Shafiek Khan
Surfer & founder of Palama Metsi surfing school – South Africa
When Cathy Boom went to South Africa a few months ago she met Shafiek Khan by chance but then ended up in a long conversation in which he shared the story of his life. This story is an impressive one, so impressive that we couldn’t resist but ask him to be our friend and teach even more people how to enjoy life and do good at the same time. Why? Because Shafiek Khan is one of these few lucky people: he is a passionate surfer, and in 2008 he founded the Palama Metsi surfing school to help underprivileged children in South Africa. Here he offers free surfing and ocean safety lessons but also puts the kids back into schools.
Today, in 2014, there are three schools up and running (in Muizenberg/Cape Town, Elandsbaai and Coffee Bay/Transkei). Hundreds of kids have already benefited from the schools, getting them off the streets, working for their future, academically as well as receiving outstanding results in national surfing contests. We are very glad to welcome Shafiek Khan as our friend!
What is the most important sense to you?
They are all incredibly important but if I had to chose one, then definitely my eyes. They are my greatest learning tool. There is just so much to learn through reflection.
What is your vision for your personal work?
My vision would be totally different from what the kids envision for themselves. So it’s totally in their hands. But if I had a choice it would be to give those who need it and want it a better education. Education is freedom and a great way to get rid of poverty.
In which way do free surfing and ocean safety lessons help the youth to improve their lives in general?
Wow, so many… they become responsible, it adds dignity to their lives, a sense of belonging. It humbles them, when not in control. It brings with it a sweet patience, the swell coming and wind blowing, realising that it’s not always what we want. Discipline, team building, ocean awareness i.e. knowledge of the tides the wind, currents, fish dangers etc. We live with what nature provides and have fun, no matter what.
Surfing means travelling, always in search of the best waves and sports. Which location was the best you ever discovered?
Ha, ha, ha, you got me! I don’t like choosing which lady rides the best. I think locally Kalk Bay, as that took me to hospital after I had such a deep barrel. Then Elands, what a gem. Abroad definitely G-Land in East Java, because it scared me so much, but with it came an immense amount of knowledge and a silent humbleness. Also Jeffreys Bay, Victoria Bay, Namibia…. But the best waves are the ones you can share with your friends and loved ones. Yeah, even if it’s just 2ft.
What is the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
The birth of all my kids, my wife’s smile, my pilgrimage, but most of all it’s when you help the needy. It’s in their eyes… Yeah, that rocks and moves my heart.
What would you like to see more often?
Change… within us as humans.
Blind people and those who can see surely experience the world in different ways. How would you describe the world to someone who suffers from an irreversible loss of sight in one sentence?
I wouldn’t do that, as it would only add a sickness of not belonging to their hearts. But if I had to: it feels like those who care for you and see only love.
When was the last time you gave back and what did you do?
Normally I don’t like saying what I do secretly for others unless I am asked. I gave honey to an 86-year-old man who cycles over 20km ever day, just for work so that he can take care of his sick wife. What a MAN! Today, getting wetsuits organised for my project so that the kids can stay longer in the water and some boards.
What is your tactic for making the world a better place (besides running your surfing school)?
Bringing back trade and getting rid of our monetary system based on interest on debts and credits. Yeah, good luck with that, mate…. Teaching those less fortunate than ourselves so that they can make a difference and give pure modesty back to our women, the born leaders of all generations. YOU GIRLS ROCK!
Who is your personal hero?
Our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him.
Jasmin Gerat
actress – Berlin
Jasmin Gerat started her career in 1994 when she won the “Girl and Boy” model contest and then moved on to TV, hosting programmes like Bravo TV as successor to Heike Makatsch and working for MTV Germany. Only a few years later she turned to acting, which has been her main focus and passion ever since. After switching between TV and cinema appearances as well as some selected theatre plays, 2014 has already been an exciting year since she landed one of the main roles in the thriller series “The Team”, an international cooperation led by the German public channel ZDF. We can’t wait to see the results!
In the meantime we are very happy to welcome Jasmin Gerat as our friend. She is one of those German actresses who tend to stick in your mind – not only because of her acting talent but also thanks to this unique feel-good energy that she exudes.
What is the most important sense to you? Why?
I am extremely grateful for the gift that I can use all my senses. But if I had to choose one it would be my sight.
