SUPERIOR ONLINE Jan|Feb 2012 + FASHION WEEK BERLIN Special

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Jan/feb 2012 + fashion Week Berlin special

PREMIUM INTERNATIONAL FASHION TRADE SHOW FALL/WINTER 2012/2013

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Magazine for young vanguard fashion & art photography

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editorial Dear SUPERIOR readers, The „Street“ is a place, which reflects everyday life.

Its dynamic and architecture are a huge source of inspiration for the creative individuals such as designers, artists and photographers.

Thirteen photographers present their view of „Street“, highly crucial and individual.

For our Fashion Week Berlin Special we made an editorial shooting at SEEK trade fair, our editorial team covered the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin shows and the artist Ewen Gur gave the whole Special a wonderful artistic frame. Get an impression on what to expect on the „Street“ the upcoming autumn/winter season.

Best wishes, Tom, Marc and the SUPERIOR team

BAD BOY CITY BLUES

Fashion Week Berlin Special

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28

76

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126 134

144 Cover photographer MAXIMILIAN VOM HOFE assistant MICO CVIJETIC styling NADJA MARA BRVAR make-up/hair JANINA ZEIS model VICTOR @ PMA

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Alexandra Maria Sira »Daydreams« 134 84 164 144

Bastian Jung »la suite«

94 174

Saskia Bonavita »Elégance« 106 186

Alicia Freksa »material girl« 118 198 Elizaveta Porodina »cold or not, god is here« 124

204

Interview Tobias Grewe

136 216 Imprint

154 234

photography by MAXIMILIAN VOM HOFE

vest DENHAM shirt CHEAP MONDAY

coat ACNE VINTAGE shirt CHEAP MONDAY

shirt CHEAP MONDAY glasses MYKITA

turtleneck VINTAGE vest HENDRIK VIBSKOV pants CHEAP MONDAY leggings VINTAGE shoes CHEAP MONDAY

coat HIEN LE turtleneck VINTAGE skirt NADJA MARA BRVAR socks NIKE shoes WEEKDAY

coat DENHAM pants HIEN LE shirt CHEAP MONDAY leggings VINTAGE socks VINTAGE COS shoes WEEKDAY

coat WOOD WOOD turtleneck VINTAGE pants WOOD WOOD shoes LIKA MIMKAF

sweater VINTAGE CASHMERE pants HENDRIK VIBSOV top HENDRIK VIBSOV

photography by MAXIMILIAN VOM HOFE assisted by MICO CVIJETIC styling by NADJA MARA BRVAR hair & make-up by JANINA ZEIS model VICTOR @ PMA

E W N O I H S E A F SP

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K EE L A I EC

Fashion Week Berlin Special

SEEK

Ewen Gur Interview

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Augustin Teboul BEAUTYBERRY Dawid Tomaszewski Guido Maria Kretschmer Hien Le Issever Bahri Noir Patrick Mohr Sebastian Ellrich Sissi Goetze Vladimir Karaleev Von Bardonitz

Fashion Week Berlin diary

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52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74

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Photos: p. 52 - 91: Bastian Achard (p. 58 - 59: Christian Marquardt) Text: Tom Felber & Marcel Debong

WWW.SIEGER-COUTURE.COM

T H E F I N E ST C LOT H E S & ACC E S S O R I E S FO R T H E CO N T E M P O R A RY G E N T L E M A N

SEEK photography by MARC HUTH

blouse SOULLAND blazer PHONZ SAYS BLACK skirt PATRICK MOHR shoes ZEHA necklace CORNELIA WEBB finger ring CORNELIA WEBB

pullover TOM & HAWK vest SOPOPULAR trousers INDIGOFERA shoes ZEHA

dress BILLY AND I shoes SYDNEY BROWN necklace CORNELIA WEBB bag MADE IN EUROPE

shirt POP CPH blazer PHONZ SAYS BLACK trousers FRED PERRY belt SOPOPULAR shoes PETER NON

shirt THREE OVER ONE jacket VANISHING ELEPHANT trousers BILLY AND I shoes ZEHA rucksack SANDQVIST scarf HOWLIN BY MORRISON

pullover HOWLIN BY MORRISON bag ALLY CAPELLINO trousers STYLEIN shoes PETER NON bracelets CORNELIA WEBB

jacket

shirt SOULLAND EBBETS FIELD FLANNELS trousers PERCIVAL belt ALLY CAPELLINO shoes ZEHA

pullover PATRICK MOHR sun glasses R.T.CO trousers SURFACE TO AIR shoes ZEHA (IDEAL SNEAKERS painted by Ewen Gur) bag SIMON HEEGER

pullover SURFACE TO AIR coat SOPOPULAR trousers PATRICK MOHR boots TWENTY(2)TOO

dress vest necklace

JOSEFINSTRID TWENTY(2)TOO shoes ZEHA CORNELIA WEBB

dress THE LOCAL FIRM shoes ZEHA draped dress CORNELIA WEBB

shirt POP CPH vest THREE OVER ONE trousers TWENTY(2)TOO boots THE LOCAL FIRM

photography by styling by make-up/hair by photoassistant models

MARC HUTH TOM FELBER, SIMON HEEGER THEO SCHNÜRER KENNETH SCHULTZE-PETZOLD, ROBERTO WILD, SVENJA SCHIFFER SERAPHINA @MODELWERK, VITAN @SATORY, MARCIN @SATORY

EWEN GUR INTERVIEW SUPERIOR met Ewen Gur during his ZEHA live-painting at PREMIUM

Is Berlin a special place for you to live and work?

