I'll Be Your Mirror! ♥ VILORIJA Fashion pt. I

Die Pariser Mode-Designerin Jelena Vujanovic modelt ihre frühere VILORIJA-Kollektion "I'll Be Your Mirror"

(Photos + photography artwork by Aleksandra Jevtic Jolka)

[English below]

Manchmal, wenn mensch nur fest genug an den eigenen Träumen festhält, geschehen Wunder. Großartige Wunder!!! So ging es mir mit VILORIJA Fashion, einem luxuriösen Label aus Paris, das ich schon seit längerer Zeit sehr bewundere und abgöttisch liebe! Der Gedanke lag also nahe, die Designerin Jelena Vujanovic zur nächsten STYLE! IT! TAKES! nach Berlin einzuladen, aber als ich ihr das geschrieben hatte, habe ich ehrlich gesagt nicht ernsthaft daran geglaubt, dass dies umsetzbar wäre. Aber ich habe ihr trotzdem geschrieben!!! Mein Brief endete mit den optimistischen Worten, dass ich denke, wo ein Wille sei, würde sich ja vielleicht auch ein Weg finden... Wenige Stunden später hatte ich eine liebe und euphorische Mail von Jelena, die umgekehrt schon länger ein Fan unseres STYLE! IT! TAKES! - Projektes ist, in meinem Postfach: sie sei dabei!!! Sogar sehr gerne! Ihr könnt Euch garnicht vorstellen, wie glücklich ich darüber war - und seitdem bin! Was wir nun vorhaben, verrate ich Euch natürlich noch nicht - heute möchte ich Euch erstmal ihre letzte groß(artig)e Kollektion vorstellen... ♥

VILORIJA. I’ll Be Your Mirror

Fünf Kleider aus dieser früheren Kollektion,

photographiert und in Szene gesetzt von Aleksandra Jevtic Jolka,

gemodelt von der Designerin selbst, Jelena Vujanovic

Five dresses from that earlier collection,

photographed and staged by Aleksandra Jevtic Jolka,

modeled by the designer herself, Jelena Vujanovic

Parisian Fashion Designer Jelena Vujanovic models her earlier VILORIJA Collection "I'll Be Your Mirror"

(Photos + photography artwork by Aleksandra Jevtic Jolka)

... mirror, mirror ...and how I love these shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (^.^) ♥

Sometimes, if you just cherish strong enough to your own dreams, wonders take place. Magnificent wonders!!! That's what happened to me with VILORIJA Fashion, a luxury label from Paris, that I admire and idolise very much already since a longer time! So, the idea suggested itself to invite the designer Jelena Vujanovic for the next STYLE! IT! TAKES! to come to Berlin, but when I have written her that, I didn't believe seriously that it would be viable, to be honest. But I have written her nonetheless!!! My letter ended with the optimistic words, that I think, where there is a will, there may be also a path to find... Just a few hours later I had a lovely and euphoric mail from Jelena - who is conversely also a fan of our STYLE! IT! TAKES! project since a longer time - in my inbox: she would be in it!!! She'd even love to! You can't imagine at all, how lucky I was about that - and am since then! Certainly I keep a bit quiet about our plans now - today I would like to first introduce to you her last great collection... ♥