I am a very visual person. I love to observe everything. And to connect to other souls through my eyes is one of the most powerful things to me.
As an actress and presenter you are at home in many places. What is your vision for your personal work?
To me it’s all about being truthful and authentic to myself and the people around me, as much as possible – no matter which profession I choose.
You were born and raised in Berlin and you are still loyal to the German capital. Which location in Berlin do you love to see everyday?
I love to go to the Grunewald as often as I can. And of course I am in love with the Tempelhofer Feld. The atmosphere created by the light there is stunning.
What is the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
My daughter.
What would you like to see more often?
The sun and people smiling.
When was the last time you gave back and what did you do?
I just smiled at a stranger for no specific reason. She smiled back. I had butterflies in my belly. I guess we both made our day.
What is your tactic for making the world a better place?
Making conscious decisions every day and no matter how tough and challenging it can be sometimes: try to choose love!
Who is your personal hero?
Nature.
What is your picture for IWISHUSUN?
A bright neon pink shooting star with warm, golden glitter raining down on ALL of us.
Jenne Grabowski
musician and designer – Berlin
“I like stories, and I am a storyteller in my particular way either when I am playing music or making design or art,” says Jenne Grabowski about himself. And be sure, you can’t slow him down: Jenne is a Berlin-based musician, a designer and the founder and art director of JB. Magazine, an indie magazine which celebrates the interplay of the arts, music and street culture. It’s all about movement, change and creative visions but never about giving yourself up to the fast pace of life today. His topics are well-chosen and include extensive interviews with a personal touch, loads of art, photos and selected works.
Whenever Jenne is not busy searching for interesting people and topics or working on a new design project, you can find him either on the skateboard or behind the mixing desk. He has been playing all around Germany, i.e. some of Berlin’s most well-know clubs like WMF, Panorama Bar, Bar 25, Café Moskau, Watergate or Cookies. Also, Jenne acted as the tour DJ of The Whitest Boy Alive on their “The Patience” tour through Germany. This circumstance gets us down to a beautiful liaison between three of our supporters: Jenne is friends with DENA and hand in glove with Marcin Oz and we are glad to have found supporters in all of them, true to the motto: “Support each other. Together we are strong!”
A very warm welcome!
What is more important to you, the sense of taste or sight?
If I’d loose sight, I would still be able to taste all the yummy food. Or I could still see the sun shining while everything tastes neutral. Damn, both are important and I hope I can keep those senses forever.
You are a creative person. What is your vision for your personal work?
I want people to explore a little something that could be common or special, to find something of themselves. I like stories, and I am a storyteller in my particular way either when I am playing music or making design or art. Balancing humour and seriousness, relevance and vanity, extent and detail.
JB. Magazine covers the arts, music, and street culture. Is it your personal mouthpiece? Who do you want to reach and what is your intention?
Yes, you can call it my personal mouthpiece that is influenced by a bunch of people, animals, things and whatever involved, making it happen. JB. is about telling stories. The stories of others, my personal stories, those of my friends, of dreams and how we shape our reality. I want JB. to reach out to people that are awake and share a sense of awareness while I am not focussing too much on a particular culture. Of course, sharing certain kinds of interests makes me able to connect more easily with other people, and this is important to me. It fills this project with power. When I think of the magazine and the potential reader, I don’t know anything about the person flipping or reading or wandering through our editorial world. But if I reach out to people who are not necessarily using the same colors to paint that I would, but making them think about the colors or listen to a sound that hasn’t been audible in their lives before, then that would be one very important accomplishment.
To what extent does Berlin, your place of residence, exert influence on your work but also your personal way of life?
It surely does, but after such a long time living in Berlin, I cannot state the extent of it anymore. I have family in this town, so many friends, skate-spots, art, music or work, the countryside around where I am meeting foxes and squirrels and trying to hang with beavers… Everyone has a large share at it. Kreuzberg is my home, it’s the basis of my current chapter in life but I am always eager to wander out to explore new places and spaces, close and far away.
„We slow down when everything is going fast“ – this sentence is part of your mission statement and seems to reflect your main intention. What is your personal advice for coming down?
We love what we do and we are progressing and moving in the forward direction. But we are not submitting ourselves to the fast-moving nature of our world and to the compulsion of cultural change. Though the only constant is change, we are taking it really easy. Both feet on the ground as we can’t fly. Well, sometimes we can… If something is not happening now, we can wait with ease for another good moment because the next moment will always be the best.
