The Spellbound

In conversation with Louise O'Neill (SEEDS)

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:29:09 +0200

We met french-born and Barcelona-based model Louise O’Neill (SEEDS) coming straight from a shoot for a smart conversion in bitingly cold Berlin.

Where did you get scouted?

They scouted me in the center of Barcelona at Plaça Catalunya. I was waiting for a friend there when the agency just came to me and asked me whether I ever thought about being a model.

Did modeling feel right from the very beginning or were you sceptical about it?

You know, you always hear a lot of things from people who don’t really know what modeling is about. I was not sceptical, I was just cautious. But I’m pretty self-confident, so I was not scared of what might happen, I was more curious to discover this world.

What has been your most memorable experience as a model?

The most memorable thing I did this year was my travel to Tokyo. It’s a big luck to have been there and I left with a really great experience, discovering the language, the culture and different people. This was one of my greatest experiences so far. I hope there are more to come, of course.

What do you like most about your job?

What I really love about my job is traveling. You are working and at the same time you can discover new cities and places. It’s incredible. It’s a big opportunity and that’s the reason I’m modeling full time for a year now.

What do you prefer: campaign shoots or editorials?

What I prefer? Shows. It’s a different ambiance and it’s much more dynamic. I could pass my time by doing shows all day. Editorials are always more interesting than catalogues, look-books etc … That’s always quite the same. In the editorials you can discover a whole new part of you, always.

Do you have any obsessions?

Right now my obsession is Paris Fashion Week. I really want to do it and I want to do really good shows. My fingers are crossed. But in my opinion, this kind of opportunity is based on luck: to be at the right place at the right time meeting with the right people. Only luck.

You are originally from Paris, you have an Irish surname and you are living in Barcelona. What’s the story behind that?

I was born next to Paris in Sevres. I grew up there until I was 7 years old. My family is French but my dad got a job offer in Barcelona, so we just moved there. As for the Irish surname, the ancestors from my family are originally from Ireland. But I am totally French.

What do you like most about living in Barcelona?

Barcelona is a good city to live because it’s sunny, hot and you have the beach at a stone’s throw. It’s amazing. It’s not an expensive life like in Paris or London for example, it’s much cheaper! It’s a relaxed city and the majority of the people are nice!

You are also an artistic skater. Are you still doing it?

I was doing it for three years but I am not able to continue right now, because modeling sends me to different places all the time. So I’m never long enough in Barcelona to keep up. I really miss it.

Is being a model a new way for you to do something with your body in an artistic way?

It’s a completely new way. Before, I was eating everything every time and every day. But now I have to take care of my body, it’s the most important work to do. It was really difficult to start eating healthy for me because my favourite food is junk food … I’m always discovering my body, all the days and in all the different shoots: it changes with the poses, the clothes, the make up, the hair and, the most important, your expression on your face and the movements of your body. If you are not able to be versatile, you are nothing special.

seedsmanagement.com

Interview by Lisa Trautmann

Photography by Benjamin Lindenkreuz

Pauline Schmiechen Prologue

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:55:37 +0100

Photography by Benjamin Lindenkreuz
Styling by Marcella Francesca
Styling assistance by Lisa Trautmann
Hair&Make-Up by Dominik Gammersbach

In conversation with Pheline Roggan

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:16:00 +0100

Shirt: Hien Le | Pants: Ganni | Scarf: Miies

Pheline Roggan is one of the most enchanting actors in Germany right now, who had her breakthrough performance in Fatih Akin’s “Soulkitchen”. We met her in Berlin, where she was on stage for Thomas Ebermann’s “Der Firmenhymnenhandel” and had a chat about her love for her hometown Hamburg, what it feels like to perform in a 100—minutes solo, her desire for drama and why her name and the term ‘model’ should be divided once and for all.

They say that if you are from Hamburg you have a very special bond with their city.

Of course one is aware of the fact that a lot of people are moving away, especially to Berlin, for example. But here we are doing our own thing and we are networking a lot. The scene is just smaller, you know. And that’s a good thing, because it makes Hamburg very intimate. Hamburg is my safe haven, literally.

Karl Lagerfeld ones cited his mom with the words: “Hamburg is the gate to the world – but it’s only the gate.”