Yeah! In Berlin, you can come and develop yourself as an artist. You have time to work and don‘t have „pressure“ like in Paris or New York. There are big spaces, there is a lot of artists, a lot of creativity that stimulates your art.

Last year you won the Premium Window Dresser Award and during Fashion Week Berlin Galeries Lafayette presented some windows designed by Ewen Gur. Which special relationship to fashion do you have?

It is very interesting to mix different kinds of art. As a french artist, I have a special connection with fashion, the one you‘re surrounded by in Paris.

Here in Berlin, I discovered a different type of fashion. The Berlin style concerns and belongs to everyone, it‘s not an elite thing here.

Can you already disclose some future projects you are working on? Is there any project you „would die for“ to realize in the future?

Haha...top secret !

Photos: Marc Huth

Ewen, do you see yourself as a representative of Pop Art? My influences come from pop artists like Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol... I always liked the irony of the message, the strength of this movement and the recycling of visual elements. So yes, my art belongs to the pop art family.

I took some other influences from comic artists, like Marcel Gotlieb or Robert Crumb.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

My inspiration comes from the city, what I see, the people, the consumption system, fast food.... and from movies.

I love to „caricature“ people and often see funny characters through them, like the stressed businessman who doesn‘t have time for anything, the fat guy with a burger and a coke in his hands or the pin-up girl. I like stories and love to create visual „scenarios“.

Seriously, I plan collaborations in the future with fashion brands, painting, drawing, improving my art.

And work more on my online shop, make my art affordable for the most people, work on new prints, develop limited editions and special art products with brands, like the „cube concept“ I did for the Galeries Lafayette.

There are a lot of projects I would die for. They have to be big and challenging. Like painting an Airbus A380, a castle or the Fernsehturm.

Rock‘n‘roll!

Augustin Teboul

Between reality and dreams, the newcomer designers of AUGUSTIN TEBOUL presented their upcoming fall/winter collection with some high performance art. Complex designs featuring crocheted body stockings, embroidery and fringes create an exciting and tempting new look combining romantic femininity with playful drama.

Last season you visualized your dreams. Visionary crochet work, transparency and a dark elegance were the main aspects of your collection. Were your dreams so dark?

It was about accepting the beauty and also the dark sides of dreams. In a dream everything can be very absurd but still with a link, and this was the main thing we worked on.

To depict the absurd and the unconscious is a principle of surrealism – a very visible characteristic in your collections. But your collections are also very pure and, of course, wearable. How do you manage to balance wearable reality and unwearable fantasy?

Well, it‘s a challenge. It is our aim to create wearable extravagance. We are very inspired by absurd coincidences. And we also like to react intuitively, also with the subconscious. And in this way it is very linked to the Surrealism movement.

Of course we are also very touched by the esthetic of surrealism.

Your interpretation of femininity also offers a new interpretation of the romantic.

Which ‘new-romantic’ elements can we expect to find in your collections?

We can talk about new romantic, because it‘s fragile in a way, on the other hand there is this modern rock ’n’ roll touch to it.

What is your vision of femininity?

Femininity is about independence and dependence.

BEAUTYBERRY

by Wang Yutao

In his home country China, fashion designer Wang Yutao is already well known for his label BEAUTYBERRY. Now for the first time he presented a collection at a fashion show in Europe, at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Berlin.

Talking about the mixture of regional styles in his collections, Wang Yutao said in an ELLE-interview: “2012 marks the Olympic year in London. So the BEAUTYBERRY spring/summer 2012 collection is based on British style. London is not only a political centre, but also a fashion centre. You’ll see from my show that I combine traditional English style with modern English style to welcome the 2012 London Olympic Games in

my own language.“ Nevertheless, the designer’s home, the vibrant city of Beijing, still provides most of his inspiration, he says.

With his upcoming autumn/winter collection he continues in this vein. Checked skirts for men, which are also vaguely reminiscent of kilts in cut, and printed shorts exude a more British than Far Eastern charm – even if kimono sleeves on coats and capes also hint at the latter. High-grade tailoring, modern and innovative materials and polished purism combine to create a luxurious, British inspired look.

DAWID TomAszEWskI Dawid Tomaszewski’s glamorous and dramatic designs set him apart from the typical purist aesthetic of which there is plenty at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin.