Print was declared dead when online magazines got stronger and stronger. But you still believe in the power of print. What makes it so unique to you?
“Punk was dead when the first punk said: Punk is dead!” This is nothing nostalgic, it is a serious thing. Somehow we are fulfilling a desire that had been there for so long. It is also the wish to have something real in a digitized world. We are digitizing our brains day in day out. It is something for the tactile perception. Watching, reading, cutting, folding, tearing out a piece of art and altering it into new art, or hanging it on the wall, sharing issues or articles, burning the paper. It’s like having sex instead of thinking of it. Sometimes the thought is enough, but reality can be pretty sweet.
What is the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
I love and hate superlatives. And it’s hard to pin down a single moment or thing to claim it the most beautiful. But I would say it was the birth of my son Henri, because this magic was not happening on this planet.
What would you like to see more often?
People with courage and presence. James Turrell skyspaces. The real mountains. Or a James Turrell skyspace in the mountains, like the one in Switzerland I found last summer. The sea. The skateboard under my feet. My friends that I love but live to far away, even just to see them for a high five…
What do you prefer: sunrise or sunset?
I love both. Including the twilight. Sunset is about ending, which can be really dramatic. But the aesthetic, the transition is such a beautiful thing. The sunrise is always the beginning of something new. The unfolding, the flourishing, watching it all grow and not knowing where it will take us.
When was the last time you gave back and what did you do?
Giving should be natural in order to receive. But always without expecting anything in return.
What is your tactic for making the world a better place?
Staying in the now and keeping in my mind that life is actually about nothing. No faster, stronger, better, whatever. It all just happens in its own pace. Just give up! That is the formula.
Who is your personal hero?
No glorifying, but it could be a long list. If I think of someone next door, it would be my son who just drew me a complex weather chart, my good friend who just borrowed me a piano or the other who connected me to one of my most favorite street photographer from New York!
What is your picture/sound for IWISHUSUN?
Picture: the fall leaves and the golden sun in the woods the other day.
Sound: the sound of my skateboard I am riding on down the street by the sea while I am humming.
Did we forget to mention that Jenne takes beautiful pictures, too?! Check out his photos here.
We are thrilled to be able to present our first creative partner project and our first short film, the result of a cooperation between two ambassadors of our steadily growing network: “In a Creative Dialogue – Robot Koch x Sabrina Theissen for IWISHUSUN.”
Berlin-based composer and music producer Robot Koch and the photographer Sabrina Theissen got together to take a look at the topic of sight, which IWISHUSUN has dedicated its work to, from an unusual perspective. Robot Koch provided his brand new song “Jupiter”, for the project, which Sabrina Theissen used to garner inspiration, answering with her photographic tryptich, shown above. The sky and the sun are the determining motifs, which, in a similarly minimalist way as the song by Robot Koch, are captured only indirectly by reflection, allowing the greatest possible space for the unexpected aspects of ones own interpretations in their complete reduction – a playing field for one’s own way of seeing and perspectives.
This process and the thoughts of the two IWISHUSUN ambassadors are documented in intense imagery in Editude Pictures’ short film, “In a Creative Dialogue – Robot Koch x Sabrina Theissen for IWISHUSUN”:
Our thanks to Robot Koch, Sabrina Theissen as well as Frederic Leitzke and Andreas Lamøth from Editude Pictures, who captured the creative exchange in moving images.
You can read the IWISHUSUN interviews with Robot Koch, Sabrina Theissen and Editude Pictures here.
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Frederic Leitzke & Andreas Lamoth
filmmakers & co-founders of Editude Pictures – Berlin
Together they are strong! Frederic Leitzke and Andreas Lamoth co-founded their own film production company Editude Pictures in late 2010. What started as a more or less improvised coalition of five friends, slowly but surely evolved into a young promising company. While music and art are definitely prioritised, both of them have also corporately worked for brands like Coca Cola, Levis, Red Bull and Converse. Nevertheless what we love the most are their urban films which are filled with their passion for street art, illustration, urban culture and music. No surprise that they are best-known for these kind of interactions. Their documentation of Berlin’s creative scene, “In The Belly Of A Whale,” is their first film and at the same time a foundation for many video works that followed.
