stylery.