Your fashion shows a passion for glamour.

Where do you find such glamour in Berlin? Is glamour like that still visible?

To be honest, not in Berlin. My aim is to establish the label DAWID TOMASZEWSKI in the world. London, Paris, New York, and Tokyo: all these cities are more glamorous than Berlin. I create fashion for the cosmopolitan. I do not pay special attention to Berlin.

What is elegance for you? And in which ways are your creations elegant?

Elegance means to me urbanity, self confidence and prettiness. In my opinion glamour is chic and straightforward, it does not have to be sparkling.

Your last season‘s theme was „volatility“, your upcoming theme is „apocalypse“. How do you interpret such dark topics in a positive way?

I really love words and subjects like caducity and death. In my view death is something positive. Life is structured by episodes, every end is a beginning. Caducity is a beginning, which still shines glamorous in bright lights.

My new AW 2012/13 collection used different sources of inspiration. The paintings by John Martin, an English Romantic artist, play an important role. The collection was also inspired by the idea of fragmentation and re-composition, taken from de-constructivist architecture, which serves as a starting point for creating something new and modern. The perception of the earth and its wide range of colours complete the list of influences. The „apocalypse“ is intended not in the religious sense as the end of being but, on the contrary, as enlightenment: The new beginning as the leitmotif of the upcoming season expressed in raw, natural materials like leather, metal, feathers, cashmere, virgin wool and Swarovski elements.

GUIDo mARIA kRETsCHmER

Fashion designer Guido Maria Kretschmer also works as a costume designer for film and theater. The style of his eponymous fashion label convinces with dramatic elegance und luxurious glamour.

One of your current projects was the costume design for the motion picture ‘RubbeldieKatz’. The challenge was to transform actor Matthias Schweighöfer into a woman – also in a fashion sense. How did you develop the idea to style him with your typical opulent elegance?

The challenge was to create a look for Matthias Schweighöfer which is not swishy and kind of authentic. Matthias Schweighöfer does not have many feminine characteristics. He has broad shoulders and muscular arms, but also great legs for a gown. But ‘RubbeldieKatz’ is a comedy. So we decided to use a look which is elegant, ironic and exaggerative as well.

Maybe that makes the movie a fashion movie too. The audience should notice this nod to the fashion world.

You have also designed costumes for theater and opera productions. Do you see a crossover between theater and fashion? In which way is your work for theater reflected in your collections?

It is all about dramaturgy. I want to create ‘moments’ on the stage as well as on the runway. A fashion show is not so different to theater. Music and make up are important tools for creating emotions. So it is also about how it is staged. In opera, we do not understand what they sing but we feel the tragedy.

I do not see a cross-over between my collections and theater. But there is an obvious cross-over between theater and my runway shows.

Your elegant evening gowns are often seen on red carpets. Could this be an aspect of the cross-over between acting and couture?

A lot of celebrities want to wear a Guido Maria Kretschmer gown on the red carpet because they know that they get photographed. Now we have an individual line for red carpet dresses. But celebrities trust me. My gowns are elegant and extravagant, but do not obscure the magic of a celebrity. I try to find a combination of elegance and magic. This is the kind of magic that you cannot learn.

Hien Le, at the success of your spring/summer collection, you said you are more of a craftsman than an artist. What do you mean by that?

I would say that fashion is also a kind of art but in a different way. It just depends how you see yourself in fashion and what you do. I said that I‘m more of a handcrafter than an artist, as I see my collections more in fashion than in art.

My collections are wearable, commercial; it‘s all about clean shapes and refined details. It‘s a lot about the techniques of finishing and finding the best solutions for how to realize a garment. For some designers it is still a kind of art, for me its more fashion than art, more handcraft than art.

HIEN LE No black – it is too heavy for him. After his acclaimed spring/summer collection, Hien Le goes for reduction, concentrating on the finishing and production.

Your women‘s and men‘s wear show common details and form an integrated whole – a discreet unisex style? How different are women and men in fashion and in your fashion especially?

I would never say that what I‘m doing is unisex even if there are some pieces which are. For me it‘s always important to create a collection for women and men without separating them or without doing two separate collections. You always will see that it is one collection with a central theme...few details, colours and fabrics are based on each other in the women‘s as well as in the men‘s collection so that it is set up to be one.

But still you should see the difference between women and men. I want women to be women and vice versa.

You have developed a signature, minimalist style with subtle details.

In your upcoming collection, you take a step back to reflect on this approach to design and clothing production. How does this affect your creations?

It was a totally free work, without any special theme or any specific inspirations. I just tried things out, things I have never tried before to see what I could do and what works for me and what not. It is important to keep my signature. So I have been working with a lot of new fabrics for me like Alcantara in different ways...embossed and/ or clean. I played with the volume of the material and mixed it with different kinds of materials such as light or heavy wool. I also tried more handcrafted things out like crochet which I‘ve been using for the first time.