While their first documentation strung together various filmic portraits of Berlin’s art scene members and is still complemented by new episodes, Frederic and Andreas also worked for our friend and music producer Robot Koch in the past. To unlock the exciting potential which arises from our creative supporters we teamed up with Editude Pictures and two of our other dear ambassadors – beautiful project which we will showcase very soon. Stay tuned!
In the meantime welcome Editude Pictures as one of our supporters!
You are filmmakers and therefore sight must be a very important sense to you. What other sense couldn’t be missed in your life? Why?
Andy: It’s really hard to imagine a life without any of my senses, but besides my eyes I would miss my ears the most of all I guess. For me vision is strongly connected to hearing which you can see in almost all of our films: Sound and especially Music is so important to set the right tone for moving images and are unseperable in my eyes.
Fredi: That’s for sure. Besides that I would probably miss tasting the most, because my hobby cooking wouldn’t make much “sense” anymore I guess.
What is your vision for your personal work?
Andy: I hope to be working more in the field of documentaries in the future. There are tons of lives and people out there who are worth being banned to film and who’s stories are worth beeing told.
Fredi: Documentaries are very important to us for sure. Since our first film “In The Belly Of A Whale” lots of good things happened and we got great feedback for our work. That’s definitely a vision. Always try to do stuff that makes people happy, that entertains people, that has a purpose, that somehow “remains” in that crazy fast moving digital world.
Your personal opinion: what makes a good film?
Andy: Authenticity. Most of the big blockbuster movies simply have no heart and are only produced for making money. So I really prefer movies with smaller or even no budgets for which the filmakers had to make a big creative effort to get it done.
Fredi: The story. Always the story. In the past, the story was the most important thing in a movie. Movies were made because writers and directors had things to say. Today it’s more about pleasing the market, the industry, the crowd with crazy effects, pompous settings, big stars, telling the same stupid stories again and again, using every cliché available. Of course today still many nice movies are made, but really good and innovative screenplays are definitely more rare than in the last century.
What filmmakers have inspired you lately?
Andy: I love Wes Anderson and am really looking forward to his new movie in January. Besides that I am really into short documentaries about everyday life, which you can find very easily by independent and hobby filmers on Vimeo.
Fredi: Yeah, Wes Anderson for sure. The filmmaker who inspired me the most recently was Malik Bendjelloui, director of the masterpiece “Searching for Sugar Man”. A man with an – again – absolutely amazing story, without a big budget, with lots of struggles during the production but with a strong vision and impressive skills succeeds in the end, brings his vision to the screen and creates one of the most beautiful documentaries ever made.
What themes do you find yourself exploring over and over again?
Both: We have a really strong bond into Berlin’s art scene, so it’s almost natural that we are exploring themes like creativity, making a living from what you love and collaborations between different kinds of people in our films. Besides that we are planing a new documentary about the new age of making music – hopefully we will start filming in 2014, watch out!
What is the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
Andy: That’s a tough one. I believe when you look close enough you can find beautiful things happening around you everyday, even (often mostly) in the most random and trivial situations.
Fredi: Impossible to answer.
Sunrise or sunset – what do you prefer?
Andy: Sunrise.
Fredi: Sunset.
As a seeing person it is hard, if not impossible, to imagine the world from the perspective of a blind person, and the same applies in reverse. How would you describe our world and surroundings to a blind person?
Both: We don’t think it’s fair trying to tell a blind person what the world looks like. We would rather try to find advantages which blind people have. For example we believe they have no problems with prejudice and are able to experience the world in very different but also exciting ways.
What would you like to see more often?
Andy: Justice.
Fredi: Humility.
What is your tactic for making the world a better place?
Andy: There is so much screwed up stuff happening around us that one person really can’t handle all types of it. So I guess you just have to concentrate on 2 or 3 things that matter most to you and try to make a change. Lately I am trying to boycott mass animal farming by not eating any meat no more; it’s really hard to see animals suffering because of massive exorbitance in our ways of living.
Fredi: Making the world a better place is a hard task. I rather focus on little things in my daily surroundings, that you really can influence and that make a small difference. Treat people nicely and with respect, be honest, be humble to the environment and in my daily life. Things like that.
When was the last time you gave back and what did you do?
Andy: I am trying to support Unicef on a regular basis to help them fight the problem of stranded refugees all over the world.
