BERLIN FASHION FOU

PEEK & CLOPPENBURG AND A PERFECT NIGHT

2018-06-29T09:15:00.003-07:00

It is finally summer in Berlin! I have to say that it has been warm for quite some time now, which as a true Berliner I don't get to say quite often! You have to know that a common joke in Berlin is: "I am already missing those two days of summer" - That's because Berlin is somehow similar to London in that sense. It is always rainy or windy. However, with the good weather in town, the wedding/prom season has finally started! Funnily, I've just seen a charming family in the metro today. They've been so well-dressed that there was no doubt that they were heading to some sort of (fancy) event. We don't get to see too many fashionable (and I don't mean "hip" people) around town. Fortunately, I have already attended a wedding this summer. It was so beautiful and I wish that I had known about the beautiful yet affordable options that Peek & Cloppenburg has to offer! Since I missed out on the opportunity to shop for a prom/wedding dress online I selected a couple of styles for you. And even if you are not searching right now --> Isn't it always a good idea to look at beautiful dresses and accessories online? Haha, at least I like to do that. I fell in love with the Bordeaux maxi dress!

Even though I did not choose a "princess-like" dress on my own prom, I somehow still end up looking at the ones that are a bit more ... let's say, "extravagant". Haha, maybe that's because I have Turkish roots ... I am just kidding! But you guys can probably imagine how puffy the dresses on those weddings can look like...

Picture 1 :

Clutch - Black (Link)
Clutch - Salmon (Link)
Guess shoes - Black (Link) Metallic dress (Link)

Picture 2
Red Lace Dress - Right (Link)
Red Lace Dress - Second from left (Link)
Bordeaux Dress - Left (Link)
Pearl Dress -Second from Left (Link)

*in friendly cooperation with Peek & Cloppenburg

FASHION DESIGN DEPARTMENT OF | WEIßENSEE KUNSTHOCHSCHULE | SEEFASHION 17

2017-10-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago on the 13th of October 2017 the Department of Fashion design at the Berlin based "Weißensee fashion school" proudly presented their graduate collections and design projects.

I've often heard people who work in fashion say that those who just started implementing their first visions are always the ones with the best ideas. Why? The longer you work in the industry, the more ideas you have already converted into garments. Furthermore, many young designers have to accept at some point that "the extraordinary" is not really what brings the revenue. That's why they alter their ideas, change them to make their fashion profitable. If they don't end up at a Couture atelier or alike they presumably won't ever be as creative as they have been in those precious years studying their profession. That's why it is always a pleasure to look at graduates final shows.

Many of you probably know that my mom used to be a fashion designer. With that said you guys can probably imagine how "present" fashion designs and ideas have always been in my life. Haha, I actually remember my first magazine being a Vogue. I always liked looking at the beautiful people in those magazines. Haha, when I was younger, I would always cut out the sections that inspired me and collect them in several collages. Not much has changed since then. I still love looking at the different campaigns and fashion shoots. However, I like watching runway show even more. The blog opened many doors for me. New travels, events and fashion shows have become a part of my life and I am very thankful for that.
// Graduate collections have always been my favorite to watch. That's why I couldn't resist sharing this selection of (in my opinion) the best designs of the show. I feel like many of the styles resemble the "Berlin spirit" a lot. What do you guys think? Do you have a favorite designer or design?

MA Caecilia Pohl

Rose Redhead

MA Judith Bondy

MA Celine Kesselring

Laura Lührmann & Alma Johanna Hagen

MA Lina Phyllis Falkner

MA Florian Schulze

BA Georg Friedrich Gebhardt

BA Dina Kemmerling

MA Caecilia Pohl

MA Yvonne Wadewitz

BA Cecilie Schou Grønbeck

BA Georg Friedrich Gebhardt

BA Maria Miottke

BA Georg Friedrich Gebhardt

MA Florian Schulze

BA Cecilie Schou Grønbeck

MA Selin Sahin

BA Yudhi Mulyawan Adhimiharja

BA Jakob Richter

BA Johanna Liebl

MA Florian Schulze

Credit : Heike Overberg

MIT LOREAL BEI FARKAS UND MANTHEI | FOLYAGE TREND

2017-08-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I partnered up with L’oreal Paris to try out the new Foilyage beauty trend. I have to admit that I was quite excited about it since I have never dyed my hair before! I think it might be a bit easier for you guys if I explain what exactly the „Foilyage hair trend“ is before beginning with my story. From what I've understood it is pretty similar to the Balayage hair technique, meaning that the hair stylists apply bleach/coloring by hand onto the hair. Or as Anne Bauso from Allure.com would say : „ Foilyage, a hair-color method that combines the subtle hair painting of Balayage with the color-intensifying power of foils“. - and that pretty much sums it up perfectly! I did some research and decided that it would be quite a cool idea to just try it out and make up my own mind about the Foilyage technique. So on one morning of the following week my little sister and I entered a fairly beautiful hairdresser called „Farkas and Manthei“ in Charlottenburg (one of the central/known neighborhoods in Berlin). Therefore, our first impression was highly positive. The location was great and I loved the way they furnished their rooms. After a short waiting time, a young woman accompanied us to another room and we started to discuss my expectations and which look we would try to go for.

Haha, I was a bit nervous about the result and whether or not I would like the outcome. That’s why I made clear that I wanted a natural look that would just slightly distinguish from my natural hair color. To ensure that we would not differ in our opinion about the word „N A T U R A L“ I showed her a couple of pictures. We decided to go for a subtle brown tone that would be one (or at most) two shades lighter then my original color. We washed my hair and she started to apply the color to my hair for the next 100-120 minutes or so (Why such a long time? Well, you need to remember that each strand of hair has to be finished/painted separately + I have really long and really thick hair). Haha, my head literary looked like a bird’s nest while I had to wait for the color to blend in - but isn’t that an experience as well? And a funny one too. I guess anyone who has ever dyed their hair before knows that.

Finally, the time had come for the stylist to wash out the color and I can tell you that I was pretty excited about it. We were not able to see anything yet which meant that we had to wait for the hair to be dried and styled first. AND THEN… I have to be honest with you… I saw the result and did not like it. At the beginning I thought that it might be because I have never tried a look like that before and that it would simply take me some time to get used to it. So, we left and I thought that I was „ok with it" until the next day when I felt super uncomfortable in University. You have to know that the Foilyage technique is only highlighting certain flicks of your hair and I guess I simply expected a different result. I am really sorry to say that, but I think that my stylist and I had completely different perceptions of the word -natural- (or maybe she was not as experienced with the Foilyage technique as it is a fairly new one on the market) I really liked her as a person but I have to be honest with you. She choose a color that was WAY lighter (and on top of it I had a red cast (Rotstich)) then I was asking for. I thought that I would get used to it and the color itself was not bad at all - it just didn't suit me as I am a rather dark type and I just felt "too fake" with the copper-colored hair. Maybe it was my own perception, but I decided that it didn't matter as copper was not the color I was asking for when I showed her a dark/subtle brown tone.

That's when I decided to call the hair salon and tell them about me concern. I have to admit that the service was impeccable though! They apologized for the inconvenience and I got a new appointment the next morning. I only had to tolerate the color for a day or so. We overdyed the lighter parts with a darker tinted color and I was completely happy again + I actually liked how they „saved“ it. The only perk? - the color would wash itself out after some while.

You were not able to see an outstanding difference between my „old" and my „new hair“ for a week or two, but since the color was appearing slowly you could actually see the difference more and more which I really liked to be honest. My hair changed its color gradually (now) which made it easier for me to get used to the new look. I postponed to write this article for a while as I really wanted to wait and see how it would go. At this point I should overdye them again as they start to get too light again, but that’s ok. I mean don’t they say : „The way is the aim“? ;)

So as a resumé I would say that my little adventure was worth the ride as I love how my hair turned out. It's not the L'oreal PR teams fault though that I was not as happy right away! They only choose the hairdresser and I do believe that Farkas and Manthei is a good one. I was just not as lucky this time, but I guess that can happen. I mean working with different individuals isn't always easy for the stylists and maybe we just had different ideas about the result that we wanted to achieve. To sum it up, it was an interesting experience with some ups and downs. After the treatment L'oreal send me a pretty cool package with different products that made it easier for me to treat my now-colored hair. So thank you L'oreal for the interesting experience.