Aber es passt einfach auch sehr gut: wir teilen die Besessenheit für Femininitäten (bitte lest hierzu auch unser Manifest!) und haben offensichtlich nicht nur einen ähnlichen Geschmack in visuellen ästhetischen Dingen wie Mode, Materialien, Formen, Schnitte und Muster, Style, Models, Photographie, Natur oder Kunst - auch unsere musikalischen Präferenzen liegen recht eng zusammen und damit auch nahe am STYLE! IT! TAKES! - Projekt, das ich ja nach meinen ästhetischen und sonstigen Präferenzen kuratiere. So hat Jelena, die ihre Kollektionen gerne nach Lieblingsliedern benennt, ihre hier zu sehende und wunderschöne Kollektion (entstanden 2010-11, präsentiert u. a. auf der L.A. Fashion Week am 16. März 2012) nach dem legendären VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO Song "I'll Be Your Mirror" benannt - was ebenfalls wunderbar passt, da dies eine meiner ewigen Lieblingsgruppen ist und unser Projekt nach der gleichnamigen Andy Warhol-Hommage der VELVET UNDERGROUND-Gründer John Cale und Lou Reed ("Style It Takes" von 1990) benannt ist. Bevor ich Euch demnächst dann die atemberaubende aktuelle VILORIJA Sommer-Kollektion 2014 mit dem wundervollen Namen "Blume" (benannt nach dem Song der EINSTÜRZENDEN NEUBAUTEN) vorstelle, die Jelena zur Berlin Fashion Week im Juli für die nächste STYLE! IT! TAKES! (unter dem passenden Titel "Gärten der Lüste") nach Berlin bringen wird, lohnt sich auch ein Rückblick auf ihre schöne, in den Farben schwarz, silber und rot gehaltene "I'll Be Your Mirror" - Kollektion...

But, it simply suits so fine: we both share the obsession for femininities (concerning this, please read our Manifesto!) and obviously not only have a similar taste in visual aesthetic things like fashion, materials, forms, cuttings and patterns, style, models, photography, nature or arts - our musical preferences are close to each other, too, - and with this also close to the STYLE! IT! TAKES! - project, which I'm curating concerning my aesthetic and other preferences naturally.
For example, Jelena - who usually likes to name her collections by favourite songs of hers - had named her here to see wonderful collection (created 2010-11, presented at L.A. Fashion Week on March 16th 2012) after the legendary VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO song "I'll Be Your Mirror" - which is wonderfully suiting as well, since this is one of my eternal favourite bands ever and our project is named by the eponymous Andy Warhol-homage of VELVET UNDERGROUND founders John Cale and Lou Reed ("Style It Takes" from 1990). Before I will introduce to you soon then the stunning current VILORIJA Summer Collection 2014 with the beautiful German name "Blume" (flower) (named after a song of Berlin Band EINSTÜRZENDEN NEUBAUTEN), exactly that one, which Jelena will bring to Berlin Fashion Week in July for the next STYLE! IT! TAKES! (with the appropriate title "Gardens of Desire") back to Berlin , it's worth to retrospect to her wonderful "I'll Be Your Mirror" - collection first, which mainly comes in black, silver and red...

 

Die "I'll Be A Mirror"-Kollektion beinhaltet auch für Männer gemachte Stücke, bestehend hauptsächlich aus schwarz und silbern glänzenden, teilweise zusätzlich mit spiegelnden Materialen versehenen Mänteln und Jacken. Oben rechts und unten sehen wir einen dieser Mäntel. Von diesen Stücken gibt es übrigens auch eine Vielzahl sehr schöner, vor allem schwarz-weiß gehaltener Photos. Vielleicht zeige ich Euch die ein anderes Mal...

The "I'll Be A Mirror" collection also contains pieces for men, consisting mainly out of shiny black and silver coats and jackets, partly additionally provided with reflective materials. Above to the right and below we see one of these coats. Incidentally, there is a large number of beautiful, mainly black and white photos of these pieces, too. Maybe I will show you another time...

Aleksandra Jevtic Jolka's combined photography and artwork is totally aesthetic ecstasy - just like Jelena's VILORIJA fashion designs... ♥

Zum Abschluss dieser Auswahl von fünf Outfits aus der Kollektion jedoch noch ein Kleid, was mir neben dem komplett silbernen (ganz oben) persönlich soweit am allerbesten gefällt:

But to close this view of selection of five outfits from the collection, a dress which - beside the complete silver one further above - I personally like the very most that far:

 

Shooting of an "I'll Be Your Mirror" dress in Berlin

by photographer Dzema De Mac Dubididada,

modeled by Claire Monica von BooBurg

Elegant, chic, stilvoll, kess und wunderbar feminin...

