Winter Wonderland: Marccain A/W 2013-2014

When Marccain transforms the Ballroom of luxurious Hotel de Rome into a Winter Wonderland, all is forgiven and forgotten about the continuous low temperatures and dark clouds....Seated second row in a grande yet intimate setting, with on my invitation 'V.I.P. Guest' (thank you Marccain!), and tout stylish Berlin present.... I can't do otherwise than LOVE Winter.....

My Row.  F Stands for Fashion, non? ;-)
Photo: Priscilla Obermeier

Marccain A/W 2013 @The Ballroom of Hotel de Rome
Photo: Priscilla Obermeier

Frida Weyer's Fashion Fairytale

Frida Weyer Couture
Photo: Priscilla Obermeier

Some invitations I cherish deeply... Like the one to see Frida Weyer's Couture Collection on stage at the Chamaeleon Theater... Taking me on a beautiful journey through an Oriental Midsummer Night's Dream.... I love to write (and talk) about fashion... but this time... pictures do say more than a thousand words... 

Frida Weyer Couture
Photo: Priscilla Obermeier

Front Row Photo Diary: Berlin Fashion Week A/W 2013: MARNI

Although Fashion's High Society doesn't need a reason to turn daily life into one big dress-up party,  the new MARNI fragrance is worth a celebration in style... 

Front Row Photo Diary: Berlin Fashion Week A/W 2013. Part 2.

Berlin Fashion Week A/W 2013-2014

A Fashion Empire for a Horse! Inside the Fashion Week tent, a large white plastic stallion offers Berlin's Fashion Society a spot to leave their pink mark...

Front Row Photo Diary: Berlin Fashion Week A/W 2013. Part 1.

Berlin Fashion Week A/W 2013-2014: Front Row Seating Cards...

Backstage: Gianinni Semeido Moreira, Dancer, Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil

Once upon a warm evening in Los Angeles, I stood on my balcony and talked to Gianinni Semeido Moreira on the phone, who just like me had recently moved from Amsterdam to Tinseltown. We talked about our shared passion for dance (Gianinni was the 3rd runner up of the Dutch version of 'So You Think You Can Dance' and signed a contract with one of the biggest dance agencies in the U.S.) and our reasons to leave our hometown and cross the ocean. Was it a crazy need for fame and fortune? No. It was a desire to create the life we dreamed to live, instead of waiting for reality to move in our direction. Or as Gianinni firmly stated during our chat: 'I don't know where I am in ten years, but now... I want to be here.'  We stayed in touch, and I followed Gianinni embracing his artistic abilities (next to a driven dancer, Gianinni is also a passionate filmmaker), and watched his resume grow. Performances at the Video Music Awards and the NBA All Star game, a music video with Shakira, on tour with Rihanna, Macy's Passport... and the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil. At only age 24, that's quite the ballpark.

As one of the main dancers of the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour, Gianinni expresses the stories of an iconic narrator and spends his days flying across the stage in large bat wings, lets out his inner smooth criminal, brings Neverland to life and receives the applause of thousands on an average eve.

Backstage: Bettina Bolzer-Bowles, Head of Wardrobe, Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil

Bettina Bolzer-Bowles in her wardrobe habitat
Backstage: the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil
Photo: Priscilla Obermeier

Phones, Walkie-Talkie... Head of Wardrobe Bettina Bolzer-Bowles is busy. Happy-Busy. And who wouldn't be when life literally is a dress-up party (at least... I wouldn't!). A dress-up party that contains more than 1200 pieces, including costumes designed by Zaldy Goco (Michael Jackson's exclusive designer for the THIS IS IT concert series), shoes, hats and head pieces that roll from city to city in a caravan of three large trucks, which carry as well washers, dryers and sewing machines. There are more than 250 costumes in each performance, with more than 90 costumes equipped with unique LED light technology (each costume in the Celestial/Human Nature scene holds 275 blinking LED lights specially designed for the show. They change color during the show to mimic constellations.), and bat costumes with huge, lifelike gold wings.... Not your every-day boudoir, so to speak.