GUCCI PRINCETOWN SLIPPER | COMFY?

2017-07-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hello guys. Some of you might have noticed that I adjusted some of the settings on the Blog. First off : I finally managed to fix the comment section! Today, I am going to write a little review about my new Gucci Princetown slippers. Since they are all around the internet lately I thought that maybe some of you are interested in reading a review before considering to buy them. I have to admit that I tried to find a good report about them on the internet before I purchased mine, but it really wasn’t that easy to find one. Haha, if you’d ask my friends all of them would tell you that I’ve been dreaming about those babies for quite awhile before finally getting a pair. Why? Well first… because they cost you a fortune of course. Furthermore, I consider them as „trend shoes“. I usually don’t like to invest in items that are not classics and therefore can’t be worn for that long. I had such a crush on those shoes though that after thinking about them for very long I decided that it's time to (finally!) purchase a pair. At the beginning I couldn’t decide between a classic red pair and the ones that I choose at the end. I mean mine have embroidery all over them and I thought that they might be hard to combine. I have to admit that I love the playful twist they have with the two motives. I do admit though that the crystals/stones are not everybody’s type, but I love them anyway. I wouldn’t change the model for any other one. However, you guys should definitely consider a couple of thinks before buying a pair :

1.) As soon as you wear them (this happens on the first day already) they „change their form“. What I mean is that you will see signs of use immediately. With my Chanel espadrilles for example it was a bit different. I wore them so many times and they still look impeccable. Also, after awhile you will see usage signs on the bottom tip of the shoe. I have to admit that that's not really cool if you consider how much those shoes actually cost (550+ Euro for the plain model). Haha, it was so challenging for me to wear them on the first two days as I literary felt how they started to look different right away. BUUUT … As soon as they start having those little signs (which are normal for genuine leather I guess) they stay the way they are. You will just get used to it and after a couple of days and after some while to won’t even bother you anymore.

2.) Just like with any other pair of leather slippers you will need some time to adjust your feet to the „form of the shoe“ - Well, or the other way around. What I mean is that the shoe will be quite uncomfortable for a week or two before you will start to love them completely. Haha, at this point I really love them and want to wear them all the time.

3.) Haha, but be prepared guys! They can make quite weird sounds. Especially if the weather is really warm. I mean they are still slippers after all - it makes sense that you might hear them while you walk, but still… that can be quite annoying. Little tip: Never go to the library with those shoes on! Haha, they annoy everybody and people will definitely turn around and look for that weird sound (again : only if it is too warm). You might have guessed -> that has actually happened to me. Where and when? Since I am in the middle of my exams I basically live in our university library. Haha, so this story ist that old (#firstworldproblems)

4.) Also running can be quite a challenge too! Especially when it is really cold outside. Haha, sometimes I am even afraid that I might slip out of them. Haha, I admit all of this sounds slightly negative, but it really is not. I mean they are SUPER comfortable! However, I am just warning you : They are great to walk around but they might be annoying on warm days. Also, the longer you will own them the better you will be able to run.

5.) My last point: You should definitely buy one size bigger. Please note that they have a "sharp front" which means that they are slightly smaller overall. I would usually go for a 38C, but I bought mine in a 39 (as I could only get this model on the internet) I wish that I would have bought them in a 40 though. They fit ,but the end of my ball is a bit over the edge which can be quite annoying.

This article sounds pretty negative, but I really don't mean it like that. Besides all those aspects the Princetown slippers are super comfortable and I literary LOVE them. They are easygoing and you can combine them with really anything. They match business pants, dresses, jeans, etc. Furthermore, they are great for every day as you can slip in and out of them when needed. Moreover, they lift up every outfit. I really live and style my outfits with one Mantra : All you need is a nice bag and some cool shoes to lift up any outfit. Ok, but then again... I am a huge fan of the current slipper "trend". I guess it's a preference question - it really depends on whether you love or hate this type of shoe. Haha, my mother for example thought that they were meant to be worn at home (and only at home! -> Reminds me a little bit of the current slides/adiletten trend).

I used to wear "high heels" every day and somehow just currently decided to change this bad habit and go for the more comfortable options. Tall girls might not understand that, but as a small woman you always feel like those 3-6 centimetres make you appear so much more mature/tall. So those slippers are perfect for my „now“ more comfortable and flat shoe choices. So thumps up! P.S not everybody is willing to buy a pair of Gucci's to enjoy the slipper trend. That's why I have searched for a couple of „nice“ lookalikes

MALZFABRIK | DAWANDA DESIGNMARKT BERLIN

2017-06-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Zusammen mit DaWanda ging es in der Karnevalszeit (und ja! wir hatten gegen Ende doch noch schönes Wetter) zum DaWanda Designmarkt auf der 7. Malzwiese. Haha, einige von euch fragen sich jetzt bestimmt : "Was ist eine/die Malzwiese"? Ich würde es als eine Art "Open Air/Basar/Wiesenfete" bezeichnen. Das Mini-festival, wie ich es gerne nenne hat in (Berlin) Tempelhof-Schöneberg stattgefunden und ich muss sagen, dass wir wirklich eine tolle Zeit hatten!

Da ja Karneval war, hatte ich mich darauf eingestellt, die Umzüge um den Hermannplatz herum anzuschauen (das ist eine alte Tradition von meiner Mutter und mir), aber leider war das Wetter zwischenzeitlich so schlecht, dass ich mich dagegen entschieden habe. Am nächsten Tag wurde es dann allmählich besser und so hat es natürlich perfekt gepasst, dass einen Tag später die Malzwiese eröffnet hat. Ich muss gestehen, dass wir zuvor noch nichts von der Malzwiese gehört hatten und deshalb mit einer relativ neutralen Einstellung losgezogen sind. Da war es natürlich umso schöner zu entdecken, dass die Veranstaltung so liebevoll organisiert worden war/wurde. Musik, Getränke, kleine Bastelstationen von DaWanda und eine Fotoecke. Highlight? Schaut euch das Video unten an ;) Mitten auf dem Gelände war ein kleiner See, um den herum sich Menschen zum Tanzen, schwimmen und quatschen getroffen haben. Die Live-Bühne war direkt neben dieser "See-Landschaft", was die Stimmung wirklich ausgeglichen und entspannt gemacht hat. Für die 10-15 Euro Eintritt bekommt man Poetry Slam, Live-Musik, ganz viele verschiedene Leckerein, verschiede Stände (Basar ähnlich) und die Möglichkeit mit DaWanda zu basteln. Es gab ein paar Stationen, jedoch haben Rojin und ich uns dazu entschlossen zusammen einen Blumenkranz zu basteln (Zusammen, weil die Blumen gegen Ende der Veranstaltung leider ausgegangen sind. Aber gut, who comes first serves first.) Haha, die Leute waren wirklich nett und haben meiner kleinen Schwester (oder auch mein Begleitung für den Tag) ein paar schöne Blumen abgegeben, sodass sie trotzdem einen Kranz basteln konnte. Es war wirklich ein schöner Tag und ich würde auch im nächsten Jahr noch einmal vorbeischauen.

DESIGUAL X BERLIN FASHION FOU NR. II | REAL TALK | WORDS TO EMPTY MY MIND

2017-02-16T02:41:00.003-08:00

O lala - Was manchmal für Texte entstehen, wenn man sich einfach hinsetzt und drauf los schreibt ist wirklich interessant. Viele Menschen haben einen Raum oder eine Zeit, in der sie am besten schreiben können. Meine "Zeit" war schon immer abends. Denn zwischen Sonnenuntergang und Sonnenaufgang ist man ungestört. Man kann seinen Gedanken freien lauf lassen, ohne fortwährend SMS oder E-Mails zu erhalten. Man ist ganz bei sich und kann sich somit leichter tiefer liegenden Gedanken widmen.