So elegant, chic, classy, fresh and beautifully feminine...

Drei weitere Kleider aus der Kollektion,

photographiert in Paris von Alexander Pernhorst,

gemodelt von Jelena Vujanovic & Rocio Geffray

Schon eine frühere VILORIJA-Kollektion trug übrigens den Namen eines legendären VELVET UNDERGROUND Songs: "All Tomorrow's Parties" (1965/66). Sie wurde erstmals präsentiert auf der Belgrade Fashion Week 2007. Doch der erste Durchbruch kam mit der "I'll Be Your Mirror"-Kollektion, die im Jahre 2012 unter anderem auf der Los Angeles Fashion Week und bei den Internationalen Filmfestspielen in Cannes gezeigt wurde. Hier drei weitere Schmuckstücke daraus...

Three more dresses of the collection,

photographed in Paris by Alexander Pernhorst,

modeled by Jelena Vujanovic & Rocio Geffray

Already an earlier VILORIJA collection has been named by another legendary VELVET UNDERGROUND song: "All Tomorrow's Parties" (written and first recorded 1965 / first released 1966). It has been presented for the very first time at Belgrade Fashion Week 2007. But the first breakthrough came with the "I'll Be Your Mirror" collection, which has been shown at Los Angeles Fashion Week and at the International Film Festival in Cannes in the year of 2012.

Jelena Vujanovic in Paris

Rocio Geffray in Paris

Und noch so zwei Kleider, die ich gerne im Kleiderschrank hätte:

4 x Jelena Vujanovic in rot & silber,

photographiert von Drasko Draskovic

im Le Schmuck Café (Februar 2012)

in Paris

And two further dresses, which I'd like to see in my wardrobe:

4 x Jelena Vujanovic in red & silver,

photographed by Drasko Draskovic

in Le Schmuck Café (February 2012)

in Paris

"I'll Be Your Mirror" in Paris

Das, was Ihr hier gesehen habt, ist übrigens nur ein Teil der Kollektion. Es gibt noch weitere Schmuckstücke und auch schöne Runway-Photos. Vielleicht mache ich da eines anderen Tages noch etwas daraus, eventuell in Kombination mit ihren Frühwerken. Mal sehen. :-)

What you have seen here, still is just a part of the collection. There are further jewels in it, and beautiful photos from the runway, too. Maybe another day I will post something more about that, possibly in combination with her early works. Let's see. :-)

*

Demnächst werde ich Euch dann hier in diesem Blog die aktuelle "Blume" Sommer-Kollektion 2014 von VILORIJA vorstellen, die dann auch exklusiv zur Berlin Fashion Week bei STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5 - Gärten der Lüste am 12. Juli 2014 in der Panke in Wedding präsentiert wird. Die Designerin wird persönlich anwesend sein. Ich könnte vor Freude tanzen, dass ich an meinem Traum festgehalten habe. Mittlerweile schreiben wir uns fast täglich - wir haben viel vor!!! Lasst Euch überraschen! Und ich denke, wir sehen uns alle dann spätestens bei STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5 - dem Sommertraum der Mode, Performances und großartigen Musik!!! ♥

Soon I will introduce to you the current VILORIJA "Blume" Summer Collection 2014 here in this blog then, which will be exclusively presented for Berlin Fashion Week at STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5 - Gardens of Desire on 12th of July 2014 in Panke Club (Berlin - Wedding). The designer will attend personally. I could dance for joy, that I cherished to my dream. Meanwhile we write each other nearly daily - we got a lot of plans!!! Be surprised! And, I think: we all will see us by no later than at STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5 - the Summer Dream of Fashion, Performances & great Music!!! ♥

Join us on Facebook:

STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5 - Gärten der Lüste / Gardens of Desire
Summer Dream of Fashion, Performances, Arts & Music

Samstag / Saturday, 12th of July 2014

@ Panke (Club & Garden)
Gerichtstr. 23, 13347 Berlin-Wedding
♥

VILORIJA
Luxury brand from Paris. Obsession is imminent.
Elegant and feminine couture by Jelena Vujanovic, graduated in fashion academy Studio Berçot (Paris)
www.vilorija.com
www.facebook.com/vilorija
www.vilorija-shop.com/sample-sale

The Wings Of Desire

Ich freue mich riesig, den ersten Live Act für STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5 ankündigen zu können:
den Hot Wave von THE WINGS OF DESIRE!!!