Backstage: the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil
Photo: Priscilla Obermeier

Amidst all the backstage craziness of a performance day (tonight it's Showtime...), Bettina does find the time to talk with me about being part of a touring ensemble, living out of your suitcase, long days, short nights and all the magic that comes with it...

2013: Possible, the New Black

My highlights in 2012? Backstage and Front Row at Berlin Fashion Week? Meeting June Newton, Aveda's Creative Director Bastian Casaretto, Fashion Designer Anja Gockel, Designer Duo Achtland, fashion blogger Jasmin Fatschild, Liebig's Creative Director Sandra Lierman, artist Charlie Anderson? The 'Goldene Nase' Fashion Awards? The Store Openings? Visiting the Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale)? Interviewing Oscar Winning Costume Designer Sandy Powell, or AKKESOIR's lovely designer Akke Aimaq? Visiting all the beautiful art exhibitions.. The Kennedy's... Helmut Newton's work....? The opening of The Little Black Jacket exhibition? The opening of Mila Art Gallery? The N.K.O.T.B concert (my yes, my hysterical teenage years relived)? Seeing all the new collections up-close and personal in the PR Showrooms? Meeting the dancers and costume designer of Cuba's Ballet Revolucion? Enjoying my beautiful family...? It's hard to pick! My 2012 in Berlin was filled with fashion, art, music, ballet, dance and the amazing talent that comes with it. One of the things I enjoyed most were the backstage moments, the peeks behind the scenes of fashion's finest, and of those artists who live their dream on a daily base... I now close this year in fashion and art with The Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil. I could not have wished for a better ending, because 2012 taught me one thing, and The King of Pop describes it best: 'Don't Stop till you get enough!'....Let 2013 be the start of that one thing you can't stop thinking about. Turning dreams into reality is taking one step in the right direction. Just like all these amazing people that crossed my path this last year. Through their stories they gave me the courage to turn 2013 into a realization of my dreams, with POSSIBLE being the New Black. - Happy New Year!!!

xo Pris

Backstage: the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil

Dancing Shoes.
Backstage: the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil
Photo: Priscilla Obermeier

My first interview (and one of my first assignments) I conducted as a fashion journalist took me behind the scenes of the Cirque du Soleil 'Alegria' show. As pretty much a Rookie in Fashion, I was highly nervous (to say the least), but all my worrying (of stuttering, of tripping, of breaking something I would touch, of losing my way, of...) left my body, mind and soul, as soon as amazement took over. And it took over fast. The talent and dedication of the acrobats, the Costume Designer and the Make - Up Stylist, who were so kind to share their stories from life on tour, to talk about their creative vision and their work with me, felt like an amazing version of what life can be. And the show? A dramatic mix of Circus, Magic and Theatrics. I reluctantly left. After an evening of Cirque... Reality seemed so, well...blah.

Many years and many interviews later, I find myself walking towards the O2 Arena in Berlin to meet Head of Wardrobe Bettina Bolzer-Bowles and Dancer Gianinni Semeido Moreira backstage at the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil. I can't help but feeling a bit nervous. Not anymore out of worrying, but out of utter excitement. Like Alice returning to Wonderland.

Merry Christmas to all....

At KaDeWe I ran into this It-bag Ornament, for an Haute Christmas.

‎(Melody: Santa Baby by Earhta Kitt, Lyrics: Priscilla Obermeier ;)).. "Santa baby, my year has been mostly merry and bright, Santa baby, we've got cookies and milk for you tonight.. Santa baby, Indy asks if you can stay, Santa baby, he would love to show you his toys and play... Santa baby, please help me make my friends & family's dreams come true, fill their Xmas with smiles and love, let magic be the key to the new year...Santa baby...I wish for wonderful moments and starry nights, for peace, warm homes for all, and hearts filled with light...so hurry down the chimney tonight...!!!!"....MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT! Love, Love, Love Pris.