Ich habe schon einige Male darüber nachgedacht, wie schnell sich aus Nähe, Ferne entwickeln kann und wie stark beide Begriffe eigentlich miteinander verknüpft sind. Oft fällt es einem z.B nicht leicht seine eigentlichen Gedanken und Gefühle anzusprechen - Manchmal ist das sogar besonders schwer, wenn man sich Nahe ist ~~oder noch passender: sein sollte.~~ Aber ist man sich überhaupt Nahe, wenn man eine bestimmte Art von Problemen/Themen nicht einmal anschneiden kann?

Dieses Gefühl, von dem ich spreche, ist nicht so einfach in Worte zu fassen. Doch wenn man es zusammenfassen müsste, wäre es wohl eine ~~ungesunde?~~ Mischung aus zwei Worten. Der Nähe, aber auch der Ferne. Wisst ihr was ich meine? Diese beiden Begriffe scheinen viel enger miteinander verknüpft zu sein, als es einem manchmal lieb ist.

Ich bin ein von Grund auf direkter Mensch, aber umgeben von "einer bestimmten Art von Personen" ist das ganz anders. Man wird still, lässt sich davon überzeugen, dass das was man fühlt irgendwie falsch ist/sein muss. Das man übertreibt... Kurzum, man geht Kompromisse ein, die eigentlich gar keine sind. Vielleicht denkt man in dem besagten Moment sogar, dass man mit diesen „Kompromiss“ einverstanden ist und ihn "in Ordnung" findet. Wenn mann sich nun aber in einem späteren, ruhigeren Moment noch einmal mit der Situation auseinandersetzt, wird einem klar, dass es alles andere als O.K. ist. Was bleibt ist ein komisches Gefühl.

Man könnte schnell das Gefühl bekommen, dass alles etwas Oberflächlich ist. Und ich meine damit nicht diesen einen Augenblick, in dem alles perfekt erscheint... Nein, ich meine den Augenblick danach. Einen Wimpernschlag später. Was dann zurück bleibt ist das Gefühl der Unsicherheit. Unsicher trifft es ehrlich gesagt nicht so richtig. Ich glaube, dass -zu Oberflächlich- vielleicht besser passt, obwohl es irgendwie gar nicht zutrifft. Like it has no soul? Ja, vielleicht. Manchmal bekommt man das Gefühl, dass die Tiefe fehlt.

Das Gegenüber scheint sich zu kümmern, aber irgendwie auch nicht. Es fühlt sich einfach nicht so an, als würde es von herzen kommen. Manchmal fehlt die wärme, das aufeinander zukommen. Das von Herzen bemühen, ohne Zwang und nur weil man es auch wirklich will. Ja, es ist alles etwas berechnend. Wenn es nicht gemacht werden muss, dann wird es auch nicht gemacht. Warum auch? ~~Aber diese Einstellung geht nie lange gut...~~

Was, wenn sich wirklich mal Probleme auftun? Wäre die berechnende Antwort dann auch ,,Sorry, aber wenn das so wäre, dann würde ich hier nicht mehr stehen". Haha, wenn man von aufschlussreichen Abenden reden möchte, dann wäre das meiner gewesen. Einzigartig, besonders? Man spricht oft und viel über Dinge, aber einige Aussagen wollen einem einfach nicht aus dem Kopf gehen. Man kann sie nicht zur Seite schieben oder einfach ignorieren... auch wenn man das gerne möchte. Und das bremst einen dann aus.

Es gibt einige Dinge die man sagen möchte, aber einfach nicht aussprechen kann (wenn man dem anderen gegenüber steht). Vielleicht weil man einfach nicht den Mut hat sich dann mit der Antwort auseinanderzusetzen. Was, wenn man in dem Augenblick nicht aufgefangen, sondern weggestoßen wird? Manchmal gibt die Person einem allerdings gar nicht erst den Raum die Dinge so zu sagen, wie man es gerne möchte/ eigentlich wollte und vielleicht sogar sollte.

Und dann gelangen wir an den Punkt, an dem das Wort -Distanz- in den Raum geworfen wird. So als wäre es nur das. Ein Wort. Ihr müsst wissen, dass diese Art von Distanz immer dann besonders spürbar ist, wenn sie vorher von dem genauen Gegenteil erfüllt wurde. Nämlich der Nähe. Das Problem ist in diesem Fall nicht die räumliche Distanz... das Stillstehen an sich...sondern die Art wie mit ihr umgegangen wird. Oder besser gesagt, nicht mit ihr umgegangen wird. Auf einmal scheint jeder Fortschritt in die Ferne zu rücken und was zurück bleibt ist die Ungewissheit. Als ob die Dinge nur dann weiter voran schreitet, wenn Sie gerade passen. Was wenn es mal nicht passt? So einfach sollte es nicht sein, kann es nicht sein. Ja, mann möchte nicht, dass es so einfach ist. Denn dann wäre es ja bedeutungslos. Vielleicht ist alles in Ordnung und man sucht nach Distanz wo keine ist. Vielleicht sucht man nach einem Grund, um Distanz zu schaffen. Vielleicht auch, weil man so nicht mit dem Problem umgehen muss. Es sind die Gegensätze die einen beunruhigen. Heute alles, morgen nichts.

Und jetzt überlasse ich euch das denken, denn worum genau es hier geht muss jeder von euch für sich entscheiden. Die Gedanken gehen nicht weg, sie stapeln sich. Ich schreibe also darüber. In der Hoffnung, dass es mir das Herz etwas leichter macht.

Jacket: Desigual

Shoes: Office London

Bag: Stella McCartney

Pictures by : Celine Tam Anh (Link)

BERLIN FASHION FOU IN CHINA | CHANGCHUN | WINTER WONDERLAND

2017-01-30T03:42:00.000-08:00

Another version of this article has already been published on My-Berlin-Fashion (klick)

Isn’t it funny how Jasmin and I met quite awhile ago, actually when we were both around 14 or 15. Years later she asked me to fly to China as a co-writer for a blog article. Since I have always been a great fan of the Chinese culture it was a dream come true when she asked me to help her to write an article about Changchun, North China..

After all the things that I have been able to see over there I feel kind of silly to say that I had a completely different picture of China. I didn’t expect it to be SO modern and progressed. But it was. China is actually one of the safest countries in the world and I’ve been so lucky to see this beautiful place! After a stop in Amsterdam and at Hangzhou airport, I arrived safely at Changchun airport. The „first day“ was actually really stressful and exciting at the same time. I've been on the road for almost 30h when I arrived at my destination. As soon as my phone would connect to the internet I texted Win (you have to know that Win is the best guide and that she took care of all of us during the week) - only to find out that I had to go straight to a dinner at the Sheraton hotel. This was actually a bit awkward as I was still dressed in a Juicy tracksuit ... but I have to admit that in retrospect this situation makes quite a funny story - even though it didn’t really matter anyways as the evening program and the people where really nice and welcoming.

It was a great night with a lot of traditional Chinese food and dances. When the group arrived at the hotel we decided to make a stop at a Chinese restaurant-bar so that we had a chance to get to know each other before the „real journey“ started. It was one of those traditional places where everybody would sit on their knees and drink Chinese beer and sake.

Day2

I felt really Jet-lagged in the morning (especially since the last night ended pretty late) when we arrived at the Tourism exhibition- Chinese dances, costumes and great music where a part of the fair. The exhibition promoted the „Chinese Winter-Wonderland“ that we would explore in the upcoming week. It was nice because we had the chance to get an idea of what was awaiting us in the following days. It was really cute (and surprising) how the locals asked us to take pictures with them while we where exploring the setting. Afterwards the group was navigated to a Ski-Resort close to the Songhual Lake. I am from Germany where most people go skying once or twice a year and yet I have to admit that it was my second time ever visiting a Ski-area. The first time was in Canada and so I have to admit that I always think about Canada when I am anywhere close to snow.