I'm very happy to announce that the first live act performing at STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5 is confirmed: THE WINGS OF DESIRE play Hot Wave!!!

"Misanthrope" - not a typical, but a great song from THE WINGS OF DESIRE

Das enorm vielseitige 'Post-Punk'-Projekt von Boris K., einem aus Israel stammenden, wunderbar androgynen und modisch sehr wandlungsfähigen Neu-Berliner, vereint verschiedenste musikalische Einflüsse. "Planets" klingt fast wie ein düsterer Reggae mit deutlichen Dub-Einflüssen (Boris schrieb mir, er sei ein großer Fan von Legenden wie Portishead und dem jamaikanischen Toningenieur King Tubby) und könnte irgendwie auch von den Talking Heads sein, das quirlige Tanz-Stück "Dead Town" ist New Wave im besten Sinne des Wortes und ein wunderschöner Ohrwurm, der mich immer zum Mitsingen ermuntert, "Illumination" ist harter, noisiger Rock'n'Roll irgendwo zwischen Gun Club und The Cramps, an die auch "Outside" ein wenig erinnert, "Misanthrope" ist ein langsamer, elegischer und sehr dramatischer Song, der auch Nick Cave gut zu Gesichte stehen würde und einen immer mehr in seinen Bann zieht. Hört am besten selbst rein, es lohnt sich wirklich! Selbst wenn ein Stück nicht so gefallen sollte, jeder Song hat seinen ureigenen Stil wie mensch es nur selten hört...

Auf Facebook könnt Ihr Euch während des Lesens und Betrachtens der tollen Photos hier zwei weitere Favoriten von mir anhören (öffnen in neuem Tab)...Dead Town und Planets...

Boris wears lipstick and beautiful jewelry live at KingKongKlub / Berlin (22th of January 2014)...

The very multi-shaded 'post-punk' project by Boris K., a wonderfully androgynous and in terms of fashion very versatile Berlin-Newcomer, originally from Israel, unites many different musical influences. "Planets" even sounds a bit like a dark Reggae with strong Dub influences (Boris wrote to me, he's a big fan of legends like Portishead and the Jamaican sound engineer King Tubby) and somehow could also be from the Talking Heads, the feisty dance number "Dead Town" is New Wave in the best sense of the word and a wonderful earcatcher always encouraging me to sing along, "Illumination" is hard, noisy Rock'n'Roll somewhere between Gun Club and The Cramps, of whom also "Outside" reminds a bit, "Misanthrope" is a slow, elegiac and very dramatic song, which Nick Cave might have liked to sing, too, fascinating more and more while listening. Best you listen to it yourself, it's worth it totally! Even if you don't like one song that much, every single one has it's very own style, something which elsewhere happens rarely...

On Facebook you can listen to two of my other favourites (open in new tab) while continue reading and watching the gorgeous photos here...Dead Town and Planets...

... combined with a suit jacket...


...partly performing topless in a mini-skirt, strap-on stockings and boots...

"I'm pleased and excited to introduce to you the new member of The Wings Of Desire, her name is Veni De Milo and she will take part in all the future live performances of the band."

