Veronica Ferres and I had a relaxing cup of tea in a hotel lobby in Berlin – we enjoyed our tea from hand-painted Kurland cups from KPM

It’s Valentine’s Day. Veronica Ferres sits in a hotel lobby in Berlin and shows me photos on her phone, showing two huge rose bouquets. “From my husband,” she reveals and smiles. Veronica Ferres is one of Germany’s most prominent actresses and is the star of numerous TV and film productions. For six years, the 54-year-old has been married to the German financial entrepreneur Carsten Maschmeyer. They live in Munich with their daughter Lilly.

Despite her busy calendar, Veronica Ferres took her time for our reunion and the Meet me for tea interview

MyStylery: Congratulations, Veronica. You recently filmed the drug thriller “Dreamland” with Oscar winner Gary Oldman. Does this make the dream of Hollywood come true?
Veronica Ferres: Hollywood has never been my priority. Nevertheless, I have played in twenty-three English-language productions since the Oscar nomination for ‘Schtonk!’. In Los Angeles I go to every casting. Mostly it doesn´t work. Here it did and I’m happy.
MS: Many German actors dream of a career in the USA. Was that the reason why you moved to Los Angeles in 2016?
VF: When you’re shooting in America, this is seen more critically here in Germany. It indicates that one is not available for the German market. In 2016, we wanted to live abroad again with our daughter for a longer period of time, before she came to secondary school in Germany, where she graduated from high school last year. And since our son was studying in Los Angeles at the time, we all lived under one roof.

There’s always something to laugh about with Veronica – we’ve known each other for more than 20 years

MS: How nice that you speak of Carstens children as your sons.
VF: They also call me mother.
MS: Really?
VF: Yes. They love me. And I love them. My daughter is in the truest sense my stomach child, the two boys are my heart children.
MS: That was not always the case.
VF: Yes, at first it was difficult. Every patchwork family faces big challenges.

Veronica Ferres: “Supermodel instead of superwoman? At some point I accepted myself as I am.”

MS: Children find it difficult to accept the new partner. How did you manage to convince the sons of you?
VF: By speaking openly about my feelings and making it clear that certain things hurt me. Both have developed great respect over the years and have seen me as a hardworking yet warmhearted woman.
MS: At that time they were almost grown up.
VF: I think infants are more open than kids in puberty.
MS: Pubescent children are characters in their own world, always in search of themselves.
VF: Exactly. My daughter is eighteen and a half (laughs). The most important thing is to empower children in their talents, to give them so much love that they are rooted in the earth and yet have the wings and the courage to explore the world. Incidentally, I learn more things from my daughter than she does from me.

I met a relaxed Veronica Ferres who is completely by herself. And even though she didn’t really want to reveal anything private in the interview, she still gave insights

MS: As a young woman you were significantly more Veronica than today. Were diets a topic then?
VF: I was and am an aficionado and wanted to be thin at the same time. Supermodel instead of superwoman. At some point I accepted myself as I am. Living with my husband has also shaped me. He is a marathon runner who is physically active every day. And my daughter too. There is nothing left for me to do but to participate. I regularly train ‘Black-Bike’, a kind of spinning where I spend an hour on the pedals, along with thirty other women in a darkened room. And I train daily with the app ‘8fit’, a workout based on deadweight. It´s good for arms and happiness.
MS: You say seasonal nutrition is important to you.
VF: In the US, I discovered Kohl, ‘Kale’, which is a big topic there. Suddenly, there are vegetables that were totally out of style, like beetroot. Our grandparents lived with the seasons. Today, raspberries are nothing special for our children. In my childhood, they only existed in late summer, when we picked them from the bushes.

Veronica Ferres loves tea

MS: Do you cook yourself?
VF: Yes. When I’m not shooting, I’m in my production office during the day, and in the evening, the family gathers to eat together at home. During the semester break, also our sons are there. The elder studied at Oxford and is now self-employed. The younger studied design in Pasadena and is still doing postgraduate studies in LA.
MS: And you drink tea.
VF: A lot, actually. However only in autumn and winter. For me, this is the cozy season in which I celebrate my rituals: In the evening before going to bed there is a bedtime tea and in the morning a detox tea. I love ginger tea, but I only drink it until 5 pm because it cleanses and induces the body. When I work and the days are long, ginger is my universal weapon and secret recipe. In addition, ginger tea strengthens the immune system.

