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.

Bückeburg Castle in Lower Saxony, Germany: Ancestral home of the house Schaumburg-Lippe

His employees address him with “His Highness”, in the public and media world, he is the “Prince”: Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe is an entrepreneur, forest manager and head of one of the oldest German noble families, whose history is documented over 900 years. And he is the landlord of Bückeburg Castle, a Renaissance ensemble with magnificent halls from four centuries. It is situated in the middle of an extensive landscape park, which is also open to the public. I meet the studied lawyer, who is the father of three children (son Donatus from his marriage to Princess Lilly and the daughters Philomena and Felipa from his marriage to lawyer Nadja Anna) and also an excellent pianist, for tea in his private rooms at Bückeburg Castle.

Meet me for Tea at Bückeburg Castle: Alexander Fürst zu Schaumburg-Lippe and myself in his private drawing room

MyStylery: Alex, how do you prepare your son Donatus for the succession of the house Schaumburg-Lippe?
Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe: I encourage him to take on as much responsibility as possible, what he does with great success. Donatus was the first German to be accepted to the Sandhurst Military Academy and to serve in Household Cavalry. At university, he was elected President of the Student’s Association in the first semester of business administration. And he is involved in various sports clubs. If my son decides to run our business on his own and not just on a temporary basis, then he is well prepared for this task.
MS: And what if he’d rather be a pop star?
ASL: He’d have my blessing, even if there’s no reason to suggest that he wants it. The inclinations clearly lie in the entrepreneurial. I’ve always told him: “Do what you like to do best, because that’s what you do best”. I also still have two daughters…
MS: …who could also take over the establishment?
ASL: They can’t inherit. It is decreed in the will, that the core property, the traditional inheritance, can only be passed on to the first-born son.
MS: Is this still contemporary today, where attempts are being made everywhere to establish women in management positions?
ASL: This has something to do with our family traditions. So, my son could therefore also appoint a female plant manager if he doesn’t want to take an active part himself.

Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe enjoys his tea with some milk

MS: According to your own statement, you were rather a mediocre student who, instead of paying attention, preferred to read Asterix under the table – which promptly led to a “not passed” on your school report. Would a boarding school have been an option for you?
ASL: Well, it wasn’t like that everywhere. I was enthusiastic about some subjects and was also active, for example, as the editor of the school newspaper. I would have liked to go to a boarding school, because there you get the opportunity to make contacts, that last a lifetime. My mother probably wanted to protect me from the pressure, which was – at least in the beginning – exerted on new boarders. Therefore, I received even more pressure in Bückeburg because of my social exceptional position. My brother was sent to a boarding school due to his bad grades. Unfortunately, there have been considerable drug problems. That also had consequences for him.
MS: You first studied political science, musicology and journalism, then switched to law, which you graduated with distinction. When you were 24 years old, your brother died in a motorcycle accident. All of a sudden you had to take over. How does your everyday life look like since then?
ASL: I have to complete a list of appointments every day. There is no everyday routine. In principal, we are an agricultural and forestry company, with a real estate pillar, the events “Landpartie” (“Country outing”) and “Weihnachtszauber” (“Christmas magic”). They have become an important branch of industry in which one hundred employees work and in which the amounts implemented are well into the seven-digit range. There are 13 permanent employees in the court chamber. In addition, there are about 70 employees from agriculture, forestry and gastronomy.

MS: You were once a ruling house with political and social responsibilities. Do you regret that the time of the ruling princes is over?
ASL: No, I’m a convinced Republican. Today we have a very good political system, which does not need to be replaced by anything else. That’s the reason I am not crying a tear after the monarchy. But I respect it very much in other countries.
MS: What do name, origin and family history mean to you?
ASL: When you are so strongly embedded in your own family history, it also creates identity and that is something I value. That doesn’t make me a political right by a long shot, but rather gives me certain tasks and responsibilities. And of course, a certain pride in what my ancestors achieved. I associate this with a sense of commitment that I shall have to do them some justice.
MS: That sounds like some kind of burden…
ASL: Every aristocrat who identifies with his origin experiences this in certain gradations.
MS: Tea culture was always considered a sign of the aristocracy and used to be reserved for it in the 17th century. Is tea your drink?
ASL: Tea is a sociable and cultivated drink, where you can already tell the difference if you are dealing a good or a bad plant. On the plane, I once met an Indian who told me that the tea he planted was delivered to the English royal house. But only the tips, which are reserved for the Queen. Tea has something meditative about it because it almost forces you to internalise and concentrate on the aroma. A drink to be consumed with caution. However, I like to start the morning with a coffee.

Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe with Mahkameh Navabi

MS: You’ve been divorced for the second time in six months. With Mahkameh Navabi there is now a new woman at your side for three years.
ASL: It’s hard to say. However, I exclude one thing: having children again.
MS: Have you experienced your divorces as personal disappointment or even defeat?
ASL: No, why? If a partnership doesn’t work anymore, then it’s better to separate.  Everyone has only one life and everyone makes their personal life decision, which is also not to be criticized. Former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder married five times. When you enter into a partnership, it is initially designed for the moment and not automatically for a lifetime. One should not cling desperately to conditions that can no longer be saved.

MS: Have you ever felt the need to just throw everything away and quit?
ASL: I often felt the need to do something new from an entrepreneurial point of view. Without the events in the castle it would not be possible to maintain the house in this elaborate form. For example, the medieval balcony in the inner courtyard has to be completely removed and renovated.
MS: Bückeburg is a cultural monument. There are certainly subsidies.
ASL: There has been generous support for the preservation of the castle chapel, whose dome almost collapsed. But we cannot count on this every time.
MS: What does it cost to maintain Bückeburg in this perfection?
ASL: A very high sum, of which one could easily place a very beautiful family house on a green meadow. I would like to leave the house in a condition that makes it as easy as possible for my son to keep it.

Does not believe in ghosts: Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe

MS: You wanted to be a journalist originally…
ASL: It never completely left me. Anyone who knows my Facebook page knows what that means. I quote, but I also express myself. And invite people to discuss controversially.
MS: Does that indicate a certain need for disclosure?
ALS: That’s a strong word. I try much more to participate in political decision-making. That’s why I’m politically active in the FDP.
MS: Has it ever been an option for you to take over a political office?
ASL: I’m not big-skinned enough for an official position. Politicians in Germany are more exposed to blasphemy and general criticism than in any other country. I couldn’t deal with that for myself.

MS: Do you have a political role model?
ASL: I have always found Guido Westerwelle’s thinking to be particularly pragmatic and rational. Someone who did not allow himself to be taken in by ideologies. We were friends and he was often here in the house. He was the man who convinced me to become a liberal.
MS: Why are there so many nobles in the AfD?
ASL: Every aristocrat in the AfD is one too many in my view. I am related to Beatrix von Storch and have always considered her to be a clever and differentiated person. I can’t understand what she’s doing today. I have never been able to share her political attitude. A party in which people like Björn Höcke conduct the big word. A party that gives the so-called popular feeling of the people a questionable platform. This party is not conservative but dangerous and does not promote social peace. And by that I don’t just mean its policy on foreigners.

Teatime with Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe at Bückeburg Castle and the Kurland cups by KPM – Königliche Porzellan Manufaktur Berlin

MS: Bückeburg looks a bit like the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Does it haunt here to any extent?
ASL: There has always been talk of a white woman who haunts in the so-called “Emperor Chamber”, but she has never been seen before. Once we had a troop of hobby ghost hunters with big equipment. After a week, they presented me a photo with a shadowy face they had taken in the tower of the inner courtyard. I lived vis-à-vis at that time. Presumably the face is my own.
MS: The castle has 250 rooms. How long does it take to walk through all the rooms?
ASL: Interesting question, but I’ve never tried it.

MS: The Great Banquet Hall is famous. Do you associate it with special events?
ASL: When my son turned 18, I threw him a party to which 130 friends were invited. Those were three very amusing days.
MS: So, did you have to carry them out afterwards or could they still walk themselves?
ASL: For the most part, they did it themselves. However, in our internal Facebook group I posted photos of things I had found in the yard: Ready to be picked up. Among them a medal, a pipe, a bunch of keys and cigarettes. And a guest. He was still lying in the grass at eleven in the morning.  BvH

Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe is a gifted musician: “But he’d rather be a good amateur than a useless professional.”

Info:

The assets of the House Schaumburg-Lippe include 3,700 hectares of forest and 500 hectares of agricultural land. In addition, the family owns 7,000 hectares of mountain forest in Austria and several properties. Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe opened castle and estate to the public with events such as “Landpartie” (“Country outing”) and “Weihnachtszauber” (“Christmas magic”) – this year from 29 November to 9 December, which attract more than 90,000 visitors every year. Since 2004, the Bückeburg Court Riding School has also been on display. In the 18th century, it was one of the most important centres of equestrian art in Europe. Many celebrities were guests in the castle: King Hussein of Jordan, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince Henrik of Denmark, Mikhail Gorbachev as well as the politicians Guido Westerwelle, Philipp Rösler, Friedrich Merz and Christian Lindner.

