…the greatest show on earth
An afternoon of art abundance with: Silke Thoss
Occasionally I will introduce artists who’ s work I like. I won’t discuss or comment on their work, nor will I quote biographies, gallerists or reviews. For ultimate viewing pleasure in museum quality click on image in order to start our lovely lightbox and enjoy the artwork.
Isn’t this how German women are perceived in the deep forests of middle land around the world? Well, right now, as we speak, myth turns reality once a year in the Lederhosen motherland Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
I am talking about the infamous Oktoberfest, this huge fair where people from all over the world eat enormous amounts of grilled pork or, mostly and, drink gallons of beer until they wind up half dead in a red cross tent. Though you, as an avid Tangerine Reader, are not part of ‘that’ crowd, I know. Instead you would try to sneak into one of the few very exclusive and highly secured V.I.P. tents like the Käfer one to drink champagne and not eat at all!
How will you get in, if you are not a celebrity you ask? Well, you gotta work your cleavage and what better way, if not the only way to feature bossom than in a Dirndl. Some cliche images to cater to your mainstream dark side before we enter the glamorous world of Dirndls.
Dames do dirndls differently and it goes something like this:
The Grande Dame of Dirndl Design undoubtedly is Lola Paltinger. From Barbie to Paris Hilton, everybody who is anybody, wears her creations. She has different lines like Happy Heidi or Lollipop & Alpenrock.
She even pimps top strollers like Bugaboo or Kult bottles from Sigg.
Dirndlherz is another label that mixes modern elements an colors with classic cuts. I love the generous use of black! It comes as no surprise that the Hot Dog Dress on the right was sold out in seconds (though the shoes are wrong).
I very much adore the creations of Dirndl-Africaine. I thinks it’s fantastic how these two sisters, who grew up in Kamerun, mix original African patterns with traditional Dirndl design; just one great crossover.
Daniel Hiller ‘ s jewelry pairs craftsmanship with childlike, fun sujets! The gold Brezel is his signature piece; the Brezel is a traditional Bavarian snack equally famous in New York. The grilled chicken (called Hendl in Bavaria) rocks!
And there are more Dirndls; fresh and short in your typical country color schemes like these affordable ones from Wenger and Country Line
or long and elegant evening ones from Sportalm which -as you can see- has a modern and sexy touch to their Dirndls as well….
More accessories… these cute felt bags from Ähre & Korn have great names, like gunslinger, amore nero or bonded whiskey (€ 40).
Ophelia Blaimer does gorgeous bridal wear, Schmitt und Schäfer serves Couture and Silk and Pearls is also known for their beautiful work. There is a Dirndl for almost all walks of live, from common to couture.
Before I go I want to show you something of which I am uncertain whether or not i should think of it as cool? Bare with me: Initially it is about the hats, lost innocence and dirndl gypsy, made by dirndlpunk (love the name), but what about the ‘choker’? Judging from her facial expression on the right, she seems slightly tortured. Overall though, I guess it’s o.k. in a Lady Gaga kinda way (there’s a rhyme right there) but remember, you do need a long neck in order to wear two rows of braids…
Last, the ultimate accessory: a man. This one is decked out in Boss Black from head to toe.
You know there is so much more in terms of complete get ups; stockings, hair dos (braids mainly), lingerie, entire looks can fill pages over pages but I didn’t want to go overboard. So consider this a sneak peak into the unique world of Dirndls.
Servus (bye), your Dirndl queen of hearts
http://www.be-gipsy.de/photos.html vintage shop
www.hugoboss.com/Wies’n_&_Wasen
I am pretty sure that you are riding the bike for both, health and environment, but do you ride safely? I agree, there are tons of hidious helmets out there which you are embarrassed to be seen with so you take the risk and wear nothing on top. Now you can have both, style and safety:
Take a look at the following and note one of my favoureds: Yakkay from Denmark, who just launched in the US. These fabric covered helmets have a mod quality to them and patterns are perfect for fall.
London based Sawako Furuno rocks my little bike world… I am immediately thrown into a clean pool of japanese design brilliance and now look at this: a daring leopard helmet. As a gentleman you might prefer the crocodile one!