(laughing) Yes, that’s true. One can easily have the feeling that Hamburg is never really ready to get it going. On the other hand, I’m not quite sure what exactly should be going on here. Hamburg gave me a lot in my professional career. Here I met Thomas Ebermann who wrote the play “Der Firmenhymnenhandel” I will perform tonight in Neukölln.

How did you guys meet?

I’m regularly reading in the “Polittbüro” of the “Vers- und Kaderschmiede”. Thomas Ebermann is a former politician and a really clever man. I have different groups that I work with on different projects. One group is more about doing Impro-Movies. The other, with Thomas, is more about theatre. And I have Fatih Akin.

Both modelling and acting are jobs you unexpectedly got into. Both are dream jobs for young women. Did you plan on doing one or the other later in life?

If I was honest, I would have to say that acting was always on my agenda. But I was always way too shy to admit it. When I was little, I got casted from an agency for kids. And when I was 12, I had my first casting for a TV-series. My dad drove me there with my little sister accompanying me. Eventually it ended with my sister getting the role and me being sad (laughs). I guess I was too disappointed and insulted to think about acting for a long time.

How came you actually made it?

I positioned myself in order to make this coincidence happen, if you like to put it that way. I didn’t have the balls to tell myself “I want that and I can do it!” but I told everyone around me that I’m going to be an actress. So in order to not make a complete fool of myself I had to make it happen and overcome my fear.

Knit Jumper: Stine Goya | Blouse: Hien Le | Pants: Avelon

What is fashion for you? Are you involved with it beyond the necessary?

My take on fashion is very ambivalent. When it comes to everyday life I enjoy being not fashionable at all and wear whatever I want. But I also enjoy being dressed up for special events. Because then you can really push it. That’s fun. But it’s also something like disguising yourself.

Did you busy yourself with this Model Turns Actress – Issue a lot?

Thinking about it now, I think I was limiting myself back then, because I was afraid of getting that MTA-branding. But it actually never really bothered anyone but me. The only thing annoying is that many articles and interviews with me still have “Model” as professional title in it. Thing is that I am not a model anymore, period. It was a different stage of my life at it’s over for 11 years now. That sometimes really annoys me.

In the play “Das Kunstseidene Mädchen” you are on stage for 100 minutes, all by yourself. What does it feel like?

It is extreme. I got used to it as I am performing the play for over a year now. I worked with Kai Wessel, the director, on previous projects and one day he just asked me if I was interested in a role of a play he was working on, and he gave me the script. Of course I accepted at once. When I asked him who else was in this play he just said “no one”. But I knew I had to take this chance. It’s an experience that makes you stronger, not only professionally but also personally. So I swallowed all fear, thank God.
The rehearsals were hardcore. I was all by myself. It was a huge effort. When the play premiered I was dying from excitement, I totally got the willies.

Did you notice a development of yourself during the theatre plays and rehearsals after some time?

Yes, I did. Your self-confidence is growing with each play and you gain flexibility and room. I’m playing with the audience and they become a part of the whole play. The audience is my counterpart. Also in this field I gained a lot of self-confidence. But before each play I have this huge mountain in front of me that I have to climb and I feel like I could never get on top. But as soon as I am on stage, Doris (the protagonist) takes over and plays me.

So you would do it again!

You bet. Though I remember the day after the premiere when the critics came out. I really asked myself “Why are you doing this to yourself. You could have a cozy and boring life!” (lauhgs).

Doris, the protagonist, is always looking for “Glanz” (sparkle, sheen) in her life. You don’t seem like the kind of person that is after glamour and sparkle.

I guess there’s a little part of me that is also looking for some glamour. Otherwise I would not have been a model back then or an actress now. But I prefer to pretend to be someone else than me. Models also get their hair done and their make-up. When you look into the mirror you are someone else and not the 15-year old with heartache. That’s something nice. But Doris is defining “Glanz” by men. She doesn’t really now what she wants and thinks a rich man and nice clothes is it. But that’s not enough, by far. You have to sparkle and shine from within.

You mainly played in comedies. What kind of genre would you like to play?

Drama! I want Lars von Trier! I want psycho, suffering. I would love to dive into the unfathomable depths of human nature.

Where do you feel at home? Playing in movies or acting on stage?

Now, playing “Das Kunstseidene Mädchen”, I feel at home. I think it’s good that both movies and theatre are so different. For me right now it’s the perfect combination and I can integrate both into my life.