Bückeburg Castle and “Weihnachtszauber” – “Christmas magic”- this year from 29 November to 9 December

Contact Alexander Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe:

schloss-bueckeburg.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 Sugar and milk, your Highness? 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.

Meet me for Tea: Her Highness Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and I in the Hotel de Rome in Berlin

Her Highness is about to go: Gloria von Thurn und Taxis has an appointment with the Reverend. The convinced Catholic woman nevertheless takes time for a tea with MyStylery. I meet the Bavarian Princess at the Berlin Hotel de Rome, the favorite of the nobles in the capital. The housekeeper of the largest inhabited castle in Europe regularly sits here, whether to the vernissage of her portrait-art or the presentation of her new book*. The mother of three grown up children rehabilitated the family business after her husband’s death. These include various private banks, numerous properties, industrial shares and a brewery. The wild times of the Regensburg aristocrat as a punk princess are legendary. Just like their provocative and controversial statements on Aids and contraception. Gloria von Thurn und Taxis does not criticize the criticism. I waved the waiter over and ordered tea: “Garcon!”

“I drink tea all day, made with fresh mint, a few drops of lemon and peeled ginger.”

Gloria von Thurn und Taxis: Garcon… hardly anyone is saying that today. This will always remind me of you now.
MyStylery: I take that as a compliment! Are you a tea drinker, Princess?
GTT: I drink tea all day, made with fresh mint, a few drops of lemon and peeled ginger. I pour it over with hot water. Finished. My Russian grandmother brought me closer to tea culture. You take a porcelain tank, which is previously rinsed with hot water. Only then the tea leaves enter. It is important that the tea has the right color and does not steep too long.
MS: The English leave the tea leaves in the pot all the time …
GTT: Yes, horrible! They pour everything over with milk and you cannot taste anything. I like to mix things up: Earl Gray and its magnificent bergamot aroma with the Chinese smoke lapsang souchong. That tastes delicious.
MS: Is the teatime celebrated at your castle?
GTT: In the afternoon, I regularly drink tea with my mother. She is Hungarian and actually drinks only East Frisian tea in the tea bag. For me an absolute no-go. I spend the winter months in my house in Kenya, where I like to drink Keniatee. It is not perfumed and very fresh.

Gloria von Thurn und Taxis: “Tea bags? For me an absolute no-go.”

MS: You are a practicing Catholic. Does faith in God make life easier?
GTT: I believe that through the sacred sacraments I can master life better. I go to confession at least once a month. Otherwise you might forget what you wanted to confess. (laughs) Confession is ultimately always the same. It is like showering or washing hands: you always get dirty in the same place. I hope that through confession I act a bit more sensitive.
MS: One puts ten euros in the bell and the sins are washed away?
GTT: Confession only works if you really regret. This has nothing to do with money.

Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and I decide for Eary Grey – just black and no sugar

MS: What do you regret?
GTT: Each of my sins, e.g. if I do not notice someone else because another seems more important. That is not right. Or in the workplace: how often does it happen that one plays with his power.
MS: Do you?
GTT: If I’m in a hurry, yes. Impatience, arrogance, and egoism are my great weaknesses. In the Catholic Church, no one believes that people are perfect. We are always sinful.
MS: How does your arrogance express itself?
GTT: If I feel badly placed, I wonder why I’m sitting here, this can really not be my seat. Do they really not know who I am?
MS: You say about yourself that you are hedonistic.
GTT: At some point I faced the question, am I getting fat or do I have to discipline myself and say no when I’m fed up. This is hard for me, especially with sweets. Chocolate is a big temptation.

Has a tendency to extravagant spectacles: Gloria von Thurn and Taxis loves her huge progressive lenses. “With reading-glasses you look like your own grandmother.”