Perhaps you would like to work a TOP GUN look this Fall? Then try Diesel Mowie helmet, a collaboration of Diesel Design Team and AVG? Maybe a bit much for Madison Avenue ($215) ?
In terms of coolness I love the Hardnutz Chrome helmet. The chrome finish will increase your visibility in traffic and double up as mirror to fix your face or cruise backwards. Let’s keep shining: At Bobbin Bicycles you can find a gold helmet that is too sexy for words (also available in silver).
The ultimate stunner at Bobbin clearly is Mr. Ben’ Bowler, made by Moody & Farrell! In case you are channeling charismatic delinquent Alex DeLarge. Surely you’ll have the streets all to yourself, ha ha…
Check out this futuristic design, a foldable helmet named beetle Cycle designed by Paul Loury.
Another french design Wunder is Jerome Coste with his Les Ateliers Ruby helmet out of carbon fiber shell, genuine Nappa Lambskin and burgundy patted interior. They come with three visors of different tints. Colette in Paris used to carry those in limited editions.
Kevin Goulip designed a cork helmet which has a clean WW2 look, whereas
Julien Bergignat took inspiration from the Amadillo to create the lightweight recyclable Tattoo helmet.
I am sure you all know nutcase, an American helmet manufacturer. Superstar, Daisy Stripe and Stars and Stripes rock. In summer I would totally wear the Watermelon from the gen2 collection and if you want your kids to match go check out the little nutty line…you can have a mini.me watermelon.
Then there is Bell, another well known company. They teamed up with Paul Frank to jazz up kids helmets. Well done!
The poc receptor+ is the only helmet worldwide that incorporates three different norms and can therefore be used for cycling, skiing, skating and wake boarding.
By the way, a great site for style is the UK shop cyclechic. They carry some of the cool brands like Sawako Furuno and Yakkay.
I leave you with my all time favored from Sweden (to take our minds off from the brothel visiting King)…the Airbag from Hövding! It totally reminds me of my mother in the 70ies when she ran around the house with curlers blow drying her hair with exactly this helmet on!
I am off riding with scissors….
What do Chanel, Queen Victoria, James Bond, the Duke of Windsor, and Louis Vuitton all have in common? The answer later …
This time around, back in July, I wasn’t at all interested in the runway shows at Berlin Fashion Week so instead I chose to visit one of the three Trade Shows, Premium. Dizzy from mainstream fashion mediocrity I came to my senses in a simple space, when seeing a small collection for men which felt like stranding on an island of good taste and understatement. Naturally I was excited to meet the force behind Spoerry 1866, Product Manager Christoph Irnich, who took some time to talk to me about the company and the clothes.
Spoerry 1866 has been the worlds renown supplier of yarn to the luxury segment of the textile industry from day one. Day one, that is the year 1866, when the Spoerry brothers set up a spinning plant in Flums, a small village in the rural valley of Switzerland. Spoerry 1866 is producing the finest, richest and most expensive thread in the world. Sea Island Cotton builds the fundament of their yarn. In addition, the company has been using Vikuna, Cashmere ,Silk or Wool to enrich the raw cotton material according to their customer requests.
Coming from a long line of adventurers (the great grandfather of Mr. Spoerry would travel with his hot-air balloon over Egypt and South America, another flew his own plane, then there was a Spoerry who raced against Steve McQueen in the seventies) Peter Spoerry, who runs the company in
fifth generation, continuous the family tradition. His keen knowledge of the production side based on over 140 years of experience paired with great resources plus his collaboration with leading craftsmen in Italy and Switzerland made the launch of Spoerry 1866 Men’s line two years ago come very natural. His decision, to first introduce his current collection in Kingston during Jamaica
Fashion week back in June was no accident either. Together with local farmers, Mr. Spoerry owns a plantation -that also treats the cotton- in Jamaica (as well as in Barbados) and showing the clothes there was like paying tribute to the homeland, like going back to the roots!