Is playing theatre more demanding than shooting movies?

I can’t really tell. When playing theatre, you only have one shot. But in movies or on TV, everything has to be precise and to the point. You have to flip the switch from one second to another. That’s the hardest part. And at the same time there’s a bunch of people from the staff looking at you. That is not nearly as intimate as it is on the screens. What I love about playing theatre are the scripts and texts. It’s all still very literate. And the stage is giving you space for your ideas and interpretations. Nothing seems impossible to do. You can forget everything.

What is your goal? What do you want to reach and communicate with acting?

I don’t have a certain message. But I try to do mainly things that I am interested in and that I would go and see myself. “Der Firmenhymnenhandel” for example is rather critical of capitalism. It’s nothing that you find on the main stages. That’s no “Glanz”. But I want to support those kinds of projects because that’s the kind of art I admire. That’s what I want to share and were I want to participate.

Interview & Styling by Lisa Trautmann
Photography by Benjamin Lindenkreuz

Our favourite spread of Dennis Busch’s book “Back To...

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:32:00 +0100

Our favourite spread of Dennis Busch’s book “Back To Normal”. Available at airbagcraftworks.com

MBFWB: MALAIKARAISS

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:48:00 +0100

Malaikaraiss took us to “The Weirdness Of Being” for her AW 13/14 collection, shown again at the beautiful venue of Villa Elisabeth in Berlin Mitte. Inspired by Beetlejuice’s Lydia Deetz, Malaika and her team created a versatile collection with many details to be discovered. Silky tops with a furry shoulder. A witchy velvet skirt in forest green. A two-faced, gemstoned knit sweat. Weird never has been so wearable. So jump in the line!

Photography by Benjamin Lindenkreuz

We love Pauline on the runway at MBFW Berlin in Vladimir...

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 14:35:00 +0100

We love Pauline on the runway at MBFW Berlin in Vladimir Karaleev’s vision for A/W 2013/14. via vogue.de

MBFWB: Hien Le A/W 2013/14

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 17:39:00 +0100

Berlin based Hien Le was the first designer to present his vision of f/w 2013/14. “We see what we want” was the title of his unobstrusive and minimalist collection. What we see are beautiful colour gradients like dawn and very wearable pieces of strong, heavy knit and flowing silk. A really sophisticated start for this years Fashion Week in Berlin.

Soundtrack: Jessie Ware - Wildest Moments

Photography by Benjamin Lindenkreuz

In conversation with Malaika Raiss

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:07:00 +0100

In 2010, Malaika Raiss and her team started the Berlin based label MALAIKARAISS. Only two years later MALAIKARAISS has become the darling of the scene, convincing with strong, fashionable, very feminine and elaborated designs that underline the natural beauty of every woman.

A conversation about inspiration, the 70ies, visions and the style of MALAIKARAISS.

Observing your collections, one can notice a clear development. It seems you have become steadily more “positive, lighter”.

Yes, that is right. But it was initially caused by our restricted possibilities. Our first collection “Death Metal Fairytale” did evidently have a rather dark theme. But black is in the winter season the colour in stock. So we were barely left a choice in the beginning. Now we have developed a much better network and have therefore access to colours and textiles, that were not on hand before. Hence, the diversity in our collection has also increased.

Would you say that your clothing line is democratic?

Our designs should definitely be ageless. Our aim is to offer fashion for everyone. Thus, I’d say that our line is democratic, yes. Our collection is always very versatile due to the many people who contribute to its production. Every item is available in different variations, as for example, an opaque and a translucent version of a blouse. This way every age group and every shape are taken into consideration. Our collections are always the result of an interplay between me and Lina. Lina is responsible for the materials and I take care of the design part. Everybody here is throwing their ideas into a big melting pot, every idea, every inspiration is part of our mood board.

Your last two collections seemed to be heavily inspired by the ‘70s. How come?

There was always some kind of a liking for the Seventies. It is somewhat the time of our parents, that one sees on old photos whenever flicking through old albums at home. It was a very eccentric time. Yet, it had something splendorous to it. I would have liked to live in the Seventies.

David Hockney’s painting “A Bigger Splash” has inspired you to the correspondent Spring/Summer 2013 collection. Do you find a lot of inspiration in art?