MS: Your eldest daughter was pregnant for the first time two years ago; in the middle of her thirties, your younger daughter and your son are still unmarried. Do you find that strange?
GTT: We are all children of our time. Today the education lasts long. Afterwards you want to become a professional. In the past, women were conditioned to start their own family early, just to not bother their own family any longer.
MS: Your daughters have made a career, both living in London. You dropped out of school at that time. How would you have reacted if your daughters had done the same?
GTT: I always told them it’s okay if they want to drop out. An apprenticeship would have been the other option. I would have insisted on an education in any case. Just because I myself did something wrong, the children should not necessarily repeat that mistake.
MS: Do you regret not having finished school?
GTT: Of course. I really wanted to go to the drama school. But the nightlife in Munich distracted me. I had a little voice in my head shouting to me, school is much too boring, come with me to the “Why Not”. That was THE nightclub, that was owned by my friend Edith, where I could drink with my friends for free. The next morning, there was no way of going to school.

Gloria von Thurn und Taxis has many talents: she manages, plays, sings, writes and paints

MS: You lived your revolutionary phase when you were already married. Were the shrill hairstyles and outfits your rebellion against the establishment?
GTT: Everyone always looked adjusted and the same. I loved the crazy looks of the international catwalks. Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin, Courrèges or Jean Claude Montana, they all loved the fact that I wore their fancy creations. I was young and found it exciting how positive the press responded to it. And Gerhard Meir gave me the colorful punk look on my head for the catwalk.
MS: Would you do it again today?
GTT: No, that was too much carnival. And took an enormous amount of time.

“If someone doesn’t like his portrait, I paint again. This usually becomes even worse and my client decides for the first picture. “

MS: In your marriage, it is said, sometimes the palace walls wiggled more often when you had a fight with your husband. Is this a reason why you have not married again?
GTT: When we argued, we always came to peace before going to sleep. It was never about really important things. Why did you come late? Why did you drink so much today?
MS: Were your fights due to the great difference in age? After all it’s 34 years …
GTT: I had a great marriage with a fascinating man. Ten great years. A six in the lottery. The comparison would have always remained. Maybe it would be out of my head if I were to fall in love. But that has not happened since then.
MS: You were thirty when you became a widow. Do you sometimes feel lonely?
GTT: I do not feel lonely, but I’m sometimes alone. My mother told me that one could also enjoy the loneliness from a certain age. And it’s true. I am looking for some alone time today.
MS: Is this how you came up with the idea of painting?
GTT: Exactly. I can only paint when I am alone. I regenerate when painting. I paint no more than one picture a day, always faces after photo templates. By now there are hundreds.

The pictures are painted with oil paint. “I do not like thick layers of paint. The pictures need a certain lightness.”

MS: Who can make it on your canvas?
GTT: For the exhibition in Josef Voelk’s store “The Corner” I deliberately chose only Berlin personalities from all sectors. Supported by the selection, my niece, the daughter of my brother Alexander, who lives in Berlin.
MS: A photo is always a snapshot, which is why some of the people in the portraits do not feel so well applied. Does this lack of appreciation hurt you?
GTT: Not at all. It is a difference, how one sees oneself and how one is seen by others.
MS: You painted Sven Marquardt, Berlin’s most important doorman. Have you ever been to Berghain?
GTT: Never. This is just too late for me. I was in the most amazing clubs in the world, in New York in Studio 54, in the Area, in the Nells …
MS: Does it bother you, that the critics designate your pictures as lovely water color portraits?
GTT: Painting portraits is actually really petty. Since portraits are often seen as assigned works, they don’t count as art.

The exhibition of the Princess in the Berlin concept store “The Corner”. Their pictures are currently presented in the Berlin gallery Robert Eberhardt

MS: Well, you do not want to earn money with it…
GTT: Well, I’d be happy, when someone pays for finished work.  This also expresses a certain appreciation. Nevertheless, I often give away my paintings as a present because I mostly paint friends. I come from the portrait tradition that exists in the nobility. When I was looking for painters who portrayed my children, it was hard enough. Hardly any artist accepts such assignments. I recognized the market gap.
MS: And then the art critics start complaining.
GTT: It’s great, if they say anything at all. And now she is also painting … (laughs). By the way, I can also sing and used to have a rock band. The great thing about today is everyone can try things out. I like to watch these newcomers casting shows on television …
MS: What? DSDS (German singing competition), you watch that?
GTT: I love it and switch it on, no matter where I am. It fascinates me, what talents they discover there. There comes a car dealer who sings so beautiful that you can hardly believe it. Incomprehensible!
MS: You would be the perfect jury member …
GTT: Absolutely. I would love to do that. I even mentioned it to an agent. But so far nobody has come by to ask. BvH

*Book:

Skira Rizzoli: Gloria von Thurn und Taxis – The Home

Contact Gloria von Thurn und Taxis:

thurnundtaxis.de

Gallery Robert Eberhardt:

galerie.roberteberhardt.com

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The post How about a cup of tea, your Highness? 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.