STYLE! IT! TAKES! loves Veni!!! ;-) ♥

Boris wearing a nice coat * Haifa, Israel, 2012

Live in a chic dotted blouse (@ Lauschangriff 30/11 2013)

Nails painted black playing the acoustic guitar (@ Lauschangriff / Berlin)

The dark side: shadowed and made up reminding a bit of Lou Reed in the Transformer period
(live in Israel, May 2012)

Leather collar and leather jacket emphasize the rougher side (live in Israel, May 2012)

A triangle painted on the forehead playing the electric guitar like a dervish
(live in Israel, May 2012)

    

left: live in Israel May 2012   *   right: live March 2012        

Boris wearing a white blouse and a studded belt (Live @ Reality Rehab Center in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, 22 / 6 / 2012)

 "So that´s actually The Wings Of Desire today - a mixture of post punk and wave with dub, psychedelia and more and more - i call it Hot-Wave (as the opposite to cold wave)."

(Boris about his gorgeous music)

There's a legend about the band saying, Junkyard+The Wings of Desire were originally a post-punk band formed already 1982 in Berlin by Boris K, D.H Lowrence and Tom Alesis.

"The band recorded only one demo until their break-up in 1984. In November 2011 Boris decided to revive the band."

Sounds somehow interesting and mysterious! (^.^) ;-)

Welcome to the Junkyard 2012

Boris at the abandoned Berlin airport Tempelhof 2013

Veni De Milo & Boris wearing a long skirt live in Berlin at Supersonic 15/11/2013

   

Logo of The Wings Of Desire, designed by EN Finsternis

Selbstbeschreibungen * The band describes itself:

"The Wings Of Desire is merely a boat floating on the ever coming waters of emptiness and self loss. Not matching in any category before it was mainstream. A voice rising up from mute depths of fashionable facelessness. A piece of throbbing love which will find an echo in every heart. A splinter of loneliness which dwells in every pair of eyes. An audible despair that mirrors every face looking at it."

"Started at 2012 as Junkyard + The Wings Of Desire. Record of the EP "Underground Tapes" in a mood of early gothic post-punk. The very name kinda exposed the influences which i had then - Junkyard was the second album by The Birthday Party - a band that i totally adored, The Wings Of Desire - is a movie that i might say changed my life and the combination of them with the plus sign was a nod towards another band i like - Crime + The City Solution."

(Boris about the bands name(s)...)

"Speaking of directions, from now on the musical style of The Wings Of Desire will be described as "Hot Wave" since it's rooted mostly in the Post-Punk and Wave music but doesn't take as a goal being purposely cold and emotionless, on the contrary it will try as much as it is possible embrace the passionate side of music in this way being so to speak an opposite of Cold Wave."

(Boris on the term 'Hot Wave', August 2013)

“This music cannot be described as goth in any way but it certainly has some dark side which i always considered as very attractive in music without being it's key component. Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd, Portishead, Peter Hammill, the slow heavy blues pieces of Led Zeppelin or Janis Joplin, Roy Harper, Robert Wyatt - all these authors have made music which had the same kind of influence on me and to which i felt connected as much as to the works of
The Cure, Bauhaus, Joy Division or Siouxsie.”

(Boris on his influences, 2013)

ART IS DEAD - GENDER IS DEAD

So now everybody (including us!!!) is excited, which fashion designer will make it to dress up The Wings Of Desire at STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5!!!


THE WINGS OF DESIRE
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wings-Of-Desire/396122497108929

Discography

As Junkyard + The Wings Of Desire:
May 2012 - CD "Underground Tapes" - mini E.P, released on afmusic

As The Wings Of Desire:
January 2013 - CD "For Distant Friends" - E.P, released on afmusic

Photo Credits:

3x live@ KingKongKlub 2014 by
Kris van der Gragt

all other photos, photo-edit of the last picture, design of the band logo & make-up of Boris by

EN Finsternis

http://nebelviolet.blogspot.de/

Latest news: Just recently in 2014, Nitzan Rimon joined the band - a great guitar player, a rock legend from Tel Aviv of the 90´s and currently the guitar player of the dream pop band Sophya. Also, there will be a dance performance during the show by gorgeous EN Finsternis!!! ♥
We are mesmerized what will happen when...

