KRISTIN, CAROLINE & JANNIKE

As I mentioned in a post earlier, I have been working as the manager of a clothing store since we moved back to BERGEN. The store is called EMIL  ..and it is kind of an institution here in BERGEN. When I first moved back I thought they only had one store, but it turned out they had 7 ..so I now work in one of those. When I first applied for the job ..and got it .. I have to admit I was a little SCEPTIC. Not of the workplace itself, but of the clothing I was going to sell. Coming from Bergen I associated the store with my mother..  or maybe even more so with GRANDMOTHERS. It turns out that I am not the only one with this association ..BUT it also turns out that I was wrong ..or at least partly.

A lot of the customers in my store are in fact SENIORS, seniors between 70 and 96 years old. We also have younger customers, but the seniors are without a doubt our most faithful customers. Many of them have been shopping in our stores forever.. and many of them buy almost all their clothes there. This is partly because there are not that many stores left that sell clothes that women their age want to wear ..or actually CAN wear.. skinny jeans and miniskirts, low necklines and see through fabrics are not for everyone. But after working there for a while I realized that their FAITHFULNESS most likely also has to do with the service, which is almost old fashioned, but the good kind of old fashioned. With all the online shopping I think good service is the future of 'in store' shopping. 

Anyway, so now to the things I was wrong about; THE CLOTHES. Our stores still sell clothes that older women like; the classics .. and jeans that are high waist and do not cling to your ankles. BUT we also have a lot of nice brands and clothes for women my age  ..and younger. A lot of the girls working at our store are in their TWENTIES and they have been pointing out this last season how they really like a lot of the clothes that we have in store right now. This knowledge together with all the answers I get every week from women in their 40's when I address them; 'no I do not need any help, I am just looking for something for my mother' made me suggest to my boss that we should do a PHOTO SHOOT, or a few, to show people that our clothes are for a broader and younger base than the ones we are currently selling to. And  I, of course, had an idea of how we should to do it..

In the photos I wanted to focus on the fact that we are a local company ... and I wanted to work with the girls working in our stores, partly because they work here.. but also because they are such beautiful girls ..and I love working with ordinary people in a laidback setting.. And I also wanted them to pick out outfits they felt that they could actually wear, and mix it with their own clothes to make it authentic.

SO these pictures are  the result a one great  SUNDAY hanging out in the sun with the sweetest colleagues one can have. Thank you Kristin, Caroline and Jannike! 

BERGEN AUTUMN

Since we moved back to BERGEN in September the weather has been UNREALISTICALLY good, at least WAY better than I had feared. In 2012 Bergen had 269 days of RAIN.. also meaning 96 days with no rain.. which is not a lot, so my expectations were accordingly. My experience from this JULY (it pretty much looked like THIS the whole time we were here) did not help either. Even though I am a fairly optimistic person I have to admit that I like to go into situations with LOW expectations, because I function a lot better when positively surprised than the other way around. Like this autumn in BERGEN, which in my eyes have been absolutely DELIGHTFUL. That does not mean that we have had no rain... it means that it has not been raining all the time, like on the day these pictures were taken, right around the corner from our apartment. As I have mentioned earlier; I really like my neighborhood. And I LOVE having all my clothes in one spot again, like this coat that used to be my mom's. She used to wear it with a pair of flared trousers ..made in the exact same fabric. The pants stopped fitting me when I was around 10 ..so I guess we will never really know if I would have been able to pull off that look.. (at least in a more serious context than the dress up sessions my sister and I would arrange in the basement of our house). But one thing is for sure; my mother did. I think I have to ask her the next time I see her if she has a picture of it, I have a vague memory of having seen one a long time ago.. or maybe I am just imagining it. If there is a picture ..I will try to persuade my mother into having her blog debut.

STOPPING BY CRUBA TO CHECK OUT THEIR FASHION WEEK SET UP

MY PICTURE FOR CRUBA'S BERLIN FASHION WEEK LAUNCH

Last week I took some photos for CRUBA by Mira Becker. It's FASHION WEEK here in BERLINand CRUBA is presenting their new S/S 2013 collection at the store in Auguststraße. 

As part of this they are also launching a special project, a collection of SUNGLASSES based on the story of Jens Söring, a German who is currently in prison in the United States. Here's what the press release from CRUBA says about the project:

Birth Control Glasses: “These are the villains, with the unwashed hair and thick glasses.”(Söring)

In US prisons inmates are only allowed to choose one frame for their glasses. It is made of black plastic and the design is from the 60’s. It envelops one’s face and makes its wearer appear suspicious.

“These Frames don’t help in terms of rehabilitation. They merely stigmatize!” Mira Becker states.

CRUBA wants to sharpen the vision for the conditions that prisoners are put in, and offers exactly this model. As sunglasses with coloured shades they will be presented during the Berlin and New York fashion week. 

Presentation of the CRUBA sunglass collection 

July 6th-8th 12-7pm 

glasses will be available

CRUBA by Mira Becker designs transmit a message about Berlin's vibrant energy. Mira’s collection expresses the lightness and movement of fine woven cashmere and other natural materials. Upon a closer look one notices the intricate cuts and architectural approach, and her perfectionism when it comes to quality. Her designs reflect the energy, creativity and innovative esprit of one of the hottest cities in the world. After studying at Parsons School of Design in New York and Paris, Mira Becker worked for Zero – Maria Cornejo. In Berlin she started her own label CRUBA by Mira Becker. Mira’s flagship store in the heart of Berlin is a place to soak in the avant-garde and easygoing atmosphere of the city.