The Café Grosz on Kurfürstendamm in Berlin: Here coffeehouse tradition is maintained

When I ask her where we shall meet, she spontaneously replies: Let’s meet at Grosz on Ku’damm, her favorite café in Berlin where she feels comfortable and unknown. That this is not always the case is self-explanatory after all Vicky Leandros is Europe’s most famous singer with over 55 million sold albums. And everybody knows the singer with Greek roots, who is touring through Germany at the moment, celebrates her 50th stage anniversary and since her Grand-Prix-Win 1972 with „Après Toi“ has become a world star. Vicky and me connect a long-standing friendship that has started in the north of Germany, in Schleswig-Holstein, where we lived with our families in neighboring municipalities. We both love life – and tea.

Vicky and me connect a long-standing friendship

MyStylery: Vicky, you’re drinking Café Latte?! I thought we were meeting up for a cup of tea.
Vicky Leandros (laughs): I’ve already had a few meetings today; I need a little pick-me-up, a little caffeine boost. Afterwards I’ll gladly have a cup of tea with you to relax.
MS: It is quite funny, I always meet up with my interview partners for a cup of tea and everybody always orders a coffee at first.
VL: The Café Latte today is an exception. I love tea; my favorites are Assam or Earl Grey. I have this ritual in the morning, to drink a cup of strong tea with milk and sugar. I wouldn’t miss it.

Timeless beauty and multilingual: Vicky records every album in German, Greek, French, English and partly even in Japanese

MS: There are only few musicians, who can look back at half a century of music history, Mick Jagger and you. A new album, the just started tour, concerts, and TV performances: You could also just sit back and relax …
VL: I don’t feel old enough to retire. Quite the opposite: I have worked my whole life, I love to compose songs. Singing is also my passion. I am grateful for my old fans and the new audience, for example the Gay Community. This also makes a concert so exiting.

Vicky Leandros has received many prizes and awards in her live, most recently the federal cross of Merit

MS: You have recorded albums in multiple languages. Your repertoire includes ballades, chansons and soul. Aren’t you annoyed, that people often only recognize you as a ‚Pop star’?
VL: No I’m neither annoyed nor angry. I am very relaxed. I know that I have taken some risks, just remember the production with Xavier Naidoo in 2009. Who doesn’t dare to try something new from time to time will stagnate and get old faster.
MS: You need a balance with your restless schedule. Where do you find it?
VL: Since a few years I am living in the countryside again, quite close to Hamburg, because I wanted to be closer to my family. Being together with my children and grandchildren calms me down. But I miss Berlin a lot, that’s why I’m there quite often. You can say I still have a suitcase in Berlin …

Besides her latte Vicky ordered a steak and we shared the delicious scampis. Highly recommended by the way are the sweet potato fries

MS: It’s no secret that you like to cook. Your moussaka, for example, is fantastic. What else do you like to serve as a dish?
VL: I like fish from the oven, artichokes in white wine sauce and I also love bouillabaisse or vegetable dishes. The only thing I really don’t like are Brussels sprouts. It has a bitter taste. But apart from that I’m super uncomplicated. Cooking relaxes me; it already begins with the preparations.
MS: And do you turn up the music while cooking?
VL (laughs): That can happen indeed! Especially when I have guests. I like to listen to Elton John, Beyoncé or Michael Bublé, a special favorite of mine. But usually I am quite happy when I don’t have to listen to anything for a while. I like the silence.

Vicky … always busy …

MS: How did you decorate your home?
VL: I like my home comfortable but without plush. Minimalistic design might be nice to look at, but it isn’t for me. I have a sense for nice things but to arrange them is a job for the pros. I lack the talent. (laughs)
MS: Which pieces from your flat could you not live without?
VL: I’m devoted to my aubergine colored Chinese carpet and an antique bureau that I have acquired years ago at an antiques store in Hamburg. I like to combine them with modern furniture.  That’s the perfect combination that I feel comfortable with. Such old pieces give everything a warmer atmosphere. I’m also interested in modern art and am a big fan of Jonathan Meese and Rainer Fetting.

