Street Style: Hamburg
Born in Hamburg, fashion tsar Karl Lagerfeld is known for his black humour and frankly expressed opinions. So are the locals of his hometown. Upon my arrival in the second largest (and probably coldest) city of Germany, it was the pilot’s sarcastic comment about the weather and a quote by the Chanel designer at the airport that attracted my attention:
"In my opinion, with its location, the Elbe and the Alster, it is Germany’s most beautiful city."Besides the port city’s evident beauty and the famous sarcasm of its locals, what about their fashion style? In order to discover it, I hit the road and checked out the streets of the hippest district Schanzenviertel and had some interesting encounters that I will remember for a long time...
Kathrin, 37, Freelance fashion stylist from Berlin living in Hamburg
Coat: Stella McCartney Scarf: Cos Jeans: Levis Bag: Sophie Hulme London Boots: Crickit
Style... always depends on your mood. It is overrated sometimes. I like it but only to a certain extent.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... 30.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit which one would it be? My jewelry because they are personal gifts.
What do you wear every single day? One earring. I got it myself.
Parisian Style... is all about pleasure. I lived in Paris for four years. Parisians mostly wear one piece that enhances the whole outfit.
Favorite fashion designer/label... Many.
Captain Angelo, 70, Sailor from Porto Kufo
Hat: a gift from his daughter Jacket: secondhand (30 years old) Jeans: Levis (30 years old) Bag: a gift from his neighbor Boots: flea market (10 years old)
Style... is like a music piece; it has to begin and end well. From hat to shoe. It’s all about matching colors. If a piece doesn’t have a great color, it’s not great.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... Three.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit which one would it be? That would be my musical instrument. It’s an eight-string Greek bouzouki.
What do you wear every single day? My hat, of course. I am a sailor. I do have five but this one is from my daughter.
Parisian Style... I love the French.
Favorite fashion designer/label... Joop, but actually brands don’t matter to me. The most important thing is quality. I only have things that last for 30 to 40 years, except my underwear. The ones I am wearing now are five years old.
Ann Sophie, 25, Eurovision Song Contest representative for Germany in 2015
Headband: Monki Coat: Marco Polo Scarf: Zara Pants: Zara Bag: Zara Necklace: Monki Lipstick: 014 Dolce Vita by Dior Shoes: Nike
Style... is all about combination. It shouldn’t be monotonous. And I hate narrow clothes to death. I always wear oversize.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... 45.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit which one would it be? My hairband.
What do you wear every single day? I feel naked without my red lips. And I won’t leave the house without my Beats headphones.
Parisian Style... Elegant, feminine but at the same time, rough and masculine. Girls in Paris definitely make a statement with their clothes.
Favorite fashion designer/label... Sandro, Calvin Klein, Stefanel. My greatest idol is Audrey Hepburn.
Marvin, 19, Student from Hannover
Beanie: H&M Coat: H&M Sweater: Scotch & Soda. Pants: H&M Backpack: Snipes Watch: flea market find Shoes: Deichmann
Style... If one is self-confident, one can wear everything.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... 20.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit which one would it be? My coat.
What do you wear every single day? My watch.
Parisian Style... Chanel.
Favorite fashion designer/label... Scotch & Soda.
Peter, 67, Self-employed husband
Beanie: TCM Jacket: Baum Sweater: Ralph Lauren Jeans: Levis Bag: Lichtblick Shoes: Lunge
Style... reflects your attitude to life.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... Ten.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit, which one would it be? No preference. For me, everything is equal.
What do you wear every single day? My ring. Someone gave it to me out of gratitude that I didn’t kill him. It was on Gozo in 1973. I got invited to a birthday party. A lot of wine, you can imagine. I was playing with my knife. All of a sudden, a guy came up to me and called me a thief, a liar. When I went outside, he waylaid me and claimed that I stole his knife. I almost killed him but then he apologized for the misunderstanding. Apparently, he coincidentally had the same knife as I had. From this day on, he invited me for free drinks and food. In the end, he got me this ring.
Parisian Style... I think of cafés, erotic clothing and post women. I had a love affair with a post woman in Paris in 1974/75 . It’s also easier to park your car there.