Derya Issever and Cimen Bachri are the designers behind the label Issever Bahri. They combine traditional with modern styles and techniques.

Their upcoming fall/winter collection is inspired by Turkish architecture.

Your designs draw on your Turkish and Greek roots. In your upcoming collection, you were inspired by modern Turkish architecture. Can you tell us more about that?

Last year we spent some time in Istanbul and were fascinated by the domestic architecture. Especially the so called „Gecekondu“ which translates into something like „put up or built over night“. You will find a really old wooden building, on top of that is a concrete block with some metal balconies plonked on it. It kind of reminded us of a big scale version of Tetris.

You mentioned modern Istanbul – a symbol of the cross-over between Western and Eastern culture. Is that a symbol for your fashion?

For us, it is more like taking old traditions, like handicraft techniques, and putting them into a modern context.

Combining old knowledge with the present.

In which way do you translate architecture into your fashion?

The different construction methods and building materials used in „Gecekondu“ architecture are translated within the collection into very contrasting material mixes, such as shiny silks and matte silks in contrast to leather, wool and mohair, as well as hand-knitted jumpers and leather crochet items. We used a lot of straight lines as well and a grid pattern in order to translate our feeling of the Istanbul „Gecekondu“ Tetris.

NoIR

The Danish label Noir marries ecological fabrics to a modern, high-fashion look. In her second collection, head designer Tilde Bjerregaard sends a young and introverted woman on a journey, with luggage.

An old suitcase provided the inspiration for your upcoming collection, with its many details on the outside and inside. How did you get the idea to create a collection about a suitcase?

It’s a constellation of many things and many expressions which inspired me. I think that what kick-started ”Suitcase Stories” was a beautiful photograph by our talented photographer Blaise Reutersward which I have had hanging on my wall for some time. The photograph doesn’t actually show a suitcase but a girl standing in front of a wall with beautiful wallpaper and I started thinking about where the girl was, when the photo was taken and what her story was. The wallpaper reminded me of the beautiful interior of old suitcases and all of these thoughts led me to create the collection “Suitcase Stories”.

The image of an unknown woman at a station with her suitcases, anticipating the start of her journey: Is she the typical Noir lady? What kind of woman wears Noir?

The image of her shows a typical Noir mood. The Noir woman stands up for herself, she is conscious about her fashion choices and she wears Noir because she cares about timeless quality design with surprising details.

Your predecessor Peter Ingwersen said that fashion sends signals and completes our individuality. What is your opinion about fashion?

I can hardly disagree with Peter, but in my opinion, it is not only fashion which expresses and completes your individuality. The times are different now than they were five years ago and I think that has affected people’s values in terms of fashion and self-expression.

Now, we see expressions of individual fashion style on a street level and fashion, I think, is a much broader term. Even though the DNA

in Noir has remained, I bring a new perspective to the brand; I am not interested in generic fashion ‘punch-lines’, my focus is on creating a high-quality product through craftsmanship, details and fabrics.

A primary objective of Noir is fair fashion that meets high humanitarian and ecological standards. What is the message behind this – especially in the eyes of a high-fashion label?

Our ambitions are the same as they have always been in terms of CSR and

taking care of our surroundings. We have a very realistic image of the way we can contribute and we have realized that it takes a very large amount of time and effort to reach our sustainable goals.

We are working with our partner in Uganda, supported by DANIDA, to develop and refine our Illuminati cotton. The goal is to improve the quality of the cotton so we can use it for several product groups in our collections.

Noir is about working with the product and refining it on all levels.

That includes the creation of timeless fashion, such as our tailoring pieces, which can be worn for decades. Furthermore, it means having respect for our surroundings, and we are doing our best to do so.

One of the Noir mottos is: “In darkness all colours agree”. Is this also a social principle? Or just a reference to the black of your name?

“In darkness all colours agree” is not as much a slogan for Noir as it has been. We haven’t let go of it all together, but I think it is more an expression of the Noir spirit; a feeling of past times influencing the aesthetics of today and making our collections infuse the quality and craftsmanship of previous times with a modern edge.

PATRICk Patrick, the last seasons everybody talked about your spectacular fashion-shows. This time you had an „ordinary“ fashion-show without any shocking extras. Why did you change your show-concept?

How the show theme „Newborn Identity“ implies, it was time to show more of Patrick Mohr – the designer. Actually I don’t think I changed the show-concept. It’s just a grown up version of Patrick Mohr.

Is that your personal „Newborn Identity“?

Of course not only the label, but I personally changed throughout the past years, but I still remain true to myself, my values and the triangle.

moHR What is the message of your upcoming fall/ winter collection? „Newborn Identity“ stands for sophisticated, wearable sportswear.

Although your collection became more commercial all pieces can be recognized as Patrick Mohr clothes. How do you achieve that?