“Turning fifty was no problem at all. I go through life with the same passion and curiosity.”

MS: You are often confronted with the status of a billionaire’s wife. Was that why you came up with the idea of ​​separation of property?
VF: That’s a matter of course to me. I also relinquish maintenance and inheritance. Carsten and I meet at eye level. I think that’s the secret of our love. My mother, who sold potatoes and coals, reminded me how important it is to stand on your own two feet. I love my husband and that’s why I married him.
MS: How was turning fifty for you?
VF: No problem at all. I go through life with the same passion and curiosity. And professionally there have been great productions since then, for example with Til Schweiger in the American version of “Honey in the Head” on the side of Nick Nolte as well as films with Keanu Reeves, Helen Mirren or Keira Knightley. I also teach in Munich at the University of Television and Film and the encounters with young authors and filmmakers inspire me very much.
MS: Do you get more demanding as you get older?
VF: I’m getting more and more relaxed. The main thing is, I’m with the right people. BvH

Veronica Ferres on Instagram

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

The post Veronica Ferres: “Ginger is my secret recipe.” appeared first on My Stylery.

“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

The post How about a cup of tea, Adrian Runhof? appeared first on My Stylery.

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.

Meet me 4 Tea: Berlin’s former governor and I at the Hotel de Rome

For almost 14 years Klaus Wowereit was mayor of Berlin. I meet the former governor for a cup of tea at the Hotel de Rome. With bouncy steps and a quick saying to welcome me, he enters the lobby. For three years, the lawyer, who was born in Berlin and studied law, is no longer in office. Klaus Wowereit is, however, far away from being a pensioner. Although the sun-drenched hobby golf player has just returned from a 14-day Mallorca holiday.

“Having something to do is important to not rust.”

MyStylery: Klaus, in three months it’s Bundestag election and the SPD is currently in free fall. Can Martin Schulz win the election?
Klaus Wowereit: Yes, of course. His survey ratings climbed over 30 percent within a very short time and there were 17,000 new party entries.
MS: Nevertheless, the SPD has lost three provincial elections in a row. Was it a mistake to nominate Martin Schulz as chancellor candidate?
KW: Three lost provincial elections were quite tough. Martin Schulz still enjoys great sympathy.
MS: Apparently not enough to choose him.
KW: The initial hype is over, the question is what comes after. It is always more difficult for the challenger than for the incumbent.
MS: What advise would you give Martin Schulz?
KW: The most important thing is keeping the nerves together. Sharpen the SPD’s profile and focus on the righteousness.

“What advise I would give Martin Schulz? Keeping the nerves together. Sharpen the SPD’s profile and focus on the righteousness.”

MS: Don’t you feel it in your fingers when you see all of this? Do you not want to get involved again?
KW: On one hand I think, thank God, you have nothing to do with it. On the other hand I would have liked to say something here.
MS: What exactly?
KW: Oh, I do not know now. My short-term memory. (Laughing). Beautiful cup by the way.
MS: This is KPM. Do you know that every cup of this colored Kurland series is unique and has been signed on the bottom?
KW: I also have a big KPM cup at home with my initials, a very nice piece. I really like Kurland. In my generation the so-called good service belonged to the good tone or the dowry, even in families with lower income. On wedding lists the bridal couple collected their new dishes. This seems to have been a little forgotten. Today pragmatism is more important.

“KPM is a wonderful product and I find it remarkable with what historical awareness KPM boss Jörg Woltmann is engaged. Berlin can be very grateful.”

MS: Are you a tea drinker?
KW: Yes. Darjeeling tea, but also gladly Frisian blends.
MS: And you cook yourself?
KW: Yes, and I do not take tea bags, but loose tea leaves from the can. I remember this from times in Emden, where the tea is traditionally prepared differently, you drink it with candy and scooped cream. A special tea experience was a Hightea in Cape Town at the Hotel Mount Nelson. I like this combination of hearty toasts and sweet scones. Of course they should not be too hard, but with some Whipped Cream it always works.