Haha, no wonder that I had my Canada gloves on when I was in China surrounded by all the snow -> btw. with a Canadian, Kate! How cute are we with our matching merch

The gondola drive up to the highest point of the mountain was another highlight of that day.

The view up there - on Chinas snow landscape was truly unique and beautiful. Afterwards we went to a cool buffet/dinner place where we could choose food that the cooks on site would prepare for us. The day ended beautifully .We arrived at our hotel where we had the chance to relax at the on site hot springs. It was actually one of the most memorable nights of our trip. The group was sitting outside (-12 degrees) in 40 degree warm water while everything around us would be covered in snow. It was truly magical.

Day 3

On the third day we had the chance to go and see another breathtaking place. I have to admit that I am not too sure if the place or the lake was called „Rime“. Jilin's Rime is one of China's four natural wonders. But the special thing about this place was that the outside temperature was colder then -20 degrees. Everything was frozen and you could barely walk because everything was so iced -> but the „lake“ was still floating! I still can’t believe that this is even possible. Afterwards we went to a minority village where we could walk around and take a look at the houses. Sadly we didn't have so much time! The problem was that we had to reach the next destination before the daylight would set around 4 pm.

We drove to the prettiest place on earth that I have ever seen... Cuicanmingzhu is actually one of the most popular places for tourists in China. It was truly breathtaking. Before we reached the small city/village you could see an enormous Buddha up on a mountain. I couldn't take in the beauty right away because I was so tired (we stayed at the hot springs until 12) and Jet-lagged (I could barely hold my eyes open actually). The closer we got to the village the more old Chinese gates and little buddhas you could see on the streets. When we drove around the last corner I got really excited as I saw the full landscape of that place... I couldn’t wait to jump out of the bus! I am telling you guys, no picture could possibly capture this beauty. It was magical, breath taking and such a special place!

And also one that I wouldn't have been able to see without my dear friend Jasmin (thank you so much for that opportunity my dear) I will never forget this special trip. Sadly, we only had 25 minutes before the daylight would fade away and so we had about 5 minutes to enjoy the view from „down there“ (if you look at the pictures you will see that the village is basically divided in 3 sections. The linking fraction was the „stair" that would start on top of the mountain where the Big Buddha was placed and would go down to where we stood. In-between was the village with all the Chinese architectures and colorful rooftops.) We entered the bus to drive up to the top where we could take a closer look at the Buddha (which is actually the seated highest one in the world.) It looks in the direction of the second biggest Buddha (the one in Hong Kong). After we had the chance to take a look at the inside of the Buddha we took off to eat dinner at a traditional Chinese Restaurant where I had the chance to try rice wine for the first time.

Day 4

Day four was another great day, even though I got quite sick during the day. Unfortunately my camera wouldn't work because of the outer temperature so I couldn't take any pictures. What a pity as the location was beautiful! We walked up a beautiful snow path trying to reach a nearby lake. Sadly, Laura and I didn’t make it to the lake since the way took approximately 4 hours. Anyways, we took the two hours to enjoy the beautiful landscape and to talk a little bit about the beautiful places that we've been able to see during the last days. Since the daylight was about to set we drove up to the hotel right after our trip to rest a little bit and have another chance to enjoy the local hot spring. I got so sick during the day that I decided to skip the hot springs and enjoy my beautiful hotel room instead

Day5

Todays plan was to drive up a mountain to see a waterfall on top of it. Unfortunately, we couldn't see the well-known waterfall as a snow storm appeared right before we arrived. The storm got so bad that it felt as if one would be blown away any time (Haha, but even that was a unique experience) We found shelter at a „tourist spot“ where we drunk green tea and ate Chinese snickers while we bought a couple of presents for our journey back home. Afterwards, we ate dinner at a restaurant on the mountain before we made our way to another magical place. The first thing I saw was a beautiful cabinet surrounded by huge stones with Chinese letters on them.

The landscape was truly gorgeous.

When we entered the nearby forest we could see swings that would hang from the trees, wooden houses and other exciting little places/spots! It was a little bit like a fairytale snow world. Before the daylight faded we made it to the last stop of the day. A lake where we had the chance to try wild-water diving (for the first time!). It was pretty cold (even though we had special clothes on) but we had so much fun that we almost forgot the temperature. My friend Laura and I were the second ones left into the water but still the last one arriving.

Day 6

Sometimes life saves the best moments for the last day. Even though it is hard to pick a „best day“ when all 7 days have been so unforgettable. The drive back into town took longer than expected so that we had to cancel the last trip. Instead the we decided to explore downtown Changchun with the group. I have to admit that the last hotel was beyond great. I would say that it was my favorite one. The rooms where really modern but with many traditional Chinese features. Outside of the hotel it looked/felt as if you would be walking trough the streets of a comic town.

Before we took a taxi into town we made a last stop at a hot pot restaurant. I have to admit that I have never heard anything about „hot pots“ before, so that I was very curious. You are sitting in the restaurant as you usually would, but the difference is that there is a pot with two different liquids in the middle of the table (it has a little bit of a yin/yang shape). You can choose between different vegetables, sauces and also meat that you cook inside of the liquids (one spicy one normal). I guarantee you that it tastes delicious.

It was really a fun goodbye night. Live music, dancing, talking. I would call it a perfect ending of a perfect trip. Thank you for that great experience. I am grateful and also happy to say that China has been one of the best places that I have ever been able to see in my life. The culture, the people, the nature - truly beautiful and worth a trip.

Side note: I am actually planning on studying in Shanghai for a year.

DESIGUAL X BERLIN FASHION FOU | LOOK ONE | #EXOTICJEANS

2016-10-01T10:58:00.001-07:00

An so einem regnerischen Tag wie heute über Farben zu schreiben ist gar nicht so einfach. Wenn man sich einen Augenblick ans Fenster stellt, um hinauszusehen, wirkt alles überwiegend grau und trist. Das Wetter macht es einem schwer an Muster, Farben und „Andersartigkeit“ zu denken. Aber genau damit assoziieren viele das spanische Label Desigual. Im kalten Berlin sind bunte Farben ja eher eine Ausnahme. Umso interessanter ist es, dass mittlerweile 8 Desigual Stores in der Hauptstadt vorzufinden sind - und mindestens genauso viele Berlinerinnen und Berliner aller Altersstufen, die mit den bunten Designs der Firma durch die Stadt laufen. Ich bin der Meinung, dass es immer eine willkommene Abwechslung ist, wenn Menschen sich unterschiedlich kleiden. Schließlich trägt auch die bunte Mischung an individuellen Kleidungsstilen zum Charme einer Großstadt bei. Wer meine Social Media Kanäle schon einige Zeit verfolgt, wird bemerkt haben, dass bunte Farben nicht unbedingt zu meinen Favoriten gehören (Es sei denn, mann möchte Schwarz und weiß als solche zählen).

Als ich vor einigen Wochen vor die Aufgabe gestellt wurde meine Lieblingsstücke aus der #ExoticJeans Kollektion zu stylen, war ich mir nicht so sicher, ob mein persönlichen Stil mit den Designs der Firma harmoniert. Ich war also umso überraschter zu entdecken, dass viele der Kleidungsstücke im Onlineshop zwar mit Mustern versehen sind, allerdings trotzdem sehr schlicht wirken. Zugegeben, die ausgewählten Teile sind keine großen Farb-/Mustermixe, aber sie brechen trotzdem aus meinem Schwarz-weiß-grau Schema aus. Für meinen ersten Look habe ich mich für eine blaue Culotte mit Stickereien entschieden. Zum einen, weil blau keine „zu gewagte Farbe“ ist und zum anderen, weil Culottes bei kleinen Frauen fast immer eine gute Idee sind (denn sie strecken einen optisch und sind dabei auch noch unglaublich bequem! -> Also perfekt für Menschen, die ungern Jogginghosen in der Öffentlichkeit tragen. Die Bilder hat übrigens meine talentierte Freundin Tam Anh gemacht. Ihr solltet wirklich mal auf ihrem Instagram vorbei gucken! Sie hat einen tollen Blick für harmonische Winkel und Farbzusammenstellungen.