What I saw in Berlin was a small and exclusive line of about 35 pieces of basic Men’ s wear. Colors mostly navy and white… You find a traditional gentlemen spirit paired with a taste for luxury and great ease in those clothes. So I wondered just who would wear Spoerry 1866′ s accoutrement on & off screen? Dickie Greenleaf for instance or let’s say, George Falconer on the weekend, definitely Jay Gatsby, both Danny Ocean and George Clooney , then there is the ever so stylish Patrick Bateman, David Bowie,Russell Simmons, Kayne West, Puff Daddy in Saint Tropez. You get the picture?
On that note; remember my question? Here is your answer: Sea Island Cotton. According to Ian Fleming, James Bond’s shirts were made of fine Sea Island Cotton, Queen Victoria’s handkerchiefs, the former King Edward VIII only wore Sea Island Cotton shirts and nowadays luxury brands like Tom Ford, Vuitton and Chanel -to name a few- all use Sea Island Cotton in their garments.
Sea Island cotton (Gossypium barbadense) grows in the West Indies; Barbados and Jamaica, because the climate there is perfect. But what makes it so exclusive? For one, the answer lies in its extremely long staples (1.5 to 2.5 inches, 35 to 60 mm) Then there is the silky shine, the texture with the softness of cashmere, as well as its durability, long wear and almost no shedding. Beware though, Sea Island Cotton is not a trade mark. Only after WISICA, the West Indian Sea Cotton Association, certifies the cotton with a numbered hologram, you know you have the real deal.
Yearly harvest allows very limited production which makes Sea Island Cotton such a rare commodity. Demands are high and with that, so is the price.
By the way, appropriately enough Spoerry 1866 will be introducing their line during NY Fashion Week in a small and intimate gathering at Core … you might just read about it in Vanity Fair (I heard George Wayne fell in love with the clothes in Jamaica) and here of course, as our editor at large will have the exclusive rights to cover this party… Cheers to quality, taste and tradition!
To see the runway show please visit Spoerry 1866
Leaving my mental monastery (not institution) after a 2 year sabbatical, my lust for shopping has out sized my cravings for sugar… Have a look at my Topshop fall shopping cart and see what I am getting:
Luxury red velvet platform sandals; aren’t they darling? I am having visions of myself twirling with Halston in my white YSL Pantsuit at DVF’s penthouse, Bianca asking me to join her at the bathroom (to freshen up Make up) on our way stumbling over Andy who is just starring at Robert’s Leather Chaps while Liz, Michael and Brooke are playing Charade in the kitchen and Steve is rushing of to Studio where we all wind up later on that night…
J’aime beaucoup aussi les Love Word rings . Since you do not want to tattoo your fingers until both your ultraconservative parents are dead, this is your one and only option. These Love Word rings in old gold will make you feel very ‘don’t fuck with me’ in a karmically good way. Do wear your nails short with dark polish and loose the glitter, shimmer or whatever else you thought was cute this summer. Hurry, already sold out in small.
I am also buying Tortoiseshell Square Oversize Sunglasses By Squint, because I firmly believe in over sized spectacles all year around and since I am getting away from the ‘ all black front row situation’ (these also come in all black in case you are still working that look) what better choice than snake skin paired with lavender tint glasses?
Last, back to jewelry: It seems to me that someone over at Topshop must have opened the book of Genesis for inspiration because you can fill Noah’s Ark with every animal imaginable from scorpion to monkey, frog, hawk, owl, octopus, lamb, polar bear, leopard, swan, ram, bug, zebra, you name it, they’ve got it…mostly as rings, but also as earrings.
My absolute favored out of all of them is the black Eagle Head Ring, simply because it is so chic and chunky. Actually, I think it works for both women and butch men (Justin Theroux for instance, would go well with his horrible tattoos which I kinda like).
Et voila, I also got some vibrant vintage pieces which I might tell you about later this month.
Bis zum nächsten Mal, Miriam
Top Shop item codes: 32L09APNK £58.00, 61D50YGLD £20.00 , 22X33YTOR £25.00, 61R26ZBLK £16.50
After Zac Posen and Manolo Blanik it is now fabulous fashion Photographer Ellen von Unwerth’s turn to design her bottle of Coke Light in Europe.
The bottle is out of aluminum and the color reminds me of the famous Yves Klein blue. On the bottle is a Photo of a woman’s silhouette. It stands for strength, glamor yet lightness and is one of Ellen’s favored which she took at the end of a shoot in Milan as the model walked away.