Both of us are fashion lovers. For her stage performances Vicky likes to choose evening dresses by Guido Maria Kretschmer, Brian Rennie, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana

MS: What about your wardrobe? Do you often sort it out?
VL: I have kept many of my old things that my daughter Sandra now profits from. There is also my favorite item that I would never give away. A dress from Tom Ford from the time he still worked for Yves Saint Laurent. Many things often stay unnoticed in my closet and then I rediscover them and am happy to still have them.
MS: What is really important in life?
VL: My family, my kids and my friends. Especially friends play an increasingly important part the older I get. I’ve known most of them for over 20, 30 years. Friendship doesn’t just mean having fun together. It’s more important to rely on each other. BvH

The tea is served in finest porcelain from Meissen

The Café Grosz – named after the painter Georg Grosz – is located at the Cumberland-House …

… directly on Berlin’s boulevard number one, the Kurfürstendamm

Some more tea, Vicky Leandros?

Until World War I the Grand Hotel resided in the magnificent rooms, then the Imperial post office

Since 2012, the with many details equipped rooms shine in new splendor

The Café Grosz is also known for its homemade Patisserie

What an amazing place – Vicky Leandros loves it. And me too!

Tip:

The current tour data from Vicky Leandros’ tour ‘Life and I’ can be found here:
www.vickyleandros.eu

Contact:

www.grosz-berlin.de

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

The rooms of ‘The Rosebery’ are elegant and comfortable

When the international art scene comes together for ‘Frieze’ in London, the British capital is in an exceptional state. The ‘Frieze’ – Europe’s largest contemporary art fair – is a must in the calendar of everyone who’s interested in art, for every creative and every collector. Until the 17th of October you’ll find the city at the Themse in hands of the whole art scene. Such a mass is pretty exhausting and all the shows, excessive talking and hours-long walks quickly tug at the substance. A relaxed timeout causes regenerating wonders. So, how about a cup of tea?

That’s me on the wonderful sofa with a direct view to Knightsbridge

I already prevented the stress and got spoiled from my so-called ‘Hightea’. One of the most beautiful places for this is ‘The Rosebery’ in the legendary hotel ‘The Mandarin Oriental’ at Hydepark. I fall into the comfortable, linden green velvet-cushions and study the tea menu, which offers a range of the finest tea varieties from the whole world, including the house mixture Oriental Afternoon Blend, Orange Pekoe from Sri Lanka and Golden Monkey from China. The tea master brews a Jasmine Pearl tea for me, a green tea with a wonderful aroma.

Original: the whatnots with the sandwiches and the scones are draped on a bronze metal rack in form of a bough

And then the service starts: I love the salmon- and chicken sandwiches and try the homemade pastry. I’m especially keen with the ‘Mermaid Macarons’ – delicious! The scones with the clotted cream and the delicate strawberry jam are my personal highlight and for the absolute award-worthy ‘Black Velvet Cake’ with chocolate is barely space. The waiter runs bustlingly around and steadily serves me more. Do I really look so famished?

The tea master in action: he celebrates the preparation of the tea in a perfect completion

Before I seriously follow up on my thoughts I order a glass of sparkling Ruinart Rosé to finish and enjoy the calmness and the ease in the sophisticated designed rooms. Outside the busy rushing in chic Knightsbridge. But I don’t care at all.  BvH

Purchasable: the tableware is enchanting, isn’t it?

Tip:

The Afternoon Tea (from 48 Pounds per Person) will be served between 12 and 6 pm. Afterwards one is satisfied, so that one can quit dinner easily. I recommend an early table reservation!

Successful interior design!

Three other top addresses for the afternoon tea:

1.) Classical elegant: Hightea at Hotel The Ritz
www.theritzlondon.com
2.) Historical: For over 150 years the Afternoon Tea is celebrated at Claridge’s
www.claridge’s.com
3.) In a new style: Hotel Café Royal serves the Royal Tea
www.hotelcaferoyal.com

This looks like you could directly bite into it, doesn’t it?

Pillows out of silk and heavy velvet provide comfort

The bar

Place at the fire place are demanded – especially in the cold season

Unfortunately not able this year anymore: the High Tea will be served outside in the summer

Contact:

The Rosebery im Hotel Mandarin Oriental
66 Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7LA

www.mandarinoriental.com

Frieze until October 17th

www.friezelondon.com

The post Also art freaks need a break – sometimes appeared first on My Stylery.