Hose : Desigual (shop here)

Schuhe : &Other Stories

Oberteil : Unknown

Tasche : Stella McCartney

Halsband : Topshop

OOTD | UMSCHWUNG | CASIO | SAMSOE SAMSOE

2016-08-06T03:57:00.000-07:00

Hallo meine Lieben. Ich habe vor kurzem spontan entschieden wieder einige Artikel auf Deutsch zu verfassen. Das liegt zum Großteil daran, dass ich in den letzten Wochen kaum (ok, sind wir ehrlich... gar keine) Artikel verfasst habe. Ich bin jetzt offiziell fertig mit der Schule und das bedeutet leider auch, dass ich nicht mehr so viel Englisch spreche, wie ich es gewohnt bin. Es kostet mich mittlerweile einige Mühe die Posts auf Englisch zu schreiben (auch wenn ich noch immer der Meinung bin, mich besser in English ausdrücken zu können...leider ist es auch zeitaufwendiger). Die Lösung? Ein Mix aus beidem. Klingt blöd, ist es vielleicht auch. Aber es wird mich ermutigen wieder ein bisschen aktiver zu sein. Ich habe im letzten Jahr so viel Arbeit und Energie in diesen Blog gesteckt, dass es natürlich schade wäre, wenn ich keine Zeit/Motivation mehr finde, um produktiv zu sein. Besonders weil ich trotzdem fleißig weiter gearbeitet habe. Eines dieser Projekte möchte ich euch heute gerne zeigen. Zusammen mit Bold habe ich eine kleine Kooperation mit Samsoe Samsoe und Casio gestartet. Auch wenn das Wetter in Berlin nicht mehr so mitmacht, haben wir (manchmal) wirklich schönes Wetter. An einem dieser schönen Tage habe ich zusammen mit der talentierten Celine von @celineiam und Sylvia von @beauteenvue (Instagram) die Sonne genutzt, um ein paar Bilder zu machen.
---
Hey there! You can see that this article is written in German as well. You guys might have noticed that I haven't been as active lately. Why? School is officially over and I don't speak as much English as I (am) used to. Since writing the articles in English takes waaay longer then to author them in German, I decided to do it both ways. That sounds silly? Yes, maybe it is, but if it helps me to be more active/productive I will try to make it work :) I just feel like it is "easier" to simply translate the texts after writing them instead of noting down a complete (new) article in English. But anyways... Even though I haven't been as active in sharing my projects on the blog (haha, you guys should check out my Instagram) I still took my time off to work on a couple of new projects. One of them is an exciting new cooperation with the brands Samsoe Samsoe and Casio. We don't have the "perfect" weather in Berlin, but sometimes it can be pretty nice over here. On one of those beautiful days the talented photographer @celineiam, the make-up artist @beauteenvue and I decided to benefit from the good weather by going out and taking some pictures. Check out our outcome (and of course their awesome Instagram profiles!)

Hat : Samsoe Samsoe

Dress : Vakko

Watch : Casio

Shoes : Ipekyol

Pictures by@celineiam

Make-Up by Sylvia from @beauteenvue

MINT AND BERRY FLOWER MARKET IN BERLIN

2016-06-01T04:34:00.001-07:00

The last couple of days have been so beautiful and sunny that I feel like today might be a great opportunity to tell you about the Mint & Berry Flower market that I've been to a couple of weeks ago. Berlin is currently 30 degrees hot and I wish that there would be a place just as filled with flowers as the flower market to enjoy. It was truly beautiful as you can see in the pictures. To tell the truth, I was close to not attending, but my friend Nessie and the good reputation of the event made me change my mind. And I am happy that I did change it as we had such a great time there! Moreover, we have been really lucky as we went to the location a bit early... When we left around an hour later the place was so crowded that the people had to wait in line for over an hour to get in. When entering you were almost carried away by all the different flower types. I've been especially keen on the mini cactus families that were all over the place! But as I am the worst of botanists I decided to let them survive by not taking one of them home. However, that's a whole other story! To come to an end, I would love to point out that the beautiful cake that you can see on the pictures was absolutely delicious. Haha, just a little note at the end! Now, let the pictures speak..

Diamant | JUNA+ EVENT | E-BIKE | GUIDO MARIA KRETSCHMER

2016-05-14T01:26:00.000-07:00

I hope you guys are having a nice start into the weekend. Today I would love to share an event with you guys that I've been to a couple of weeks ago. The brand Diamant released their newest creation the Juna+ E-bike in Berlin. The party took place at the all-known music hotel NHow that I've always been a fan of. It is a really individual place with an exceptional concept (and you should take a moment to Google it, just a little tip from a Berliner..) The guests had the chance to join a bike tour around the trendy Friedrichshein neighbourhood before the brand ambassador Guido Maria Kretschmer gave a short speech to the audience. Sadly, I missed the bike tour (and I have to admit that I did regret it after Nelly told me about the fun time she had, riding the bike and discovering new corners of our beloved city). The brand Diamant manufactures bikes "Made in Germany" since 1885, which is pretty special and I have to admit not cheap. However, if you consider the work process, you end up realizing that they actually have a reasonable price.

Furthermore, I have to admit that we had to leave the event a bit early as we planned to attend the opening of the Dandy Diner fast-food restaurant. However, we did regret it in the end...when we reached the location we had to realize that there was no way to get anywhere close to the doors. Whatsoever. I mean, who would have expected that the place would be so crowded that the police had to show up? Believe me I did not. But if you really think about it.. the boys from Dandy Diary are known for their crazy parties all around town. Anyway, we missed the Press presentation at 6pm and when we arrived at the location around 8 o'clock it was impossible to see anything. That's when we decided to go for dinner somewhere else. Haha, just a funny anecdote at the end : When I woke up the next morning, even my mom knew that the opening escalated as the information was all over the news.

WHITE ON WHITE ON WHITE | REAL TALK | THIS HIDDEN PLACE

2016-04-20T11:50:00.001-07:00

Real. What is real and what is not? Love is real. Real is friendship and real are the people that stand behind you no matter how things are going.
I really don’t know why I feel so weird lately - things need to be so ,,profound” recently. I am officially done with school and I feel like there is a certain sense of (maybe) ,,change” in the air. But a step forward always means dealing with your past as well. It makes you contemplate on all the moments that brought you to where you stand now. But where do I stand now? I guess that's the essence of the problem. Have you guys noticed this certain ,,getaway place” that each one of us flees to at some point of our journey? What I want to say here is that we tend to build this little cage around us in order to protect ourselves. Maybe even to blind us from the things that really matter. Those things that might end up hurting us. And Furthermore, maybe we distract ourselves because we want to ,,create” this little fake happiness. I mean, if we would take the time to really think about the important stuff we might end up disappointed. I guess that's why we escape to a place where everything is alright, no matter how the world actually looks like. I don’t know if I am going too far, but I am pretty positive that each one of us has this defence mechanism, somewhere deep inside. My thoughts use(d) to glide far away every time that situations got to emotional or complicated… towards situations that took place somewhere far away. I think we don't realize how precious thinks are or used to be until they are not like that anymore.

"One day, you're 17 and you're planning for someday. And then quietly, without you ever really noticing, someday is today. And then someday is yesterday. And this is your life."

This quote is quite out of topic (but what is the topic of this article anyways, right?) but I read it quite awhile ago, back then when I just turned 17 and when I was sitting in my little room in BC, Canada. Haha, around that time I was adjusting to a couple of situations. I was struggling because this one person was not there anymore and also because two precious people might not be ~~(as they used to be)~~ there when I finally pack my bags to fly back home. Looking back from my perspective now, I have to say that it might have been the wrong decision to leave the country back then. Around that time things got pretty complicated. But as the time has already passed and won’t come back regardless of however much I want it, I have to accept the things as they are now. It’s funny in a sad way how fast life can change you know? You could almost describe it as ,,moody” in a certain way. I mean, one day you wake up and things are completely fine and the next day the two people that you love most in the entire world are struggling with the ,,real” things - with their dear lives.