In Berlin’s city hall there is also a service of KPM for large dinners and official guests

MS: It is your third year being a politician pensioner. What has changed compared to your previous life?
KW: I was completely busy in office hours. Came home at night, slept shortly, the next day early the first appointment and that seven days a week. After my resignation, this was suddenly different.
MS: Have you fallen into the infamous hole?
KW: I had the hope that it does not hit me. I enjoy to have lots of free time. But suddenly, leisure needs to be designed. It would have been wrong to say yes to all, just to avoid the emptiness. Just to be there for my husband and myself however would be too little, too. I am committed to the Berlin aid, I am in the presidency of the association Berlin merchants and currently conciliator in the tariff conflict between Euro- and Germanwings. I am happy about the trust. Nevertheless, I have to be careful not to fall into the old stress. Today I get up in the morning an hour later, take my time for breakfast and newspaper reading and go shopping.
MS: Are you the housekeeper now?
KW: No. This is alternating. We share the tasks. We both like cooking. However, not together. (Laughing). I am responsible for fish, poultry and roasts. Jörn makes the minced meat or goulash.

“Of course I’m talking about Jörn as my husband.” The doctor Jörn Kubicki and Klaus Wowereit have been a couple for 24 years, but unmarried

MS: Is Jörn annoyed that you are now so much at home and so very present?
KW: That does happen apparently. But no. He is happy about it.
MS: Mrs Merkel suddenly delights in the same-sex marriage. Are you married?
KW: No. This is only possible since 2001. We’ve known each other since 1993. Of course I’m talking about Jörn as my husband. Partner or life companion sounds silly.
MS: How has Berlin changed under your auspices?
KW: In Berlin, some efforts have long been considered as being unnecessary, independent of the society. According to the motto, the money is just going to come from somewhere. I wanted to change this attitude.

Poor, but sexy

MS: The Berlin sentence you wrote is poor, but sexy …
KW: … still has a certain validity compared to other European capitals. However, Berlin has also grown enormously in economic development and has become international. The Place to be. For young people, for creative people.
MS: For you too?
KW: Absolutely. For me, Berlin is without any alternatives. I was born here and still feel very comfortable. I like the many niches, the uniqueness of the quarters, the so-called Kieze. There is something for everybody.
MS: You have been living in an old apartment in Berlin-Wilmersdorf for eleven years.
KW: I can do almost everything by foot, go to the butcher of my trust and know the baker, who bakes his bread himself.

“The encounter with the Queen was already a highlight. I admire her calm, almost relaxed style and humor.”

MS: You met three US presidents during your term, George Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Which was closest to you?
KW: Bill Clinton I spoke not only to in Berlin, but also in Vienna and New York. Once in a small round in a hunting hut in the Black Forest. That connects. You notice quite quickly when there is a common conversation.
MS: You’ve met the Queen several times. Does she welcome you with “Hello Mr. Wowereit”?
KW (laughs): When I saw her last at the British Ambassador, there was at least a recognition. The encounter with the Queen was already a highlight. I admire her calm, almost relaxed style and humor.
MS: What would you have done differently in retrospect?
KW: The increase in Kita contributions was an absolute mistake. Fortunately, they were completely abolished.

“I can easily understand that many people like Tegel so much. It is central but it is too small.”

MS: Speaking of Flops – are you looking forward to the opening of the BER?
KW: I make several crosses when this is finally brought to an end. The BER is still a point that makes me very angry.
MS: Do you believe in the opening in 2018?
KW: I have stopped making forecasts.
MS: As the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the BER, you were quite under fire: you were to blame for everything.
KW: I was the figurehead, who could be scolded, but I was not responsible alone, just because others ran away from it. It was a hard time.
MS: The airport is already considered too small and obsolete. Demolish and rebuild are new demands.
KW: The BER is a huge success of the airport company.

BER – a huge success

MS: What? Do I hear irony?
KW: No. On the contrary. The passenger volume has increased to 30 million passengers per year. In 2001 it was not even ten million. When the BER was planned in 1996, it was regarded as too big.
MS: Today you know that the BER cannot cope with 30 million passengers. Do you also like flying from Tegel?
KW (laughs): But now please do not ask such questions. I can easily understand that many people like Tegel so much. It is central but it is too small.
MS: The BER is at the end of the world.
KW: Oh, that is again this West Berlin kind of view.
MS: I live in the East …
KW: Look at how far the Munich airport is from the city center or the airports of other European cities.
MS: But there is the citizenship decision. Would it not be time to listen to what people want?
KW: That is a very emotional question. But it is the facts, the legal situation, which the FDP does not go past.