Fredi: The last time? I guess that was some money I gave to the fantastic street musician on Warschauer Straße, that I pass every morning.
Scumeck Sabottka
concert promoter & agent and CEO of MCT Agentur – Berlin
Scumeck Sabottka knows them all: as a concert promoter and agent who founded the online ticket sale tickets.de and is co-founder of MCT Agentur in Berlin, he has overseen the German tours of the likes of Arcade Fire, Atoms For Peace, Florence & The Machine, Pearl Jam, Kraftwerk, Lenny Kravitz, Marilyn Manson, Tom Waits, Moby, Radiohead, Rammstein, Robbie Williams and many more. Even though he has been involved in music professionally since the early 1980s (and a music lover for much longer) and back then worked with great musicians from all over the world – Einstürzende Neubauten and Ramones to name two of our favourites -, Sabottka has also proved himself a talented photographer as well as being truly big-hearted. While his eyes catch beautiful views of landscapes, human faces, cities and, of course, concerts to translate them into photographs, Scumeck Sabottka is very engaged in social activities too. In addition to showing social responsibility by supporting the organisations Amnesty International and Make Poverty History on his website, he also founded his own website: Remember Chernobyl, a platform that reminds us of the disaster of Chernobyl as well as the fight against its aftermath.
We are very happy to welcome this fascinating Berliner onto our list of friends and supporters. Immerse yourselves in his world and learn more about Scumeck Sabottka in our interview. A very warm welcome!
You are a concert promoter & agent and therefore hearing must be a very important sense to your work. What other sense couldn’t be missed in your life? Why?
All of them really – to see an artist or a band, to smell a venue and the fans, to hear the music — all of those senses are used when visiting a concert and these senses make the concert an experience.
Your work mainly focuses on the acoustical side of life. But how does your personal life sound like?
Music and sounds follow me throughout my entire live – I collect cars and motorbikes because of their look but also because of their sounds ….
Your personal evergreen?
Musicwise – Paul Desmond forever !
What is your sound for IWISHUSUN?
The sound of wind and waves, of trees and barking dogs…..
You are a creative person and have organised numerous tours of well-known bands and musicians. What is your vision for your personal work?
To archive the best in my field by offering fairness and understanding to the people I am dealing with; to learn from the vision of the artists I represent and to bounce back those visions in my head to make them a reality.
You oversee concerts but at the same time you show social responsibility not only by featuring several organisations such as Amnesty International and Make Poverty History but also by founding Remember Tschernobyl. Is this your tactic for making the world a better place?
I feel , that even by the smallest effort, we can make the world a better place and I try and push the envelope to everyone around me to share the love and experience I receive when being rewarded.
When was the last time you gave back and what did you do?
I wish not to brag about my social doings but like to say, that it is very rewarding to offer a helping hand; whether this is in our neighbourhood or in far away places, I enjoy learning of people who are in need.
Who is your personal hero?
The unnamed liquidators of Chernobyl.
Blind people and those who can see surely experience the world in different ways. How would you describe the world to someone who suffers from an irreversible loss of the ability to see in one sentence?
As the most beautiful music/sound they ever heard !
What is the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
The architecture in Brasilia by Oscar Niemeyer & Lúcio Costa – truly breathtaking.
What would you like to see more often?
The ocean.
Sunrise or sunset – what do you prefer?
Sunset for sure – especially on the beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Photo: Anton Corbijn.
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Sabrina Theissen
photographer – Berlin
Look for the name behind the photos in lala Berlin’s latest lookbooks. Check out who is responsible for various photographic series at many of our favourite print magazines, among them German VOGUE, Sleek, Achtung, Interview, L’Officiel Hommes, Indie and I Love You Magazine. The name they all have in common? Sabrina Theissen. The highly talented fashion photographer, who is based in Berlin, where she studied photo design, has built up quite a reputation over the past years. Thanks to her sensual yet conceptual way of creating an image, her unique eye driven by natural beauty and light, Sabrina’s photos can be easily identified – whether in the above mentioned magazines, in the context of lala Berlin’s collections (read Leyla Piedayesh’s interview with IWISHUSUN here) or working for other clients like Odeeh, Achtland, Hugo Boss, Closed and others.