Coming in November the bottles will be limited to 39.000 worldwide, available only at special events. At the same time young? women have the opportunity to upload a photo and with the right luck, no rather the right look, one can win a workshop and photo with Ellen von Unwerth. Deadline is November 30, 2009. Age 18 and up, so don’t be shy.
When you visit the site do not miss the gallery and look for my favored Pre Halloween 15seconds of shame:
scary dancetrance85 who says of himself crazy crazy crazy. And yes it is crazy because Ellen is looking for women.
akzent09 trapped in an 80ies GDR time warp
konfetova, who looks like out of a eastern European wife shopping catalog
mflocke, who kept her boots on the beige corduroy couch and chose not to give eye contact
sweetswetlana, clearly a Marilyn Monroe look alike
mitch93053 war and peace, gee, that’s clever and yet another not girl
dindojo no comment
pierzyn, there is only one like me. ha hahahahahahahahahaha. I am speechless!
I do like schwestersascha, in nurse drag saying kranke schwester, which means sick sister (sister in german is a synonym for fag)
On that note just see for yourself, enjoy some rather ruthless exhibitionism and have your pick.
This is old news in Germany but to me still worth while a mention.
Watch Guido Westerwelle, head of the free democratic party (FDP), who -note- will be the future Foreign Minister, in his dealings with foreign press on October 28, 2009, one day after the elections in Germany.
Quote:
‘…as it is custom in England to speak English it is customary in Germany to speak German.’
Agreed, but it would have been exquisitely courteous & more professional if he had said just that in English and then answer the political question in German.
After Westerwelle’s response he was obviously and desperately looking to throw in a final fineness when he came up with this: Quote:
‘and so that this is clear, we can certainly meet outside this press conference for tea and speak only English but..’, pause, pause, large out of place gesture with arms while looking to finish sentence he came up with: ‘ but this is Germany!’
The invitation for tea was cliche and 50′s queer in an unglamorous way and the country reference was helplessly retarded.
Mr. Westerwelle needs to step up his public game and learn from the old queens of the silver screen: Betty Davis for instance, imagine how fabulous she would have dealt with James telling him to fasten his seat belt, or Bette Middler cracking a joke with the microphone or no, May West, imagine how she would have manhandled James telling him her french was much better than her English.
To loose all current inhibitions I recommend the following:
Bette Davis in all about Eve
Liz Taylor in Who’s Afraid of Virgina Wolf?
So if ever put on the spot again he will shoot his replies with esprit and become a widely acclaimed openly gay very fabulous iconic political figure not to be messed with and never again ridiculed. On second thoughts but not in his defense, why is the BBC sending James who doesn’t speak or refuses to speak English to a German press conference in Germany at the occasion of the German elections???
Is James (Bond, Blunt) even his real name? Are the Brits strange or sleazy, which is it?
Sonia Verguet, a 28 year old designer from Strassbourg made a name for her label Pink Wolf with “Valises-armes” suitcases in bright colors with knifes, axes or guns applied to them.
She clearly took the art of recycling into a funny, stylish and colorful level using old suitcases from flea markets and painting them after having fixed toy weapons onto them.
With all those safety measures going on these days this piece of luggage will get you amused attention on your travels, if only you go out for a latte.
Visit her site http://www.pinkwolf.fr/ and get in touch with Sonia for your custom made suitcase. Don’t be afraid of the frenchness, these reassuring words I discovered while browsing her pages: You can get the suitcase of your choice by sending me an email. You can choose the color and the weapon you prefer to not kill someone!
Enjoy the other great designs and unleash your inner child!
»A giant’s tale, narrated by Royal de Luxe« commemorates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall by telling the story of the Big Giant and his niece the Little Giantess who are reunited after many years of separation at the Brandenburg Gate.This event was highly publicized thanks to an excellent Press office and strong partners, but theory did not prepare me for this magical open air theatre.