Klaus Wowereit: “Today I am happy that I can choose what I am doing and then enjoy it. There is no longer a need for it. I like to go to theater or opera premieres, to which I am still invited.”

MS: Regardless of the airport you are departing from: Where do you want to travel?
KW: For a longer tour to Australia and New Zealand. We like city travels, lastly we were in Budapest and Vienna. Next we go to Iceland.
MS: You had the nickname Party-master as a governor. Did that bother you?
KW: Yes, because it was meant to be defamatory. Not every reception is a party just because you hold a glass in your hand. Bambi awards or Berlinale are part of the job, and for the Governing Mayor, this is often the duty, on which I had given speeches and had to be approachable.

Not every reception is a party

MS: How did you deal with insults?
KW: It is difficult to avoid any hurt in political positions. If you are affected, however, it feels different again. The worst is for the personal environment, family and friends. I’ve grown over the years with a thick coat and insults come not too close to me. Politicians always want to be loved.
MS: If you go through the city today, the people greet you with Mr. Mayor.
KW: Right. And that pleases me. If they say that I am missing, it is nice to hear. I can be very satisfied with my professional life. Not many people can make their hobby a profession. BvH

11 years ago, Klaus Wowereit opened the Hotel de Rome in Berlin as a Governing Mayor. Here we met for our “Meet me 4 Tea” interview

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

The post Black or Green, Klaus Wowereit? appeared first on My Stylery.

Drinking a tea with Sophia Thomalla

Sophia Thomalla is always good for a surprise. The 27-year-old just had her breast implants removed. Health is the most important thing to her. Her ample D became a discreet B. Last year, the beautiful actress spontaneously married rocker Andy LaPlegua, although she is actually the long-term girlfriend of Rammstein star Till Lindemann. As explosive as the headlines are, so versatile is glibly Sophia when it comes to business. Yesterday winner of the RTL dance contest ‘Let’s Dance’, today a shoot in sexy leather clothes, tomorrow the presentation of a tattoo show. In between I meet the native Berliner for a tea.

I meet Sophia during a photo shooting for the leather brand Freaky Nation

MyStylery: Sophia, your leather cloths remind a bit of the shooting in which Oliver Rath staged you as a dominatrix. Germany’s largest daily newspaper BILD thereupon headlined: ‘Sophia is the hottest in the whole country’. The Bunte people magazine said that it ‘Slowly gets embarrassing’. Does that affect you?
Sophia Thomalla: No, not at all. It rather amuses me. Photos are basically a matter of taste. And this kind of reporting is part of the career. You can’t be everybody’s darling.
MS: Bunte magazine obviously seemed concerned about you and asked, whether ‘she ran out of ideas’…
ST (laughs): Don’t worry; I will always come up with something new. I have so many ideas; they would last for several lives. Last year, I signed two new marketing deals. For three months I had the best broadcasting time on RTL as juror at DanceDanceDance and this year I am the advertising face for a new project on TV. One year ago in July my first own Primetime-Moderation ‘Pain and Fame’, a tattoo show, started on Sixx. I really cannot complain.

“Your favorite designer? “Gucci, Plein and Balmain are great, I also have ten euro dresses. The look is crucial, not the price.”

MS: There are many people out there who regret their tattoos they got as a proof of love. For example Heidi Klum’s Seal is still visible on her arm.
ST: I don’t regret any of my tattoos. No matter of the separation rumors. If at all, then it is the tattoo with the portrait of my mother, which I sometimes question, when she once again annoys me motherly (laughs).
MS: Which parts of your body would you not ink?
ST: I personally think that tattoos on women’s legs don’t look beautiful. Hands are also out of the question. Who knows, maybe I’m once going to moderate a political show, then a tattooed neck wouldn’t look so good either.

Cheers!

MS: The fans are expecting you in sexy outfits when you run over the red carpet. Do you have the feeling that you cannot wear anything normal anymore without disappointing them?
ST: I never let myself be put under pressure. It is not about the shock factor, I simply choose what I like. Besides, I do not particularly like long robes. They are usually extremely uncomfortable and I don’t think that I’m generally the type for dresses anyways.
MS: How do you deal with external criticism?
ST: You need a thick skin. At the moment when I comment on explosive political issues, the protest on social media platforms is already pre-programmed. And yet many people don’t know the difference between criticism and insult: You have horny tits but cannot think. I immediately delete such and even worse comments that are ‘below the belt line’. Otherwise, I can thoroughly handle criticism.

