November in Berlin

November 12, 2015November 12, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Berlin always charges me up with creativity. That’s why, I can honestly recommend a trip to this diverse and extraordinary city to anyone who wants to spend his or her time in a, as they say, hype way. Here is my November mini-guide to the city’s most interesting shops and restaurants.

ORA – Kreuzberg – A former pharmacy is situated on the peaceful Oranienplatz, which one day became the most beautiful restaurant of the German capital – ORA. With the original cabinets de curiosities, wooden shelves and marble counters from the past, the restaurant serves lovely carrotscakes and casual, yet nutritious lunches. The romantic interior makes this restaurant not only a place to “EAT AT”, but also to “BE IN”.

Oranienplatz 14

Voo Store – Kreuzberg – Voo is a concept store hidden in a former locksmith shop patio with perfectly selected clothes (Marques Almeida, A.P.C., Our Legacy, Gosha Rubchinskiy pack), awesome shoes (Raf Simons X Adidas rules) and lovely stationery (the notebooks! the pottery!). Here, you can relax and read niche magazines while drinking drip coffee from their Companion Coffee place.

Oranienstraße 24

Kreuzberg wouldn’t be such a bold and colourful district without its well supplied flower-shops.

Fête De La Boutique – Mitte – Owners Feli and Teresa have created a cozy atmosphere in their place. Self-designed contemporary furniture accompanies niche French, German and Scandinavian brands like Bruuns Bazaar, American Retro or Minimum. From fashion to home decor to jewelry and books, Fete De La Boutique makes you feel nearly like at home.

Mulackstraße 11

Unico – Mitte – Unico selects its jewellery straight from the studios of the most talented and contemporary designers from Buneos Aires. Their small, eclectic space located in the heart of Mitte is a place where a perfect Christmas gift can be found.

Alte Schönhauser Straße 50

Qua Phe – Mitte – Qua Phe is leading the Asian cuisine game in Berlin, and specifically the Vietnamese one. Great selection of finger food from Vietnam like banh bao or bahn gio is here, and you can eat it in a off-duty atmosphere of wooden tables, Asian stools and raw, metallic elements. Qua Phe is also known as a Vietnamese coffee shop – if you are visiting this place, don’t forget to taste their coffee drips with one of their signature desserts, ginger moshi! This gluey, sweet treat reminds me of toffee, but not quite…

Max-Beer Straße 37

Ora Berlin

August 19, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Kreuzberg is becoming Berlin‘s most creative district. A former pharmacy is situated on the peaceful Oranienplatz, which one day became the most beautiful restaurant of the German capital – ORA. With the original cabinets de curiosities, wooden shelves and marble counters from the past, the restaurant serves refreshing summer cuisine (unfortunately we didn’t have any time left to try it out) and delicious coffee with home-made apfelstrüdel. However, the atmospheric and truly romantic interior makes this restaurant not only a place to “EAT”, but also to “BE”. And definitely I am going to try out their signature gazpacho next time.

Oranienplatz 14 / Berlin

Berlin: Gallery Weekend 2015

May 6, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

This year’s Gallery Weekend in Berlin was awesome. The people present during the event, the beautiful moments and of course the artworks shown to the public felt fresh and absolutely creative. I discovered a lot of new artists, but two of them were definitely the highlights for me – Hans Aichinger and Philipp Fürhofer. Aichinger’s works are characterised by the sophisticated lighting and his precisely painted figures that are emphasised by the minimal backround. Fürhofer art is totally different, though – his installations suggest the artist implements a range of techniques by working layers of impasto over transparent materials. At times they appear as three-dimensional objects brightened up with light, while at other times they are absorbed into the surrounding space, blurring the reality with imagination. Also, while visiting the whole event, I visited my favourite store, Andreas Murkudis and a pop-up store of vintage furniture which had a great variety of rugs from Nepal.

Here is my photo-recap from this über-Berliner trip.

Berlin: Alexandra Kehayoglou’s Carpet Viewing

May 4, 2015May 6, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

The long May weekend was a blast – the Gallery Weekend in Berlin as usually felt fun and inspiring! For this occasion, Andreas Murkudis presented an event which was a “must” for artisanal art lovers. A carpet artwork by Alexandra Kehayoglou, commissioned by Dries Van Noten for his SS15 fashion show, was there for three days, at the old Kaufhaus Hertzog. Alexandra, an Argentine artist, follows in the family tradition of her Greek grandparents who migrated to Argentina carrying with them this textile tradition of carpet making. She developed a new art work for Dries, a 48 metre long carpet. The carpet has been woven entirely by hand for over four weeks and arrived just in time for the show.

The carpet evokes moss and grass and is made of pure Patagonian wool. The setting for SS15 collection was inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” serenity and romantic mood – “As soon as I discovered Alexandra’s work I immediately understood she was the only one I could collaborate with to execute the idea” said the designer. Believe me – seeing this masterpiece in reality was a truly beautiful and one-of-a-kind experience.

Berlin: Weekend Places

February 21, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Berlin is a perfect city to be checked out on the weekends. And as I am visiting Berlin pretty often, I really know it well! The paper-shops, boutiques, ateliers… all of them seem to be so unique and one-of-a-kind. Here are my new (and old) favourite places I truly enjoy while staying in Berlin.

Bikini – department stores usually make think of Kadewe, Lafayette etc. So, the huge, mass-friendly buildings with EVERYTHING. But Bikini is a totally new retail experience. With some seriously cool concept stores inside, you can find here great furniture, perfumes and clothes by Berlin-based designers.

Budapester Straße 38-50

ODEEH – every Berlin fashionista loves ODEEH, the German label. Although the brand calls itself affordable, the price point is similar to Marni… but the dresses and printed tops are eye-catchy with their bold twist.

Located in Bikini

Papier in Mitte / R.S.V.P. – my favourite paper-shop in the entire world. Hidden in Mitte district, Papier sells unique “made in Korea” notebooks, sketchbooks, pads, postcards and other ultra necessary articles. In reality, I could stay here for a day, or two.

Mulackstraße 14

Holly – are you a 60’s & 70’s fashion lover? This place is right for you. At Holly, they are supplied with incredible men’s selection.

Alte Schönhauser Straße 4

FIona Bennett Atelier – Fiona is a master of hat-making. Her hats are real pieces of art, whether they are more simple or more eccentric. I am in love with them although I always prefer a beanie on my head.

Potsdamer Straße 81

Andreas Murkudis – Right, I know, I am posting too much about Andreas Murkudis. But my heart belongs to this concept store. I am constantly obsessed with their curated objects, cosmetics, leather goods and of course clothes. And when they have a sale season, it’s really worth a visit.

Potsdamer Straße 81E

Vivienne Westwood – last but not the least. Vivienne’s store. The punk spirit is addictive. The store itself is like a museum full of art. And, you can’t really take pictures inside. But their outlet space overcompensates everything.

Mulackstraße 26