I always visit exhibition very deliberately and especially the ‘60s and ‘70s are something I’m very interested in, yes. The slogan for the recent collection were New York and Los Angeles from the very beginning. It was set, for example, that we wanted to do something with a palm motive print. David Hockney’s picture was more trigger than cause. It provides such a climate sensation. The desire, this ‘I-want-this-too’ - feeling. It is thus more this feeling I get than the actual painting that has inspired me.

What else serves as inspiration for you?

Sadly I don’t have enough time on my hands to regularly go to museums. I continuously collect mood images on my Mac. Inspirations are, for instance, old TV shows like Beverly Hills 90210 and actors, like right now Johnny Depp or Winona Ryder. But it can also be a pattern on a carpet that awakes our interest. The new collection even includes a print of Gin in high resolution, as seen under the microscope. We digitally copied the structure and printed it.

Feel is very important to you. Should fashion be an experience for all senses?

Fashion should be always conceived with all senses. It’s this feel-good factor. You like to wear fashion that not only looks good but also feels good. I’m that type of person that has the urge to touch everything. Even in the museum. When we moved into our studio, we intentionally preserved the brick wall. It gives the room a rough edge and reflects our fashion. Different materials, look and feel; a versatility that never gets boring, which is very important to us.

On the issue of sustainability: What is your contribution? Where do you procure the materials?

We produce in the European Union, mainly in Portugal and in Germany. Our fabric is from different countries. Silk, for instance, we procured from India. But we attach a lot of importance to control and short supply chains, as far as this is possible. We seek, if possible, for high quality imitations. But this is quite difficult though and mostly very expensive.

What do you have coming for us in January? Are there any ideas you might want to share?

We already told you about the Gin print. Insects and forest animals have intrigued us, as well as the contrast of black and white. Drapes will be a key element for sure. We have obviously tried out various things, but not all of them turned out the way we wanted. Knitting with cassette tape, dipped in liquid latex, for example, did not quite work out the way we wanted. And our venue will again be off-site at Villa Elisabeth.

Why return there?

In summer, merely five weeks before the runways, the location for our venue fell through and we were going bananas. There were alternative options like Radialsystem V, WMF Club or Soho House, but most were completely booked out and others just not truly MALAIKARAISS. Our PR Agency Silk Relations then came up with the idea to request Villa Elisabeth. And once we saw the beautiful garden, ideas just started pouring. The Villa was such a strong contrast to our collection. It all went smoothly, so we would like to return to show our collection there.

What was your most beautiful fashion moment?

The moment after the first show in the tent when I realized “it is done, we made it”. Occasionally, I had moments of doubts and discrepancy, moments of questioning what I could have done better. But when it is all over, you simply fall into a hole.

www.malaikaraiss.com

Interview by Lisa Trautmann
Translation by Anne Diestelhorst
Images by Benjamin Lindenkreuz

Laragh McCann, unpublished 2012

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:36:20 +0100

Laragh McCann, unpublished 2012

We had a nice talk with the amazing Scott from elysium.e about our ideals and ideas.

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:43:00 +0100

We had a nice talk with the amazing Scott from elysium.e about our ideals and ideas.

Flip digitally through and discover the first issue of The...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:21:00 +0200

Flip digitally through and discover the first issue of The Spellbound. Portrayed in this issue: Pierre Dinand, Loïc Prigent, Gabrielle Greiss and Issever Bahri.

Loïc Prigent in The Spellbound N°01

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:19:00 +0200

Loïc Prigent in The Spellbound N°01

Laragh McCann in The Spellbound N°01

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:09:00 +0200

Laragh McCann in The Spellbound N°01

Pauline Schmiechen in The Spellbound N°01

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:45:00 +0200

Pauline Schmiechen in The Spellbound N°01

Issever Bahri in The Spellbound N°01

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 15:48:07 +0200

Issever Bahri in The Spellbound N°01

By Malene Birger S/S 2012

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 19:23:47 +0200

By Malene Birger S/S 2012

Acne A/W 2011

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:47:00 +0200

Acne A/W 2011

Lala Berlin S/S 2012

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:33:46 +0200

Lala Berlin S/S 2012

Odeeh S/S 2012

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:04:48 +0200

Odeeh S/S 2012

Kaviar Gauche S/S 2012

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:04:14 +0200

Kaviar Gauche S/S 2012