“Each of my 20 tattoos has a meaning to a piece of my life and is linked to an own story.”

MS: Meanwhile on Instagram almost 600,000 followers take an active interest of your life. With those offensive photos you accentuate your image. That’s strategy, isn’t it?
ST: Most of the pictures arise within the moment. And I enjoy when pictures polarize.
MS: Are not you concerned that deals or roles will be affected as a result?
ST: No, not at all. Even if I’m sometimes getting a bit hyphy across, I know the rules, I keep to the agreements, do not insult people, respect the law …
MS: By the way, you were driving without a valid drivers license. What has become of it?
ST: I had a psychological aptitude test last year. In this case I’ve actually caused real trouble. And I personally learned from it. I can only tell anyone, don’t do it. What a stress!

First of all, a tea!

MS: How about a cup of tea now?
ST: Yes please. I always need my coffee in the morning with lots of sugar and milk but try to relinquish it during the day. Otherwise you drink ten of such things and end up with 2,000 calories on the clock. It usually has to go fast. If necessary, a paper cup with tea bag is also okay. I also love fresh mint and detox tea. Even the name alone makes me feel better. Suddenly the face gets toned and you lose a lot of water (laughs).
MS: Is detox a topic for you?
ST: Yes, of course. After all I’m eventually heading towards the thirties (laughs). I hate getting older. I also want to eat and drink as much as I like. Sport alone does not help.

“As a child, my favorite drink was the cocoa that my mother cooked for me. Tea wasn’t an issue at the time.”

MS: You are a family man and love the country life …
ST: Yes that’s right. We regularly drive to Mecklenburg near Schwerin, together with my mother, grandparents and friends. And our dogs: a Chihuahua, a Maltese and a Labrador – all mixed-breed dogs. Not to forget the stuffed animal from my mother (laughs).
MS: You surprise me. Isn’t it too boring for you out there?
ST: It is wonderful, especially spending the great holidays like Easter, Whitsun and Christmas on the countryside. My mother is a great cook and sauce-specialist, who is standing in the kitchen all day long. From time to time I check out the pots. For me this is the most beautiful variety out there. Especially when you are on the road so much. The air is so different, I feel like I can finally catch a breath again. In the summer I lie in my hammock and doze all day long. Gumboots and a windbreaker, I do not need more.  BvH

Thanks for the open interview, dear Sophia!

Contact Sophia Thomalla

semperfi-management.de

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The post For a tea with actress Sophia Thomalla appeared first on My Stylery.

He is a successful fashion designer and has become the all-purpose weapon of German television: Guido Maria Kretschmer, generational crossover favorite of the German TV nation. Rightly: Nobody can explain to a ‘Shopping Queen’-participant with dress size 46 more charming and convincingly that the pants would look much better one size bigger. Feasibility, credibility and authenticity are Kretschmer’s unique instruments. The career of the in Münster born Guido began on the hippie market of Ibiza, where he sold his – with mom’s sewing machine – glitter creations and Udo Lindenberg noticed him. From then on, it was uphill with the creative Kretschmer, who also has a good business sense. He designed for the corporations Deutsche Telekom, the hotels Kempinski and Maritim, Montblanc, Emirates Airlines and the tourism group TUI. Guido, the millennium, the book author, costume designer, advertisement star, and well, now also a bag designer for an American chewing gum manufacturer. I meet the busy multi-talent for a tea in his Berlin studio.

Meet me 4 Tea

MyStylery: Guido, when one googles you, the most incredible keywords pop out…
Guido Maria Kretschmer: Yes, what does it say? I never looked it up, because I’m always afraid that there is something that makes me angry.
MS: Among other things, stuff about wallpapers, books, hair, perfumes, clothes and recently also chewing gum.
GMK: In the USA there is hardly a big designer who has not already designed for Wrigley’s Spearmint. In this respect the order for the “Big Bag” is almost an honor. I was also allowed to dress Barbie. Oh, how I loved Barbie and her 360 professions! This is not work, but real pleasure.