In situations like that each day ends up to be precious and sometimes even perfect. I mean, of course, every day that we have on this earth is special, but some things make you realize that even more. Back then this certain situation seemed to be so far away and I am not talking about the 4.000 kilometres between Canada and Germany - I mean emotionally. Sadly, passed time won't come back and sometimes you need to give yourself some space to process everything and then find your ,,balance” again. As I already mentioned … Lately, I feel like there is a certain ,,sense of change" in the air. I feel like the seasons are changing and with them the spirit in town does as well.

ABBEY LEE KERSHAW x SUPERGA | SPRING SUMMER 2016 LOOKBOOK

2016-03-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hello guys! I am just so happy to be productive again! I've been so busy preparing for my exams lately that I haven't been active on any social media accounts for quite awhile. But enough of that! Today, I received a pretty great Lookbook that I'd love to share with you guys. I assume that many of you have recognized the Australian supermodel Abbey Lee Kershaw on the pictures? She has been all around the news since she became the face of the "Flora by Gucci" scent in 2009. Since then she has been on the covers of magazines like Vogue or Harpers Bazaar. But as we know fashion has many facets and today I would like to show you guys a more relaxed way of looking at it. So here is the new Superega x Abbey Lee Spring/Summer campaign. I don't know if you have heard about the brand Superega yet? I would describe them as a label alike Converse. They focus on casual, everyday footwear. Haha, I have to admit that I made my first experience with the brand when I stole my moms vintage Superga shoes years ago (They were transparent(-isch) which was quite unusual back then). But thats another story...

I hope you guys enjoy the pictures,

have a great Easter weekend,

Meroda

SOME REAL TALK | ABOUT FRIENDSHIP | REAL ONES | AND THE ONES NOT WORTH MENTIONING

2016-02-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hello there :) Long time no talk. Some of you guys might have noticed that I’ve spend most of last week at Fashion Week. This inspired me to start a “real talk”-section with you guys. I love floating around and meeting awesome new people but this also opens your eyes towards the friends that really matter. Do you guys know that feeling of putting a lot of effort into a person that wouldn’t even care enough to ask you about your day? It can be really funny in an ironic way how much one can be deceived by somebody else. I think that many of us are simply to nice to cut off toxic people. But as Jonathan Cheban once postet : DETOX your mind, body, AND contact list! And if we are really true to ourselves - he is completely right! Haha, I know that I am being a bit vague here but I think that talking bad about somebody/something is only lowering your own value as an individual. Always be nice and kind but when you realize that somebody uses this kindness to simply mess with you -> it’s time to call it quits! I think everyone has/had that one person aka “friend” that made them feel disappointed every time they've met. Or that one person that just transforms into Mr/Mrs Rude? I think the second kind of person is still my preferred one as they make it really easy to simply laugh at the entire situation and then forget about it. I think each one of us should take a moment and cut off all the toxic people in our lives. I mean, if we are true to ourselves it will only make us happy and bring a better and brighter future into our lives. Haha, but enough with all this negativity here - I actually just wanted to tell you guys that each one of you is worth the best of the best and that we should focus on the friends that really matter. The ones that we can call at four in the morning without hesitating for a second and not the ones that only stick around for the good times. It’s not easy to find someone that deserves all of your efforts and I think we should hold on to those ones. Haha, the ones that won’t even get mad at you when you flip because they almost bought a prom dress similar to the colour you choose. You know, the ones that say : No dress is worth knowing that you will be sad all night long. Or those ones comparing your friendship to a pair of perfectly designed Jimmy Choo’s.
Regrettably, I did some mistakes and lost some people that meant the world to me. Friends that used to be like my sisters and tbh.. It’s still hard to look back knowing that parts of it where my own fault. It is always hard to let something/somebody go that was worth all of your time. I feel like some people are so focused on having “many” friends that they miss creating “real” | set in stone-kind of friendships.

“You have three types of friends in life: Friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime.”

TRAVEL DIARY | FROM LONDON | TO TURKY

2016-01-17T10:17:00.002-08:00

I love the concept of the word ‘home’. So many songs have lyrics like ‘take me home’ or 'I’ll be your home’. It means so much more than just a place where you live… it’s peace, comfort, safety with people who love and care for you. It’s where everything falls in to place… It’s home.

Ich weiß nicht ob es nachvollziehbar ist, aber ich habe schon seit Kindertagen eine glühende Liebe zu England. Sei es aufgrund meiner obsessiven Liebe zu Jane Austen Romanen, den Sherlock Holmes Filmen oder einfach nur der wundervollen Architektur wegen. Es ist immer etwas ganz besonderes nach London zu fliegen. Vor ein paar Tagen hatte ich dann endlich den perfekten Grund, um die Stadt nach einigen Jahren noch einmal zu besuchen. Zwar bin ich dieses mal nur ein paar Tage geblieben, habe dafür aber mehr gesehen als zuvor. Am besten haben mir dabei der Camden Market und der Hyde Park/Winter Wonderland gefallen. Ich war zugegebenermaßen, so mit dem “Touristen dasein” beschäftigt, dass ich das fotografieren etwas in den Hintergrund gestellt habe. Die vergangenen Tage waren wirklich sehr schön und als es dann schneller als erwartet zurück in “die Hauptstadt” ging hat mich das zugegebenermaßen ganz schön melancholisch gestimmt | | | Ich liebe Kontraste. Schon immer. Meine Eltern haben immer viel Wert darauf gelegt uns "beide Seiten” des Lebens zu zeigen. Als Europäer ist man ja oftmals daran gewöhnt “die goldene Seite des Lebens” zu genießen, ohne sich bewusst zu sein, dass es vielen Menschen nicht so gut geht. Kaum einen Tag zurück in Berlin ging es für mich auf direktem Wege nach Istanbul. Vielleicht haben einige von euch schon das Glück gehabt die Türkei zu besuchen. Haha, ich bin zwar in Deutschland geboren, die Türkei und besonders Istanbul werden aber trotzdem immer ein gewisses Gefühl von Heimat in mir hervorrufen. Ich habe viele Sommer dort erlebt und durfte auch schon viele verschiede Orte besuchen. Dieses Jahr haben wir beschlossen ein paar Tage am "Rande der Zivilisation” zu verbringen, bevor wir für das neue Jahr einer Gala in Izmir beiwohnten. Das birgt natürlich ebenfalls einen starken Kontrast in sich. Wenn ich ganz ehrlich bin sitzen wir hier sogar im völligen nichts. Wir verbringen die Tage momentan auf einem Berg 1600km über der Meeresoberfläche. Es gibt hier nur zwei Häuser und das Feuerholz müssen wir selber sammeln. Dafür kann man hier perfekt wandern und auch sonst alle Vorzüge der Natur genießen. An solchen Tagen kann man sich immer sehr gut selbst finden. Ganz nach dem Sprichwort “Sometimes, you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself"

PEOPLE CHANGE LIKE OCEAN CURRENTS | HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