Favorite fashion designer/label... My wife. She owns a fashion shop just around the corner. She has a great fashion style and only wears clothes from the 50s and 70s. Pretty much everything I have is from her. I also don’t see the point of haircuts. It’s my wife who sometimes cuts my beard so that she can kiss me.
Sophie Nickel, 22, Psychology student and model
Coat: vintage Scarf: Monki Sweater: H&M Pants: Weekday Shoes: Nike
Style... is less.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... Two.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit, which one would it be? My coat. I love vintage and I will probably have it for the next thousand years.
What do you wear every single day? My necklace that I got in Thailand.
Parisian Style... Très chic, haute couture, wealthy.
Favorite fashion designer/label... Do you know Demobaza? Check it out, they have great stuff.
Julian, 22, From Munich
Beanie: H&M Coat: American Apparel Pants: H&M Backpack: Tommy Hilfiger Watch: Casio Shoes: New Balance
Style... is self-confidence.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... Four.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit, which one would it be? My pants because they fit perfectly.
What do you wear every single day? My watch.
Parisian Style... Légère and grungy. Cigarettes and baguettes.
Favorite fashion designer/label... Comme des Garçons.
Mi, 24, Exchange student from Korea
Beanie: Zara Coat: vintage Bag: from my roommate Belt: vintage Shoes: Grenson
Style... is in the eye of the beholder.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... 22.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit, which one would it be? My coat.
What do you wear every single day? A ring I got from my mother before I came here.
Parisian Style... Chic. Simple. Cheeky. Natural.
Favorite fashion designer/label... Rei Kawakubo.
Abdul, 25, Student
Coat: German Armed Forces Pants: H&M Backpack: Herschel Shoes: Adidas
Style... means to be true to oneself.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... Two.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit, which one would it be? The pants because I don’t have any others that are similar to those ones.
What do you wear every single day? A necklace with an anchor from a very good friend. Woops, see, I didn’t wear it today.
Parisian Style... Extravagance.
Favorite fashion designer/label... Scotch & Soda.
Anina, 24, Photography intern
Coat: Forever 21 Scarf: Zara Pants: Levis Bag: Secondhand Shoes: vintage
Style... is expressing one’s individuality.
Minutes spent on getting ready in the morning today... Seven.
If you could keep one piece of your current outfit, which one would it be? The coat because it took me a while to find a coat like that.
What do you wear every single day? This bracelet. I got it when I was volunteering for a jewelry stand at an African festival.
Parisian Style... Feminine, casual, self-confident.
Favorite fashion designer/label... Saint Laurent.
After having spent 11 cold hours in the Schanzenviertel, I was happy to end my day with some grilled fish and steamed vegetables in a warm restaurant close by. I was running out of paper and decided to take my notes on paper plates, which evoked some curious looks by the other guests. What is this girl that was walking around here all day, asking people questions and taking photos, doing? Without doubt, people who observed me in this (pretty small) district on that day in March must have thought that I was a little bit gaga.
Anyway, what was my conclusion? In terms of their style, it is evident that Hamburgers give less of a shit than Parisians do. All clichés aside, they are definitely less chic. Wearing some sort of track pants is, unlike in the fashion capital, a common practice. One can also spot more people wearing trainers and backpacks. Levis jeans and secondhand clothes are pretty popular too. In general, it is more laid back. Germans take it easy, they like it comfortable. To quote Karl Lagerfeld again:
"Hamburg is the gateway to the world. But only the gateway.”
Cigarettes, extravagance and très chic, erotic clothing are the first things that pop up in the German mind when thinking about Paris. I can’t hide a smile when writing down the love story of ‘Captain Angelo’ and the then forty-one-year old French actress Eve. He was only eighteen when she taught him how to make love. According to the Greek sailor “one needs a teacher to learn how to make love, how to play music and how to dress yourself.”
The €8,50 meal arrives sooner than I expected. Apparently, it’s true: the Germans are faster than the Frenchies. However, are Parisians as quick as Hamburgers in getting ready and choosing their outfit in the morning? Will they also tell me about their crazy adventures in the 70s? Well, I guess that calls for a street style tour in the City of Lights.
All images by Mia Windisch-Graetz