The most important thing is to stay true to yourself and to not forget who you are.

sEBAsTIAN ELLRICH Designer sebastian Ellrich presented his upcoming autumn/winter collection in a series of scenes and images. Inspired by the Greek creation myth, Ellrich created a timeless and modern collection. Tight-fitting shapes and fresh colors take the stage in a dinner scene or with dancing models, betraying the designer’s roots in theater.

In your previous collection, you worked with different shades of blue. Your upcoming collection shows a dominant yellow. Why are bright colors so important for your fashion? And what was your inspiration for yellow?

Especially as a young designer, I feel it‘s important to show consistency: To be bold in your decisions and stand by them. My concept for a collection always starts with the colors; they define the shapes and forms they appear in.

How did the Greek creation myth define your choice of colors? Yellow is an unusual color for a winter collection.

Well, the ideas for the colors all derive from the creation myth: the blackwinged night, the silver egg, the gold-winged Eros. Gold became cool – yellow especially – because of the freshness it conveys as well as a sort of acidity.

After a classic runway show in July, you now opted for a conceptual production. Is this an allusion to your second passion, the theater?

Not directly. Showing offsite allows you to present your collection in a different way. So I decided to show the pieces in their respective context in situations they were made for or that I imagined them in.

And there is the ambition to create an inspiring and stimulating event. So of course I can‘t deny where I come from.

But I will go on showing my collections in the customary way as well.

You are still a costume designer for theater. Which elements in your collection are influenced by the theater? Or is it possible to separate prêt-à-porter and the stage?

It is why I do both: The one to fill a given theme with content, the other to be able to choose the theme and realize it following aesthetic criteria only. Of course there are moments in which one feeds the other. But while in the theater I can design great robes, in my collection I concentrate on clarity, graphic elements and premium material - because here it‘s not only about the look but the feel, the good workmanship, the fit. In theater we make bespoke clothing, in the clothing industry one cut has to work for many different shapes.

sIssI GoETzE This Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, Sissi Goetze was the only designer who presented a men’s collection exclusively. Her refreshing, minimal take on modern menswear is youthful, yet sophisticated and has a subtle edge to it. Muted colour combinations of black, grey and sand tones are combined with precise simplicity.

Your upcoming autumn/winter collection is inspired by the Sylvester Stallone movie “Rocky”. How influenced this movie your designs?

Despite the fact that it is one of my all time favourite movies, it is the whole look of the movie that inspired me in the first place. It‘s rather my own interpretation of Rocky, which is translated into the colours and the chosen materials as well as the silhouettes, than an obvious copy of the actual characters.

Your past collections showed a very modern man. Now you get inspired by 70’s movie. How does that fit together?

I don‘t think that it is incompatible.

It‘s not about creating a one-on-one copy of the movie. So you won‘t see any flared trousers for instance. I still interpret it in my own significant style and with my contemporary understanding.

Where are differences between menswear and womenswear? Why did you choose menswear exclusively for your collection?

Menswear is more restricted which suits my conceptual approach to design better. Designing for the other sex is simply more interesting for me ... or maybe it‘s just the fact that I always get along more easily with guys?

Vladimir Karaleev, how important are fabrics in your production process?

It is the most important component. It is the tool, the materialized idea. But it cannot be anything; it should communicate the idea and give it the opportunity to follow the determined line and shape. This shape is created mostly through experiment and by coincidence. So they build a composition.

In which way is your fashion inspired by painting?

It is not inspired by a certain painting but the painting process itself. The way a painting is made, the way the color is put on the canvas, the way classical art was transformed by modern art and put upside down.

For example action painting, where you simultaneously have and do not have control over the process and results. Or sculpture making; I always think of Isa Genzken.

VLADImIR kARALEEV

Bulgarian designer Vladimir Karaleev experiments with shapes and styles. His designs always appear unfinished.

For his upcoming fall/winter collection he worked with transparency and with overlapping forms and fabrics.

Your origins are Bulgarian, but you have chosen to live in Berlin. How does Berlin inspire you, especially your style?

The way it gives me the freedom to work. I feel very happy here and that is inspiring, to feel good. But I do not think that my style is typical for Berlin, because it is hard to say there is a Berlin style. There are too many.

We are all based in Berlin and have different ways of working. But what connects us is the many possibilities and the easy and relaxed way of living. And that is a luxury. I think most of all it is the energy, I guess ...

VoN BARDoNITz

„When you venture beyond identity, you realize that what you are is awakened consciousness. No longer a separate piece of the puzzle of life, but interconnected existence itself.“ The upcoming autumn/winter collection „oNE“ is the search for identity. It is the idea that everyone goes through various states of being in their lives in order to arrive at one‘s ‚core identity‘. massive woollen clothes express a high level of linearity and consistency. Intersections between faith and the individual being are created. The collection disclaims a gender classification.

Fashion Week Berlin Diary

by Bastian Achard

Bastian, for your photography, where do you draw your inspiration from?