2015-12-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

Hallo meine lieben, heute melde ich mich ungewohnter Weise auch in Deutsch. Nur noch ein paar Stunden sind uns im Jahr 2015 geblieben. Neujahr bedeutet für mich immer gleichzeitig auch “Neubeginn”. Ich liebe es in diesem Tag so eine Art “Anfang” zu sehen. Haha, es geht bestimmt vielen von euch so. Es ist als ob man all das “nicht ganz so perfekte” auf eine Art und Weise hinter sich lassen kann und somit frei in eine neue Zukunft blickt. Ich bin ehrlich gesagt sehr froh, dieses Jahr nun endlich “hinter mir zu lassen”. Ich hatte das Glück sehr viele gute, sowie leider auch nicht ganz so schöne Dinge zu erleben. Für beides bin ich sehr dankbar. Haha, vielleicht ist es etwas albern, aber ich bin der festen Überzeugung, dass alles einen bestimmten Sinn hat und sich am Ende genauso fügen wird, wie es eben sein soll. Im großen und ganzen bin ich also sehr dankbar für die Dinge, die ich erleben dufte. Tolle Orte und Menschen haben mich auch in diesem Jahr begleitet (Hi, Nesilhan!). Ab 2016 werde ich mein letztes Schulsemester antreten, was natürlich auch einen großen Druck mit sich bringt. Umso besonderer ist es also, dass ich die “letzten Dezemberwochen “without pressure” im Ausland verbringen durfte. Dieser Monat war definitiv sehr abenteuerreich! Haha, von ein paar Tagen in London, um eine meiner ältesten Kindheitsfreundinnen zu besuchen bis hin zu einer Reise quer durch die Türkei waren viele besondere Momente teil “meines" Dezembers. Ich wünsche euch allen einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr. Ich hoffe das 2016 viele schöne Möglichkeiten für euch birgt und das ihr viele Menschen trefft, die euer Leben auch zukünftig bereichern :) Sei es nun innerhalb der Familie, im Freundeskreis oder in der Liebe! Ich hoffe das all eure Wünsche in Erfüllung gehen und euch ein tolles neues Jahr erwartet!

waistcoat : 3.1 Phillip Lim
Pants and Shoes : Ipekyol

Sweater: Gucci

Glasses : Zara
Bag : Saint Laurent

GET TO KNOW : DEVRIM SAHIN EMRE FROM HEROES

2015-12-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the newest “Get to know” round on the blog. First, I would like to thank you guys for the positive feedback about this new project. You guys really inspired me to extend it to another level. Berlin is richly filled with terrifically talented young minds and I will try my best to capture some of them for you guys. Today, I would like to introduce you to the “all-round talent” Devrim Sahin Emre. I haven’t reported about the “Act Now Award” yet (more about that very soon) but that’s where I have heard about him and the organization -- > “Heroes”. The award was presented by Dr. Auma Obama who made it her personal business to honour promising young people all around Germany. Devrim, who won a prize in the category -“Inspiration”- accepted this award as a representative for his organization. Some of you guys might know (well, I admit that it is somehow obvious) that I am, although raised in Germany, coming from an ethnic background that didn't always accept the equality of the male and female sex. In reality, gender gaps are still an omnipresent topic in our modern society. That’s why I am really impressed by the voluntary work that is done by the Heroes organization. But enough said, here is the Interview.

Who are you and what are you doing? My name is Devrim Sahin Emre and I am 18 years old. Currently, I am studying law at the University of Potsdam and of course I am part of the organization Heroes. What our organization does is that it arranges workshops in different schools all around Germany. We are trying to reach a variety of students starting from grade 8 upwards. We are talking with the kids/young teens about topics such as “pride” or their culture.
What do you think is the most important aspect of your work? What are the aims of the group and what makes your work important for the community?Haha, good question. I think the most important aspect of our work is to become a role model for the different kinds of students. Many of them come from a similar culture or ethnical background as we are. We have similar roots and so of course it is easier for them to talk openly about their views. It’s always simpler to talk about controversial topics to somebody who’s parent’s -let’s say- are also from Turky or parts of Arabia. Our aims are actually quite simple. We just want to talk to young students and give them the opportunity to discuss different themes such as pride, their culture or politics. We don’t want to tell them what is right or what is wrong they are not supposed to leave the workshops with a firm new opinion but we definitely challenge them to question their motives. I also think that this is what’s making us quite special. Our project is unique in the way it is accomplished. I’ve never heard about an organization that really goes into the schools and discusses with the students directly. Often they come up to us after the workshops and it is always great to see how they start to reconsider their ways of thinking.
What does “Pride” mean to you? Ok, that’s not a simple question. I’d rather say what pride doesn’t mean to me. I don’t believe that it has anything to do with the virginity of my sister. I mean, yes culture is a big part of our identity but pride has nothing to do with virginity or who I am going to marry one day. If I would have to describe it I would choose words such as love, friendship, personality or the environment.
What have you done as an individual to win this honourable prize? I think that it is quite hard to determine what I have done (exactly) as an individual. I mean I am an active person, I wrote articles for the Tagesspiegel or I’ve been a bit more active in debates about homophobia but I think that it is important to say that “Heroes” works as an organization. We can’t say that one as an individual has done more work than the others. Of course some members are more active in planning the workshops while others rather perform them. I think you guys should see “Heroes” as a big project with a lot of people involved. I was honoured to accept the award as a representative of our group.
What are your plans hereafter and what is Heroes planning for the future?Of course I am making some plans for the future. Right now as I study law, I might work as a lawyer or go into politics down the road, but to be honest I believe that the time will tell. Right now I am mainly focusing on the present | Our biggest dream, of course, is to be part of a community where discrimination or prejudices are no longer an issue. We know that we have achieved something when the children come up to talk to us after a workshop and often we can see the changes. As I already mentioned, our goal is to create a future with more peace and respect.
Thank you very much for the interview Devrim ! Do you have a last subject that you want to tell us about? There is one thing that I can assure you of. Just go out and do something voluntary because even if you don’t have a whole lot of time it will teach you a lot. You are helping people and it usually doesn’t affect you in any way besides making you become more grateful/happy.

RANDOM THOUGHTS AT 2 IN THE MORNING | ABOUT THE WORLD | MISSING PIECE

2015-11-25T16:27:00.002-08:00

Changes and new beginnings- Do you guys know that feeling of being stuck or lost somewhere in the middle of several things? Just floating trough the days trying to catch a glimpse of reality? And trying to understand the feeling that comes along with it? I don’t know exactly what it is but I am somewhat stuck in-between all the different scopes of memories and feelings. It is as if the days come and go so fast that it becomes almost impossible to keep up with all the things that happen between morning and evening. I guess everything is kind of messed up right now, but also perfect exactly in the way it is. Haha, like a confusing perfection in the imperfectness of the world. “Let your dreams lead you to where your soul knows it belongs”. I wish I could pack my bag and leave town for a little while. Just travel. Soon though..

"If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad"

-Lord Bryon

NAVY BLUE | BERLIN | OOTD

2015-11-21T00:13:00.000-08:00

Vielleicht gibt es bessere Zeiten.
Aber diese ist die unsere.
-Jean Paul Satre-

Jacket and Pants : Ipekyol

Shirt : Zara

Shoes : Jimmy Choo

GET TO KNOW : SOPHIE FROM BELLA LASHES !

2015-11-15T09:24:00.002-08:00

Sophie is a young talented girl that specialized on lash lifting. Get to know her in this little Interview:

Who are you and what are you doing? Our name is Bella Lashes and we're offering "Eyelash Extensions" in the north of Berlin. The aim of our work is, that every woman can have long and beautiful eyelashes for a favourable price.
When and how did you start doing this? My mom and me where wondering why professional eyelash extensions were so expensive in Berlin. Normally they cost about 100 euros and not every woman can pay 100 euro for eyelash extensions every month. So we looked last spring where we could learn the 1:1 technique to become a specialist. We opened at the 1 of October this year, so we're pretty new in the business.
What is special about you and your work? We're doing our work with love and passion. Today, unfortunately this is not a matter of course anymore. Also we do great work for a good price, so every woman can have beautiful eyelashes. We're working at home in a separate room, so I think that it is a bit more familiar. Our customers can talk to us like we're good friends, or they can relax. In the end everybody leaves with a big smile on their face.
Tell us 5 things that inspire you Well, first it is our biggest inspiration to see the smiles on our costumers faces when they look in the mirror after a session. Furthermore , it is really inspiring to find out how different eyelashes suit different people. It is extremely exciting to figure out which length, thickness and curl suits them the best. My biggest dream is to travel around the world in 2017, I am putting all my money aside to fulfill this dream. Honestly, my mother who was and is my biggest inspiration. But I think every daughter feels the same. And last but not least, Audrey Hepburn, because she has so beautiful eyelashes.
5. What does beauty mean to you? That is a good question and it is difficult to describe! There are many women that are talking with us about beauty. For us, the inner beauty is in the foreground. Labels don't mean much to us. Also it is not important if you wear the "best makeup". You should feel good in your skin and with the features you've got. But when some girls or woman want to have eyelash extensions in order to find themselves more beautiful, this is great as well. We love to help them feel beautiful in their skin. I think a quote is better for a description: "The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorwaay to her heart, the place where love resides." -Audrey Hepburn