Jens Söring

This German national has been incarcerated for a murder he alleges not to have committed 26 years ago. He was denied parole for the seventh time in 2011, even though new DNA evidence in his favour has surfaced that the Virginia justice system chooses to ignore. We carefully researched his case and find that, whether guilty or not, Jens Söring deserves a second chance: to be transferred to Germany where he would live under reasonable circumstances.

Markus Löning, Human Rights Commissioner of Germany, has been pursuing the release or extradition of Jens Söring. The United States has one of the highest documented incarceration rates in the world.

MEET SOFIA

Sofia Rubber Boots by Kartell

Yesterday ERLEND and I were out biking when it suddenly started RAINING like CRAZY. Luckily we were right by the big design shopping center STILWERK (that I have never been to before, but have always wanted to visit), so we decided to seek shelter and have a look. Seconds after we entered the building I saw these amazingly beautiful rubber boots in the KARTELL storetront window. Coming from the capital of rain; BERGEN, I have always had a soft spot for anything that looks great (especially shoes) and that also keeps the rain out ( for instance THIS PAIR became a favorite after I went to a NATIVE BEACH PARTY here in BERLIN last summer and there got a pair of NATIVE shoes .. we were by the way also on this occasion surprised by rain  .. ).. so I had to go in and have a look. And well ..as you might tell from the pictures .. I  was sold. So here she is; the most beautiful rubber boot I have ever seen; SOFIA.

ALL AMERICAN SHOPPING

On this trip to NY I decided to shop in a strict 'what is cheaper in America because it's American' kind of way.  After all our travels AND with SPRING coming I also had a strong need to 'health up' ...so that took my shopping in a even more specific direction. So this is what I came home with; SHOES and T-SHIRTS from CONVERSE, A PAIR OF WHITE NIKE FREE RUN's, a nice little pair of SPRING/SUMMER JOGGING SHORTS (also NIKE), a LITTLE orange IPOD ...and of course, some mandatory KIEHL'S.

ISOBEL GOWDIE, MITTE, BERLIN

Some pictures that I took this Saturday when we stopped by MARTIN SKAUEN and IRIS VAN DONGEN'S (kind of new) store ISOBEL GOWDIE. It is situated in a backyard in ALTE SCHÖNHAUSER STR in MITTE ..and you can read more about the store HERE.

WEEKEND SHOPPING AT WEEKDAY

I LOVE MY SECOND PIECE FROM CRUBA BY MIRA BECKER

THE MAKING OF MY WEDDING DRESS

As I might have mentioned before I wanted to make a post about the MAKING of my WEDDING DRESS. I wanted to do this for two reasons; the first one is because my beautiful friend LINDSAY photographed the whole process and the pictures turned out really nice. The second reason is because I think the CRUBA crew, with the designer MIRA BECKER in the front did a wonderful job. Not only did they make a beautiful dress, they also made me feel very welcome and at home during the whole process. Deciding to get married in a country you don't know as well as your home country is both exciting and challenging. The process made me learn new things about BERLIN, meet new people and see new places ..and I think especially when you decide to do your wedding outside your comfort zone it means a lot when you meet nice people who do a really good job; and so I did, so I was LUCKY!

Soo ..I decided to start looking for my wedding dress when my MOM and my SISTER were here in BELIN this summer. I knew I didn't want anything too fancy since we were getting married at the Embassy, I also knew I wanted something ELEGANT and CLASSIC and maybe a bit  'LA CONFIDENTIAL like' ( I  love the combination of sexy and elegant that you find in the style of the women in the FILM NOIR genre).  I had already made a sketch only days after Erlend proposed to me. I had never really thought about how my dress would look like if I were to get married, but as soon as I had the wedding information at hand; I was getting married to ERLEND, in BERLIN, at the EMBASSY, I knew what kind of dress I wanted. I remember going into our bedroom taking up a piece of paper and a pen and making a SKETCH. When I was a teenager I wanted to become a FASHION DESIGNER so I drew a lot of clothes. I don't draw clothes like I used to anymore, so when I do ..I do it in almost the exact way I did 10-15 years ago. So the sketch I made was of a slim faceless version of me with ..off course; very long legs ..in a white long dress with an open back and a casual waist line.



In the beginning, when we were visiting different stores and trying on different dresses I had this sketch in the back of my head, but then I tried on sooo many different beautiful dresses and I kind of forgot all about it.. until we visited the store CRUBA in MITTE. I had noticed this store before and I was mainly entering to look for a dress for the PARTY we were planning for two days after the wedding. I didn't really find what I was looking for ..but then one of MIRA's assistants told she had a dress in the back that was meant for special occasions. She went and got it and I tried the dress on, it was a LIGHT GREY/BLUEISH LONG SILK DRESS, simple in the front with a beautiful back. Actually the dress was made so that it could be WORN BOTH WAYS, but I have always been a SUCKER for dresses with beautiful backs so I automatically took it on so that THE BACK became the most spectacular side of the dress. The dress was not in my size and I was not sure about the color, but the assistant told me that there was enough time to make a new dress for my wedding date if I wished. Leaving the store I came to think of my sketch and how many similarities it had to the dress I had tried on in the store. I still had not made up my mind if this was THE DRESS, but I had made an appointment to come back and meet the designer MIRA and discuss the dress and possible changes to the design later that month. I will post pictures from that appointment tomorrow (So yes, there will not be one post, there will be many..  )

NATIVES

MORE ITALIAN BEAUTY, THE COVER OF THIS MONTHS ITALIAN VOGUE

NEW ORANGE YSL LIPSTICK

BACK IN BERLIN, PACKING FOR VENICE