For me, there is not only one specific way to get inspired. I think the most important thing about inspiration is to really live life intensively. Extracting these experiences, moods and feelings into photography, I see as my personal challenge. I also try not to force myself to get creative. Having lot‘s of inspiring people around me, helps a lot to develop ideas and stories.

Which „feeling“ or „message“ would you like to convey with your photos?

I always try to transport a certain personal stance within my pictures.

It‘s also the whole composition, that plays an important role for that final impact. Everything has to be in line.

A team of creative people as well as a good casting is one of the most important things.

It basically all comes together the day you shoot.

Do you have a certain style you prefer for your photography?

I like pictures that talk for themselves. It‘s really important to see the depth of a picture.

What is your goal as a photographer?

I think my goal as a photographer is to strike people and transport my vision.

It‘s also always a question of interpretation and imagination of the receiver.

Is there any project you „would die for“ to realize in the future?

There is no explicit project I would „die for“ to realize.

I think you grow with the project. So, for my future I‘d love to pull up bigger projects, bigger teams, bigger productions. I really enjoy to collaborate with other creatives!

What‘s your next big project?

I got a few upcoming projects in the row. My next one will probably be an editorial shooting. Rough story with a touch of high fashion.

You saw a lot of shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. What is your résumé from a photographer‘s point of view? How do you express that in your Fashion-WeekSeries?

I really pulled out lots of inspiration from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Having the chance to see lots of collections on the runway as well as talking to designers personally and being backstage at some shows made an impact.

My favorite show was the APOCALYPSE Show of David Tomaszewski. I was really impressed by the fabrics as well as the interaction between the pieces.

For me, he succeeded in creating an immense atmosphere from beginning to end.

My series deals with the atmosphere before the show. It‘s about hectic and expectations.

many thanks to...

Ewen who turned this issue into a piece of art

PREMIUM for the excellent co-operation and perfect service, especially to Anita & Norbert, Christine, Maren, Marie, Philipp, Holger and all other helping hands

The SEEK-labels with their fabulous autumn/ winter 2012/13 collections

The whole SEEK-Shooting-Team: Kenneth, Marc, Marcin, Oliver, Roberto, Seraphina, Simon, Svenja, Theo, Tom, Vitan

Vickie who hosted our SUPERIOR-stand at PREMIUM perfect with a lot of charm

The whole Editorial Team at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin: Bastian, Josefine, Katharina, Marcel, Nadine, Sophie, ValĂŠrie

SIEGER Couture for its wonderful jackets Tom wore during Fashion Week Berlin

PREMIUM ORDER DUESSELDORF FALL/WINTER 2012/2013

FEBRUARY 04 – 07, 2012 COLORIUM HAUS SPEDITIONSTRASSE 9, 40221 DUESSELDORF WWW.PREMIUMEXHIBITIONS.COM

PREMIUM ORDER MUNICH FALL/WINTER 2012/2013

FEBRUARY 18 –21, 2012 ZENITH AREA LILIENTHALALLEE 29, 80939 MUNICH WWW.PREMIUMEXHIBITIONS.COM

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Photography by: CHRISTOPH KÖSTLIN

Dress: R/H

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Top & Trousers: CARIN WESTER Bracelet: PHILIPPE AUDIBERT Pumps: ALL SAINTS

Dress: BEE QUEEN

D r e s s : KILLAH

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P u m p s : ALLSAINTS D r e s s : COS B r a c e l e t : PHILIPPE AUDIBERT

Dress: R/H Boots: VINTAGE ACNE

Leotard: HENRIK VIBSKOV Longsleeve: MINI FOR MANY BY MINIMARKET Vest: SHADOWCONNECTED

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Dress: ALLDRESSEDUP Necklace: IOSSELLIANI Shoes: STYLIST‘S OWN

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Photography by: CHRISTOPH KÖSTLIN

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ART & DESIGN

STRAHLENDICHTE 2011

TOBIAS GREWE TOBIAS GREWE IS ONE OF THE HOT NEW ARTISTS ON THE CONTEMPORARY ART SCENE IN THE RHINELAND. THE SELFTAUGHT PHOTOGRAPHER CREATES ABSTRACT IMAGES WITH THE HELP OF EXTREME PERSPECTIVE, SKILFUL CROPPING AND DELIBERATE OVEREXPOSURVE, AND CATEGORICALLY REJECTS THE USE OF ANY POST-PRODUCTION DIGITAL MANIPULATION. MARCEL KRENZ SPOKE WITH THE ARTIST IN HIS HOME AND STUDIO IN COLOGNE.

MARCEL KRENZ 2011 seemed to be your year - with a highly successful solo show in Cologne, a group exhibition in your home-town of Sundern, a new catalogue on your most recent works, and your inclusion in the long-awaited compendium „Rising – Young Artists to Keep an Eye On“ (DAAB Media, Cologne). And in 2012 we will see your works in solo shows in Düsseldorf and Thessaloniki, as well as in a group show at your main gallery Beck & Eggeling new quarters in Düsseldorf. How do you explain your sudden success?