THE WINGS OF DESIRE

will fashion model and perform live during Berlin Fashion Week at

STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5
Summer Dream of Fashion, Performances, Arts & Music
Panke (Club & Garden)
Gerichtsstraße 23 - Berlin Wedding
 Saturday, 12th of July 2014
www.facebook.com/events/318779178272927/
♥♥♥

... just like a love song in Spring! ♥

"Lebendig müssen die Märchen werden, lebendig und wirklich"

(Alexander von Zemlinsky – Der Traumgörge)

So many beautiful things happened in April that quite unusually I post a kind of mixed diary of some highlights here!

Wondergirls in Spring

To me it started having wonderful guests at my home for a little Spring-Party on 29th of March. We preferred to chat, eat salads & antipasti, drink & smoke, listening to nice music and dance instead of making pictures - keeping it calm like my beautiful fish - but two photographic memories are existing of that lovely night and sunny morning...

Recipe by Jenny for the Wondergirl-Cocktail we made with my self-made Woodruff syrup

"...it was like in a time capsule and suddenly appeared NINE O‘CLOCK hahahaha"

(comment of one of my lovely guests)

My Origasmi (a present by a very good friend) photographed by Thea

En vogue

Third of April, just on the day I picked up my new Degenerotika dress in Berlin-Friedrichshain at the designers' residence, we received the message that they have been published online by famous VOGUE Italia magazine! So definitely time to raise champagne glasses again... (^.^) ...

A new dawn

On Monday, 7th of April I was with Thea & Jasa from Degenerotika fashion label at the Laibach concert in the Volksbühne at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. I already reported about that in a long review and photo story here. But even after all those "Late night tales" (Laibach's great merch guy Bojan Vrlič) in the backstage area and in the tour bus (see my post for this) the night has not been over. After that we met fashion designer Patrick Mohr in the morning street in front of a Döner, which had such a beautiful painting I just had to take a picture from...

Top! Painting of beautiful lesbians in a Döner

Abschied

April has also been a month of sad good-byes to closing bars and clubs in Berlin-Mitte. First has been the farewell of beloved King Kong Klub at Easter on 19th of April, where I have seen many great concerts by many great artists (first to come to my mind are Nora Below, Bloody Cartoon, Le Chocolat Noir, Popsimonova, Monozid, Nine Circles, Umrijeti za strojem...) and had many many nights of pleasure and fun with lovely barkeepers and guests... So sad the closing is, it has been a bombastic last night and we stayed till about the very very end when daylight was shining bright already... Many of the clubs DJs gave their last stand there and it has been also the birthday of our DJ Steve Morell (from the last STYLE! IT! TAKES! event). It was a great mix of people and it seemed, during the long night everybody came along to say bye, so audience has always been floating till the very very end... ... lots of people, lots of dance, nice flirts, many huge compliments for my Degenerotika dress, lots of drinks, big chaos, big big fun that night! ♥

(Club closing is...) NO FUN! (8 times) (^.^)

Me & Aurica keep a close watch and have lots of fun! ;-)
(selfie by Aurica)

Even @ King Kong Klub there's a time to leave... or not... ;-)

A gorgeous ending and still definitely big big tears for King Kong Klub... we will miss you!!!

Funny Easter

Easter Monday I spent with Laura (SCHEN). Beside sharing time in Prenzlauer Berg together, we were invited to eat in Moabit later and had a super funny evening with music and dance. Actually, it was so funny that I don't really feel allowed to post the pics of this evening... ;-)
So here only the serious ones! (^.^) ...