Contact :

01797662400

Sophie_b_@hotmail.de

https://www.facebook.com/mybellalashes

PINK | BERRY

2015-10-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

- " The best color in the whole world
is the one that looks good on you " -
Coco Chanel

Jacket : IpekyolPants : Littlebig (LTB)Mules/Shoes : Mango (similar)Bag : Stella McCartney

ESTHER PERBANDT FASHION SHOW MBFW 2015

2015-10-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Esther Perbandt runway presentation arouse a variety of different emotions by every guest watching the show. Sadly, the video below does not show how the room was wrapped in the sounds sung by two operatic singers. One dressed in black with a 15 meter long train and the other one fully clothed in white. The spherical voices carried the viewer into another world making the show interesting from the first beat. Dark sounds and even "darker" fashion was presented in modern styles. The new collection focused consequently on the two colours of the night - black and white. The fashion show began with deep and pure black coloured designs before the second show-block switched into solely white. The final act was a mixture of both colours.

TEARS FOR THE IMPATIENT

In einer Träne friert die Zeit

Kristall aus tausend Dimensionen

Senkt sich ins Feuer der Unendlichkeit

haucht sich ihr ein

verliert sich ganz

wird ohnmächtig geboren

AUF DREI

2015-10-11T01:14:00.001-07:00

Wir haben nie Zeit, wie and're das Geld.
Wir wollen nicht viel, wir woll'n nur die Welt.
Wir wollen Sommer ohne Wolken.
Und Nächte auf den Straßen.
Tabak ohne Teer und unter Wasser atmen.
Ich will im Plural reden und uns damit meinen.
Glück ohne Ende und im Fallen steigen.

Dress : Forever 21 (here)

Coat : Opening Ceremony (here)

Shoes : Dolce & Gabbana (here)

Bag : Zara

Hat : Vintage

YOUNG TALENTS: ABOUT NO-GO'S, BASKETBALL AND FASHION - INTERVIEW WITH DIANA - BERLIN BASED FASHION DESIGN STUDENT

2015-10-05T11:59:00.001-07:00

Who are you and what are you doing? My name is Diana A. and I'm studying fashion design at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin.
What Inspired this collection? The keynote of the whole collection was "Catch The No-Go" which -combined with a sport and a hybrid- builds the "perfect No-Go". In our case it was basketball and diagonality. The sport was our biggest inspiration so everything from the basketball court to the LA Lakers inspired us a lot. We defined our "no-go" by the combination of male sports and female details such as flowers and pastel colors.
What does fashion mean to you? There is a saying "you are what you wear" that is in my opinion completely true. People's personalities are of course not unimportant. But when you meet someone for the first time, the appearances are what catches the eyes at first. Fashion and clothing say a lot about you. Even if you decide to go against the usual norm of following trends. Rather you create antifashion which is somehow fashionable as well.
Ideas for the future? I don't have any specific ideas, but right now I'm very interested in 3D printers and smart materials.
3 Fashion No-Go’s? Leo-pattern, Waist bags, Socks with flip flops

Designer: Sevda Sen, Diana Aslanova

Fotografin: Janina Wagner

Models: Mamadama D, Derek

FAVOURITE AUTUMN PIECE / ABOUT WOMEN AND SHOES

2015-09-17T21:22:00.001-07:00

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes. We love them. I don’t know if you ever had the chance to talk to a guy about this topic but the usual answer is something around the lines : “Why do girls need so many shoes? I own like 2, a newer and an older pair”. Haha, don’t be to shocked girls, I guess thats rational. But since 10 pairs of shoes are a basic for MANY women I would love to show you guys my newest love connection. So, my mom bought this really really pretty pair of sandals for our vacation and when they turned out *sadly;)* to be to small for her feet I ended up getting them. I really liked them but sadly they ripped after a little accident (what broke my heart.. ok, thats the moment when the guys can start laughing). I decided to take them back to the store because a brand like Navy Boot shouldn’t sell shoes that bite the dust after (not even) a week of wearing. Long story short solution, yesterday I went there to give them back hoping that they might have another pair of this model but since so much luck would be too good the vendor told me that they were sold out all around Germany instead. And thats when I found these badass boots. Since summer is already over choosing a good basic pair of autumn shoes seemed smarter. Some of the shorter girls might be familiar with the struggle of finding pointed leather boots that don't appear "sharp" or make you seem even smaller (than you already are). The coolest thing about this shoes is that all the details are hand painted which makes every pair unique. Haha, but enough of my little speech. Have a great week. Kisses, Meroda.

BERLIN FASHION FOU

PEEK & CLOPPENBURG AND A PERFECT NIGHT

FASHION DESIGN DEPARTMENT OF | WEIßENSEE KUNSTHOCHSCHULE | SEEFASHION 17

MA Yvonne Wadewitz

MIT LOREAL BEI FARKAS UND MANTHEI | FOLYAGE TREND

GUCCI PRINCETOWN SLIPPER | COMFY?

MALZFABRIK | DAWANDA DESIGNMARKT BERLIN

DESIGUAL X BERLIN FASHION FOU NR. II | REAL TALK | WORDS TO EMPTY MY MIND

BERLIN FASHION FOU IN CHINA | CHANGCHUN | WINTER WONDERLAND

DESIGUAL X BERLIN FASHION FOU | LOOK ONE | #EXOTICJEANS

OOTD | UMSCHWUNG | CASIO | SAMSOE SAMSOE

MINT AND BERRY FLOWER MARKET IN BERLIN

Diamant | JUNA+ EVENT | E-BIKE | GUIDO MARIA KRETSCHMER

WHITE ON WHITE ON WHITE | REAL TALK | THIS HIDDEN PLACE

ABBEY LEE KERSHAW x SUPERGA | SPRING SUMMER 2016 LOOKBOOK

SOME REAL TALK | ABOUT FRIENDSHIP | REAL ONES | AND THE ONES NOT WORTH MENTIONING

TRAVEL DIARY | FROM LONDON | TO TURKY

PEOPLE CHANGE LIKE OCEAN CURRENTS | HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

GET TO KNOW : DEVRIM SAHIN EMRE FROM HEROES

RANDOM THOUGHTS AT 2 IN THE MORNING | ABOUT THE WORLD | MISSING PIECE

NAVY BLUE | BERLIN | OOTD

GET TO KNOW : SOPHIE FROM BELLA LASHES !

PINK | BERRY

ESTHER PERBANDT FASHION SHOW MBFW 2015

AUF DREI

Wir haben nie Zeit, wie and're das Geld.Wir wollen nicht viel, wir woll'n nur die Welt.Wir wollen Sommer ohne Wolken.Und Nächte auf den Straßen.Tabak ohne Teer und unter Wasser atmen.Ich will im Plural reden und uns damit meinen.Glück ohne Ende und im Fallen steigen.

YOUNG TALENTS: ABOUT NO-GO'S, BASKETBALL AND FASHION - INTERVIEW WITH DIANA - BERLIN BASED FASHION DESIGN STUDENT

FAVOURITE AUTUMN PIECE / ABOUT WOMEN AND SHOES

Wir haben nie Zeit, wie and're das Geld.
Wir wollen nicht viel, wir woll'n nur die Welt.
Wir wollen Sommer ohne Wolken.
Und Nächte auf den Straßen.
Tabak ohne Teer und unter Wasser atmen.
Ich will im Plural reden und uns damit meinen.
Glück ohne Ende und im Fallen steigen.