Berlin Lovestory
Berlin is supposed to be the multi cultural, bright and wild city with unlimited possibilities. But what is the Berlin style then? Can you define it when there are so many inhabitants with so many different style preferences, possibilities and tastes? And can you at all specify one style, when you have so many different districts from so called snobby to super alternative? What you can do, is to start with one Kiez and try to catch the style there on a real inhabitant, living in the vibe of exactly this area. My real inhabitant is Johanna.
Johanna lives since three and a half years in Berlin-Neukölln. She likes the district because it’s relaxed and very diverse, also concerning fashion. Nobody cares about what you are wearing – there are so many interesting / weird / crazy styled people that in the end everybody does his or her own thing and lives happily next to / with each other. Most of the time.
Amongst other things, Berlin made Johanna change her style from Zara Basic to Nineties lover and childhood dreamer. For a fashion focused person it’s really interesting when your best friend goes through a style metamorphosis like this – so I wanted to capture it in our little fashion series. I shot Johannas five favorite outfits in her street, staircase, bar she’s working in – just everywhere you could probably find her.
In Berlin you can develop a more bold style that fits you one hundred percent, because you feel free and not judged for it, she says. Her styling idol is Friends’ Rachel Green, definitely a 90’s styling icon. From her she got the idea of wearing a denim sleeveless jacket. What else inspires you, Johanna? Hmm, old photographs of my mum, and my sister of course, we have a similar taste in clothes but I look more feminin and call it ‘fashionable’, she prefers a bit more the ecological style.
What’s your favorite garment? I like clothes that go with everything – so I really love my black MONKI jeans and my denim jackets.
What song is your style-soundtrack? Hmm – long time thinking – I would say ‘Fake tales of San Francisco’ from Arctic Monkeys
Since when would you say you have exactly this style you’re having right now? I think April 2016. I realized back then I wanted to change something and found a way to dress so that I felt comfortable and looked how I wanted to look.
What do you always do when you chose your outfit? Well, I really love layering. In winter you won’t find me without at least one top and one longsleeve under my cashmere pullover.
What would you never wear? Fake leather leggins. Berk.
How important is fashion for you? Hmm, it’s important for me to feel comfortable in my outfit but it’s not essential for survival for me to look fashionable.
What do you wish for in your wardrobe? Cord trousers!
Would you say you’re a day or night person? Now that I’m 24 I’d say I’m more a day person.
Do you think you are a Berlin-Neukölln cliché? Well, I work in a pretty alternative bar and walk around in vintage clothes. I drink hipster beer and smoke rolled cigarettes on my balcony. I think I maybe am. And of course you adapt details of the street style you see around every day or think: Hey, you can wear this? Then I can wear it too. Neukölln is inspiring.