We think Sabrina Theissen is a major talent and we love working with her. Before we show you the results, we are very happy to introduce you to Sabrina’s work and thought processes by sharing her interview:
You are a photographer and therefore sight must be a very important sense to you. What other sense couldn’t be missed in your life? Why?
Hearing. By listening to music it’s easily possible to dream yourself to any place you’d love to be.
What is your vision for your personal work?
To be honest to myself and to stay authentic in my way of showing what I’m adoring.
You have specialised in fashion photography but is there any other area that you still want to explore?
The more I get into the topic the more I’m exploring it. I’m also very interested in trying out new ways of seeing, showing beauty in another context and to realise projects on my own again, without a large team in the background.
Your personal opinion: what makes a good (fashion) photograph?
It should appeal to you in some way: whether because it makes you smile, leads you into a parallel world, touches you aesthetically or irritates you.
Looking through the camera is almost synonymous with the act of photographing. How does your normal sight differ from your personal perspective through a camera?
Not that much, I guess. It doesn’t make a difference if I’m holding a camera in my hands or not. This machine is just the way to visualise what I’m seeing.
What is the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
My newborn niece.
Sunrise or sunset – what do you prefer?
Hard to decide. Both events are so incredibly beautiful and full of metaphors like hope, recommencement, transition… I do love both.
What would you like to see more often?
People smiling on the street.
What is your tactic for making the world a better place?
By starting to change things in my own life which I’d also love to become real in a bigger context.
When was the last time you gave back and what did you do?
I just did some craft work for my mother’s project. Once a year she organises a great market together with other women, raising money for autistic children and a women’s shelter.
But this is not the only chance Sabrina Theissen jumps at to show her vivid interest in the world and her fellow human beings: the generous photographer also supports IWISHUSUN not only by giving us an interview but by being involved in a new exciting project which we will showcase very soon. That’s why Sabrina’s picture for IWISHUSUN is still in the making and we can’t wait to show you the result. Stay tuned!
In the meantime we present a selection of her photographic work below:
“From Vancouver to LA” series:
Commercial work:
Achtland Spring/Summer 2014
Sleek, “Brumous”
Sleek, “Insight”
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Sabrina Dehoff
founder of the eponymous jewelry brand, womenswear and jewelry designer – Berlin
Jewelry is so much more than mere decoration to Sabrina Dehoff and her eponymous label which she launched with her first collection „Little Helpers“ in 2006. Now based in Berlin, Sabrina gained experience in London where she studied at the famous Royal College of Arts and, working as a design assistant for Albert Elbaz and Christina Ortiz, in Paris. When moving to the German capital in 2000 she first started her own fashion consultancy company, “Vonrot”, but then, in 2006, expanded the world of jewelrey by her own label which offers her personal interpretation of playful but at the same time deeply contemporary gems. Her filigree works of art mix different materials and redefine feminine jewelry design, with classical elements combined with striking colours and beautiful details.
Her Berlin store is not only of our favourite stops when it comes to little shiny presents for our dearests or ourselves, Sabrina Dehoff also supports our cause and created a delicately designed strictly limited necklace for IWISHUSUN. In this place we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Sabrina Dehoff who has contributed 100% of her profits to the charity, enabling even more eye operations. Moreover, we are very happy to welcome her as a friend and supporter!
What is more important to you, the sense of taste or sight? Why?
Sight, because of all the beauty, colours, glimpses, shades, reflections and because I want to see my son growing up.
You are a creative person who studied Womenswear and worked in fashion design but launched your own jewelry label in 2006. What is your vision for your personal work?
I love what I am doing and I love to experiment and learn about new things, learn new skills and develop constantly. I see my work always as a work in progress.
Your jewellery designs are always playful–ever and anon colourful, eccentric and glamorous, sometimes minimalistic but featuring small golden or silver pendants, classic white Swarovski crystals and we also remember your cord bracelets and necklaces. How would you describe your own visual aesthetic?
I like contrasts and I like to find new ways of techniques and aesthetics that have a new aspect or different angle to it. But I still want my work to be approachable and real and
not an overambitious design exercise. I do not like too much good taste and perfection as for me that lacks charm, fun and a bit of risk taking.
Through your work you travel a lot. What is the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
Well, I actually do not travel a lot, but luckily beauty is not something you only see while you travel. You can see beauty in lots of things. I think if you see something really beautiful it is always a unique and wonderful experience. It is about the moment and the feeling that it evokes. The sensation of: all is good, life is beautiful.