TUMBLING 2008

TOBIAS GREWE First of all, no success comes overnight. It's always the result of hard work behind the scenes. But yes, there does seem to be more attention being paid to my work in the last 12-14 months or so. I think part of it has to do with the fact that abstract art in general is gaining more attention these days. In November 2011, I took part in a large group show, “KONSTRUKTIV!”, which Gérard Goodrow curated for the gallery Beck & Eggeling new quarters in Düsseldorf. The show focussed on 16 young artists (among others Jan Albers, Frauke Dannert, Shannon Finley, Cathy Jardon, Kai Richter and Frank Thiel) working in the field of geometric abstraction, juxtaposed with as many older artists from the classical modern and post-war era, such as Josef Albers, Heinz Mack, Gerhard Richter and Victor Vasarely. One of my large-format photographs hung together with a group of small works on paper by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. It was a fascinating visual experience for me as well, seeing how the idea of geometric abstraction has progressed over the last hundred years without losing any of its original power. And it was amazing to see the affinities between some of the great masters of the modern age and young contemporary artists. It was quite a challenge for all of us.

Soon after, I was chosen by a jury of experts to be included in the “Rising” project, which features the works of 100 young artists from around the world. Here as well, it's amazing to see how many young artists are working in the field of abstraction, be it in painting, sculpture, photography or drawing.

MK Abstract photography is rare, isn't it? We still tend to associate this medium with documentation or at least narration.

There always seems to be some kind of story to be told. Your works, on the other hand, are abstract in the truest sense of the word, since they always originate in reality, but break this down to create something completely different. Most of your works are based on architecture, whereby, if I understand correctly, it's not architecture as such that interests you, but rather the forms, colours and compositions you find within this.

Is this the reason why you rarely make reference to the architects or the specific buildings in your titles?

TG That's right. I have always been fascinated by architecture, but for my work, nondescript, at first glance boring or even ugly buildings are just as interesting as those designed by top architects such as Norman Foster, Richard Meier, Peter Zumthor or Oscar Niemeyer. One of my favourite motifs is based on a colourful but anonymous apartment building in Miami. I don't know who designed it, but that's not important. The artist's view, my own personal way of seeing, is my most important instrument for unveiling structures that I find in the surfaces, i.e. forms and rhythms or repetitions of elements of the façade. I focus so much on particular details that the rest of the building is more or less unimportant for me.

That's why the titles of my works often reveal what I perceived when I saw the building for the very first time, for example “Twisted”. “Tumbling” or “Curves”.

ARP 2008

KOLUMBA II 2008

MK You didn't attend an art academy and came relatively late to photography. In fact, you have another career in a completely different field. How do you juggle both careers?

TG I don't see photography as a second career - it's more like a calling. My “other life�, as I like to call it, revolves around consulting and marketing strategies. My clients are among the global players on the DAX 30.

MK In marketing and advertising, everything is retouched to make it look “perfect”. And your pictures often look as though they have been digitally manipulated and colour-enhanced. In many cases, it's hard to believe that they haven't been “photoshopped”. What are your tricks?

TG The trick is that there is no trick. What you see is what I shot. For my own art, I completely and utterly reject all the fancy tools used in marketing, especially post-production digital reotuching to create an “ideal” image. My creative tools are all used during the actual act of shooting the photo on site. Cropping, aperture and shutter speed are the main creative instruments I use to distort or abstract the image.

Nothing happens afterwards in the lab or on the computer. It sounds easy, and it actually is! It's truly amazing when you think about all the things you can do with light!

MK But don't these two worlds – career and calling – get in the way of each other some times? How do you find the balance?

TG There's no conflict at all. In fact, they complement each other. On the one hand, I guess I kind of need the pressure and the stress. This helps me to be creative and develop new ideas. And on the other hand, my career enables numerous art projects since it allows me, for example, to travel to other continents, where I find inspiration and new motifs. And, at the end of the day, the fact that I have another source of income means that my art can be free of financial stress, since I earn my money elsewhere. The art thus remains financially independent, which is a great luxury for any artist.

ATOMIUM 2009

BRASIL I 2010

CURVES I 2010

MK Let's get back to the art world. Your works have a certain affinity to the so-called Helsinki School. Were these artists an influence or role model for you?

TG: Sure, of course! But in retrospect, since I only discovered them for myself later. It was like finding friends who speak the same language. Last spring, during the Gallery Weekend in Berlin, I met Timothy Persons, the founder of the Helsinki School, at an exhibition opening. We understood each other immediately. There is, of course, a certain overlapping of thoughts and ideas between my art and the art of the Helsinki School, but I must say that my own visual language, with my own Tobias Grewe nuances, is very important to me. One important difference is that my work is 99% unplanned. It comes from a gut feeling I have when I confront a specific situation.

This determines whether I unpack my equipment or not when I suddenly discover a motif. This authenticity and intuition is extremely important to me and is an essential part of my work.