 

Laura trying to look serious... ;-)

Did I say only the serious ones? What? (^.^)

Modeling for BAAL       

Just the next day I've been modeling for a fashion video of Berlin transgender fashion label BAAL at Berlin-Alexanderplatz. It was big fun! Surprisingly I got an outfit with trousers, which was funny, because I nearly never wear trousers but about only skirts... and it was grey, though I nearly never wear grey... but interesting and I liked the shape of the top! So, after Näd Mika's gorgeous Cassandra video, this is already the second video published this year with me modeling / acting. You can watch the finished video in an extra post about BAAL's Start wearing plastic.
Here some screenshots. Later we had to sprinkle ourselves with champagne... ;-)

Dark, darker, Popsimonova

While some clubs are closing, others start new beginnings. Just around the corner of KingKongKlub the a bit forgotten ACUD club in Veteranenstraße has new plans and ideas. A beergarden, a gallery (Kunsthaus), a theatre and a cinema belong to this place, too. Here our great artist, Croatian Electro Diva Lana POPSIMONOVA, stopped for one Berlin night on her Europe Tour together with JESSICA 93 and DORCELSIUS on 24th of April. I wrote about her and this tour already lately. It was such a pleasure to meet and see her live again, all the concerts were great and many friends and nice people came around, so it was really full & fun even in the middle of the week. :-)

             

POPSIMONOVA loves it...                 very dark ♥

... and has the sexiest voice in electronic music! ♥

After a short visit at White Trash Fast Food's very last night in Prenzlauer Berg / Mitte (the next club which had to close there!!!), we did let the night end in 8mm Bar... and when we came out the sun... ok., we had that several times before! ;-)

All of the day, all of the night in Alt-Berlin's Mitte

Me wearing a pink outfit @ the RAMONES Museum

26th of April has been Mitte day again. First I went to the RAMONES Museum for meeting friends and a lecture by Tom Laimer-Read from Norwich / England, who wrote a just published punk novel called Needles & Pins. It was a very relaxed and nice atmosphere in the museum's café.

Later we went to say goodbye again - this time Berlin's maybe oldest bar, the legendary ALT BERLIN, had to close after 121 years in Münzstraße 23 at U Weinmeisterstraße. So sad. Gentrification crawls all through the district... :-( Brilliant German communist author, poet, playwright, theatre & film director Bertolt Brecht (* 1898 in Augsburg; † 1956 in Ost-Berlin) had it's own chair in this legendary place during the 1950's, drinking his beer there in the breaks of his work at Berliner Ensemble nearby.

Pics from Bierstube Alt Berlin's Facebook page

Alt-Berliner Legenden

Folgendes wurde 2008 anonym auf Yelp gepostet:
"Die Kneipe hieß im Volksmund bis zum Krieg zu den drei Ritzen, weil sie von drei Frauen geführt wurde und der Berliner Straßenstrich direkt vor der Haustür lag. Sie war mehr als doppelt so groß, links daneben der Laden gehörte dazu. Gekocht wurde über dem Laden in der Wohnung der Damen, es gab Tischdecken, man wollte etwas feiner sein. Eine der Damen lebte bis vor 5 Jahren noch. 1945 hat eine Luftmine über der Kreuzung die Eckhäuser gegenüber abgeräumt. Die Druckwelle hat die Fenster zerstört, das Lokal wurde ausgeplündert, das Rückbuffet geklaut.
Dann nahm sich die Unterweltgröße Fahrradmüller als alter Stammgast den Laden (er hatte mehrmals das 6-Tagerennen gewonnen). Zwei Armeespinde und einige Bretter wurden das neue Buffet, die Zapfanlage war noch da. Er war einer der ersten, die 45 wieder eine Kneipe führten, offensichtlich hatte er gut Kontakte zu den Russen. Zumal er auch einer der ersten war, die im zerbombten Berlin ein eigenes Cabrio fuhren. Wegen bewaffneter Raubüberfälle ging seine Kariere 1949 dann zu Ende. Heinz erzählte, er bekam die erste Todesstrafe der DDR.
Dann übernahm der Vater der Musikerklause in der Torstraße die Kneipe, wurde aber wegen Unregelmäßigkeiten finanzieller Art in die Klause versetzt. Die HO (DDR-Handelsorganisation) übernahm, Heinz war Wirt, Inge die Kellnerin. Viele Gäste gingen, wenn Inge kam oder umgekehrt - jeder hatte SEIN Publikum. Die Tänzerinnen vom Friedrichstadtpalast, die Leute vom Gorki oder BE (Berliner Ensemble), ach eigentlich alle, weil der Laden als einer der wenigen bis nach 2 Uhr aufhaben durfte. Brecht war Stammgast, hatte seinen eigenen Hocker vom BE mitgebracht. Dann haben Heinz und Inge geheiratet und den Laden 1982 von der HO abgekauft. Das Holz an den Wänden stammt zum Teil von Ihnen, zum Teil ist es alt. Hinter den Verkleidungen sind noch alte Wandmalereien aus der Zeit des Häuserbaus."