I first saw the Giant Girl in Französische Strasse in Berlin Mitte at roughly 3:15pm this afternoon. As I climbed up the stairs leaving the super crowded Subway station I was greeted with music and shouts from afar mixed with human sounds of amazement accompanied by the clicking sounds of cameras. Due to her enormous size at 5.5 meters (18 feet) and 800 kilograms (1,750 pounds) I had no difficulty finding the Giantess…When I got closer it seemed as if she had woken up from a nap although she had napped previously for about three hours at Bebelplatz (in a beautiful part of town across from the old Humboldt University). She must have been exhausted after meeting the Mayor of Berlin this morning when her journey got kicked off . Today my press pass was semi useless as there were helpers holding ropes to ensure safety and crazy obsessed people trying to take photos willing to jeopardize their good manners… One woman standing, no, shoving next to me got so upset with one of the security guys crying that she had left the office to take ONE photo which she felt she was entitled to as a basic human right so to speak and I think most people felt that way…
I found a sweet calm rope holding guy whom I suavely synchronized myself with sliding along. What I witnessed within less than 30 minutes was a mathematically choreographed act in which 22 Lilliputians clad in Red Velvet livery worked what seemed effortless with the precision of a Swiss clockwork.
I saw Little Giantess sitting down, getting dressed up with an old fashioned hat like Howard Hughes and aviator glasses, watching her boat drive by on another street and riding a scooter… All actions regarding the Little Giantness where announced by a lady who -for most parts -spoke french into a megafone.
Unlike the verbal conductrice I was speechless. But see for yourself, I filmed some.
If you enjoyed this, stay tuned for more when I hope to meet her uncle, the deep-sea diver (9.5 meters (31 feet) tall and weighs 2.5 tons.) tomorrow.
I’d also like to tell you a bit about the creative people behind these Marionettes.
For more information visit the official site where you can find routes, daily updates, photos, newslwtter, commnuity and so on.
http://www.riesen-in-berlin.de/en/start.html
Part 3 tomorrow.
Commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall by telling the story of the Big Giant and his niece the Little Giantess who are reunited after many years of separation at the Brandenburg Gate.
Once upon a time, a long time ago, Berlin was a swamp inhabited by giants.
They planted roots in the water which slowly grew up into trees, whose trunks they later used to build shelters. In one of these huts lived a little giantess together with her uncle, the big giant. He had given her a wonderful boat in which she could travel across the continent.
But one day land and sea monsters tore the city in two. And one of these two pieces was walled up. When this happened the big giant and the little giantess were separated. He was so angry that he threw himself into the river and from there he wandered through the depths of the oceans looking for the sleeping geyser on the sea floor. Many years passed until he eventually found it.
He dragged it underneath the city walls and woke it rudely. The earth shook, the walls crumbled and washed away, a strong wind made the little giant’s boat start moving and pulled the roots of the trees up into the air.
When this was all over, the big giant climbs out of the river and starts searching.
The little giantess wakes up beside her boat and discovers a sack full of letters which were never delivered. She decides she is going to deliver the post and on her way round the city she is reunited with her uncle, the big giant.
Jean Luc Courcoult, Author and Director of
THE BERLIN REUNION
a giant’s tale, narrated by Royal de Luxe
Check out Part 2 tomorrow:
We love Green Knickers, a young Brit company dedicated to the use of sustainable fabrics such as bamboo, hemp, silk and organic cotton. Fair trade, Energy saving, women co-ops, garment deliveries by bike all come natural to Sarah and Rose, the Eco masterminds behind this label.
Their latest coup are Global Warming Boxer Shorts in ocean blue.
As the Boxers warm up through body temperature the sea overcomes the land to show the effects of Global Warming. Aside from silky soft Bamboo Boxers, recommended for allergy prone skin, there is a sweet selection for gals that even include Wedding knickers.
So please check out these cute & sexy undies and enjoy their lovely site.
To our planet & our people!
The past July in Berlin during Fashion Week, The Key presented a strong collection of fashion and accessories from eco minded designers and artists. Some of the innovation was eclectic and surprising. You can have style and be eco minded. Check out the photos:
Our European lifestyle editor Miriam Alston was backstage at the Scherer Gonzales Fashion show during Berlin’s Fashion Week Spring Summer 2010. She took some fabulous behind-the-scene photos and had some fabulous champagne. Producer and DJ Eric D. Clark was live at the turntables during the show.
view more photos in the gallery