MK I recall a story you told one time about driving to Brussels to re-shoot a motif you thought you lost. It didn't work out, but in the process you discovered something quite different and exciting...

TG Exactly! Luckily I found the original data file for the work I thought I lost. But I drove to Brussels to shoot the image again. The plan didn't work though, since the combination of weather, the time of day, the season and the intensity of the light made it impossible to recreate the image in the same way. It made me realise for myself how important the authenticity of the precise moment really is. It's not something you can simply recreate or even simulate. Anyway, disappointed that I couldn't redo the image, I drove off and headed back home. On the way, I drove past the back entrance to an amusement park. I drove past, but saw out of the corner of my eye a complex tangle of colourful lines. What was it? I made a full break and drove back in reverse and finally shot the picture from within the car with the motor running. It was a bunch of colourful water slides – twisting and turning around each other – an amazing complexity of lines, forms and colours.

The feeling of utter joy and satisfaction I experience in such moments of intuitive discovery and “getting the shot” is indescribable!

HONGKONG ISLAND III 2010

TWISTED 2010

MK The way you describe it, it's as though the works create themselves, so to speak, as though the motifs were just waiting for you to reveal them. It reminds me of Picasso's famous statement: “I don't search, I find”. Nevertheless, you have your own style, which you have carefully developed over the last few years. You even have a kind of trademark style. For a while, you made only white pictures, which are very closely related to one another. They almost look like drawings. And now, since about a year, colour is appearing more and more in your works. Overexposure is taking a back seat. Is this the beginning of a new series, a new Tobias Grewe?

TG Not really. Colour has always been an important theme in my works and is actually at the core of my “White Light” series, i.e. taking colour away. And many works with colour emerged parallel to the white works. I think it would be too self-restrictive to limit myself dogmatically to overexposure - or colour for that matter. In any event, right now, colour seems to be appearing more and more in my works, but that doesn't mean that the “White Light” series is complete or passé. And in the new colour works, some are slightly overexposed to make the colour somewhat softer or to bring out certain nuances in tone. Complete overexposure means that, in many cases, no colour information remains in the image file, which works in some cases, but certainly not all. It really depends on the motif. The motif determines how much light I need to bring in to get a “picture” out of it, which I see in that very moment.

In Hong Kong, for example, I shot a detail of a building by Norman Foster. Overexposure would have only made the image diffuse or “milky”. As a result, I focused my attention more on cropping, perspective and the subtle reflections of the cloudy sky in the mirror-like façade to achieve the level of abstraction I was going for.

SPINDLE 2010

COLOR FIELDS #1 2011

1 1

MK And what's next? Where will your motifs take you now?

TG Since the summer I have been fascinated by the possibility of transforming three-dimensional architectural structures into fields of pure, two-dimensional colour. The end results are in many ways similar to the abstract colourfield painting that was popular among especially American artists such as Barnett Newman, Robert Motherwell or Mark Rothko during the 1940s and '50s. My new works from this series are thus characterized more than anything else by large fields of flat, solid colour spread across the surface of the photograph, resulting in an extremely flat picture plane. The composition is no longer determined by perspective angles and the dynamics of lines, but rather by an overall sense of pure, almost meditative space. Colour is no longer merely a means to an end, but rather becomes the subject of the photo in itself.

For an exhibition planned for this May in the project space Raum Oberkassel in Düsseldorf, I want to take the possibilities of photography one step further. Based on the colourfields series, I plan to bring the two-dimensional “interpretation” of the three-dimensional starting point of my images back into play. It's kind of like the children's game of Chinese whispers, whereby an original statement is altered each time it is passed onto the next player. In my case, the monumental, coloured concrete ventilation stacks of an underground car park are transformed into flat, glossy coloured surfaces that are reminiscent of abstract painting, which in turn are brought back into the third-dimension, whereby the large spatial object that results has little to do with the original ventilation stacks. It's all about testing borders to see what photography can do or become. I was always fascinated by the transformational powers of photography, but these new works – both the “Colourfields” and the “Chinese Whispers” - have so much power that it truly baffles me! I can't wait to see how the audience reacts!

TOBIAS GREWE (b. 1975 in Arnsberg/Westfalen) is represented by Beck & Eggeling new quarters in Düsseldorf and Donopoulos International Fine Art in Thessaloniki.

His next solo exhibitions take place in May 2012 at Raum Oberkassel in Düsseldorf and Donopoulos International Fine Art in Thessaloniki. His work can also be seen in the group show “Alles nur Fassade?

Architektur als Abstraktion” in March/ April 2012 at Beck & Eggeling new quarters in Düsseldorf. Photo: Michael Güth

MARCEL KRENZ is a Cologne-based, freelance author on contemporary art and architecture and has written for numerous institutions and publications in Germany and abroad, including Wallpaper*, Frame, Blueprint, Architektur & Wohnen, ArtReview, Stylepark and Flash Art.

COLOR FIELDS #2 2011

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