With a thermoset of tea, two cups, and excited for conversation I meet Guido Maria Kretschmer for the interview

MS: Juror, moderator of several TV shows, advertisement star – you already have almost an omni-presence. Aren’t you afraid of wearout?
GMK: It’s not actually that much. One must not forget that this is my profession. This is my daily bread and I take care that I do not wear myself out, even if I am on on a daily basis. I get a lot of offers and could make so many much more advertisement.
MS: Are there any design requests or advertisements that you would definitely refuse?
GMK: Sanitary pads. (laughs)

Not afraid of wearout: Designer and TV-Star Guido Maria Kretschmer

MS: How about a tea?
GMK: Wonderful. That fits well to my fasting cure, which unfortunately no one notices on me. So much money I already spent on starvation in my life. (laughs)
MS: I am always very happy when I come across an enthusiastic tea drinker like you, who does not order a coffee first thing in the morning.
GMK: I never drink coffee, only tea. However, I forgo black tea and prefer natural tea like peppermint and herbal teas. And I like very much chamomile and Verveine. My secret tip is Turkish apple tea. If I’m lucky, I get a cup of fresh tea in the morning served to bed. The evening ends with a cup of tea. Actually, my whole life is tea.

“I can always start the morning with a green tea. If I drink something warm, it’s tea.”

MS: I also largely forgo black tea …
GMK: Black is not so healthy either. And also stains the teeth. No one needs that. My parents have always animated me, Guido, drink, drink, drink. The only thing I like about coffee is the scent. When Frank* is cooking his coffee in the morning, I always smell it.
MS: What does not come into your cup?
GMK: Everything that is not organically grown. I sat next to a tea-tester on the plane, who told me how many chemicals are in normal teas. So I rather drink my Ayurveda tea and know what I have in the cup. It is best to use a thin teacup, which cools the tea faster.

“What does not come into your cup, Guido?”

MS: Ups, I’m sorry to offer you the tea in this thick mug …
GMK: If I knew this was gonna happen, I would have brought some cups (laughs). I have two very nice teacups. In case of doubt, I also drink the tea from a bowl, the main thing is tea …
MS: With sugar?
GMK: No, if at all with honey. Although I like the cracking of the candy, when the hot tea is poured in.

Cheers!

MS: What do you think of detoxing?
GMK: Oh, basically nothing. It does not matter if you detoxify with all these little means, if you forget your soul and your heart and are not in harmony with yourself. The greatest poison of our time is stupidity, insincerity, greed, envy – many things come together. Unfortunately, no herb is growing to help with this.
MS: Are you talking about politics here?
GMK: My grandmother always said that the only thing that is justly distributed in life is stupidity. I think there is something to it. The people want to eat falafel or sushi, but the people from whose countries the food come, they do not want. We cannot separate from the rest of the world. We live in a time when it is important to persevere. People are waiting for a new car on a monthly basis and expect that within three months a solution will be found in the complex refugee debate. I think it is our duty to get involved and to be collective. We would also wish to be accepted if we were in this situation! Tolerance and humanity, just in the present time, that is lacked by many. By the way, there is also the fasting time to free oneself from evil.

Guido Maria Kretschmer and I in his Berlin atelier

MS: Are you consistently following the fasting time?
GMK: Yes, all the time.
MS: Are you Catholic?
GMK: Yes, but not so passionately. (laughs)
MS: What are you doing first when the fasting period is over?
GMK: I eat a pizza. Actually, I never eat pizza, but since I fast, I always think of pizza with anchovies.
MS: And how much did you lose?
GMK: I don’t use the scale, but my goal is to fit again into my smallest blazer.

“I am super-made for relaxation”, says Guido Maria Kretschmer. After the relaxed interview, I believe that immediately!

MS: I keep my fingers crossed. Are you such a gourmand?
GMK: Oh yes (laughs). Everything baked nice with butter top, more I do not need. I chew and get down. I just love chewing way too much. Thank God, I also eat carrots. Food relaxes me. Unfortunately, I often eat late in the evening and so at the wrong time.
MS: Can you relax with all the hustle and bustle?
GMK: I am super-made for relaxation, love the country and my farm, am in the garden with our three dogs. I read a lot and like to do weekend trips. We were in Einthoven, Liège and Budapest. Frank always says it’s so nice when we walk through the streets and shops and I can look straight because I’m not recognized. This is no longer possible in the Berlin KaDeWe. BvH

*The painter Frank Mutters is the longtime life partner and husband of Guido Maria Kretschmer

Contact Guido Maria Kretschmer

https://www.guidomariakretschmer.de/www.guidomariakretschmer.de

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The post How about a tea, Guido Maria Kretschmer? 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.