(http://www.yelp.de/biz/bierstube-alt-berlin-berlin-3)

 

Alt Berlin crew protesting. Yes, you belong here!!! ♥ Our barkeeper that night had been Berlin Burlesque dancer Tallulah Freeway

Of course both myself and our STYLE! IT! TAKES! project supported the protest campaign against the closing of ALT BERLIN, but, unfortunately, it was too late and there was nothing more to do against the sell-out by Hamburg Investor Harm Müller-Spreer... :-(

The closing reminded my of my very first blog post Berlin - Du bist so hässlich geworden about gentrification in Berlin (April 2012), which unfortunately even has it's sad prophetic sides...

So, like the great anarchist BAIZ bar ("Kein Bex, kein Latte, kein Bullshit" / "No Beck's beer, no latte macchiato, no bullshit") which recently also had to leave nearby Torstraße for similar reasons (BAIZ relocated at Schönhauser Allee 26 a), the ALT BERLIN crew is looking for a new place to go now, using the old interior... But: „Das schönste aller Dinge, ein schneller Schluck bei Heinz und Inge“ (The most beautiful of all things, a quick sip at Heinz und Inge (the long year runners of the bar))... so, yes, we had many!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

They got to close, but they want to come back at another place - stay tuned via their Facebook page!

Long past midnight, I finally went to notorious ESCHSCHLORAQUE nearby, where I met Laura, our DJ Steve Morell and some other friends again...

Return to daylight

April the 28th it was time for a walk around sunny Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte, staying in the Volkspark am Weinbergsweg and taking a rest at nice Max Fish beer garden with it's lovely pink Photoautomat.

Tu Wat!!!

On 1st of May me and some friends joined the revolutionary demonstration against war, crisis and capitalism in Berlin-Kreuzberg (I reported about that ahead of the demonstration in my pre-post La Beauté est dans la Rue). And it was a huge revolutionary May Day march this year, with 25.000 people attending!!! :-) At Zossener Straße somebody left a sign saying "Tu Wat" (Do something in Berlin dialect), which I had to photograph of course since it made me smile and gave the day an optimistic tone! :-) So, the next days I put & kept my red & black revolution flag on the balcony (it says: "Abolish class society - Revolution Now!"), as a sign of continued resistance in the daily life and in the neighborhood...

Apropos balcony: as a huge fan of city gardening I spent lots of time on the balcony, sowing new seeds for herbs, flowers and beans to make it green & blooming soon. Actually, many plants survived the mild winter or came back... and first things were blooming already... :-)

Blühender Schnittlauch & blühende Erdbeere * Blossoms of chives & strawberry

In the meantime of the last weeks I started with preparations for STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5 during Berlin Fashion Week in July and prepared a lot of new posts for that! So stay tuned to not miss amazing news in the next days... Love & Kisses! ♥♥♥

Update, 27th of May:

... and I made it! STYLE! IT! TAKES! # 5 will be a summer dream of fashion, performances, arts & music and just like BERLIN FASHION WEEK in general move this year to Wedding!!! :-)

It will happen on Saturday, the 12th of July 2014 at the lovely venue PANKE, located in Gerichtsstraße 23, directly at the river Panke! We will even have a beautiful little garden there!!!

♥♥♥

www.facebook.com/events/318779178272927/