What would you like to see more often?
Nature.
Sunrise or sunset–what do you prefer?
I think both are very nice, but sunrise I find more touching. It is the start, the beginning awakening that has as real magic!
In generous support of IWISHUSUN you designed an exclusive golden necklace which is composed of a whiskey coloured Swarovski crystal and a delicate sun pendant. Does this design match your visual idea of IWISHUSUN?
Yes, I think with the combination of the little golden sun together with the whiskey coloured stone, it has a friendly sparkle and should reflect the good moods and intentions.
As a seeing person it is hard, if not impossible, to imagine the world from the perspective of a blind person, and the same applies in reverse. How would you describe our world and surroundings to a blind person?
I would try to explain what I see and why I see it that way. The world is full of different facets, colours, forms, light and darkness. Where you turn, whatever you focus on–you can see something different. The further away things are the less details you can see.
So in the end it is lots about personal perception. Like reading a book it is our imagination that makes the world for us.
What is your tactic for making the world a better place?
It is a bit of an embarrassing question which I am asking myself a lot lately. I try to be nice and kind, help when I can and support good things like IWISHUSUN, but I feel I should do more!
Who is your personal hero?
I have lots of different heroes, but in general I like lateral thinkers and people with a real passion!
Sibylle Breitbach
Founder of WASTED Management – Berlin
“I’ve always been fascinated by meeting new and interesting people, cultures and places,“ says Sibylle Breitbach about herself. In the past the likeable Berliner-by-choice has proven that she knows very well how to make the best of her natural curiosity and at the same time support other people, without any pressure but in an on-going organic process. Her curiosity also led her to a stint working at Germany’s Ministry of Justice but then moving on to Cologne’s Chelsea Hotel in the early nineties, which was soon loved by the creative circle and music scenes. Here Sibylle met German actress and then VIVA moderator Heike Makatsch with whom she would pass into a new chapter of her life: in 1995 the intense working relationship between Sibylle Breitbach and Heike Makatsch led to the foundation of WASTED Management, an artist management agency with a comprehensive service, which developed over a period of time; the actress being Sibylle’s first client.
Since then WASTED Management has expanded, but those who presume that time and success has changed the intimate approach of Sibylle’s work will be disabused: anyone who thinks that her agency’s emphasis on a close cooperation between client and agent are nothing but empty words, will immediately change their minds as soon as they get to know Sibylle. She proves that professionalism and humanity, along with a strong commitment to and interest in your environment can go together very well. No wonder she immediately had a positive feeling about IWISHUSUN from the first time we met. That’s why we are very glad to introduce you to Sibylle Breitbach as our friend and supporter who appreciates our cause. A very warm welcome!
WASTED MANAGEMENT represents the actresses Heike Makatsch, Sibel Kekilli, Alexandra Neldel, the TV presenter/author Tine Wittler, the directors Feo Aladag and Miriam Dehne and the photographer Roman Walczyna–public figures whose works are mainly or at least partly characterised by visuality.
But what is more important to YOU, the sense of sight or taste?
Definitely sight! Sight allows you to be surprised by beauty in a way no other sense does.
You founded WASTED Management in 1995–a decision that was closely linked and influenced by the intense working relationship with your first client, German actress Heike Makatsch. Did this close cooperation remain essential for your whole work?
Yes, absolutely. When we started working together we were just like kids – naïve and full of energy. The core of my business grew organically out of our relationship. Working with someone like Heike who is honest, determined, highly talented, very intelligent and brave made me realise the kind of business I wanted to run.
Placing a strong emphasis on personal connections with your clients, on a close-partnered way of working opposes itself to conventional methods. Do you think this is the future of management?
It’s a broad market and many approaches are valid. The only thing I can say for certain is that this approach works best for me. By working in a close partnership with my clients and really getting to understand them as individuals we can develop ourselves and our projects in a manner that is both organic and dynamic.
WASTED Management is working hard on realising its clients’ dream, hopes and goals. But what about you–what are you dreaming of?
I’ve always been fascinated by meeting new and interesting people, cultures and places. I’d love to become more internationally involved.
When was the last time you gave back and what did you do?
For me it’s the little things that count and our relationships to other people. Making kindness a habit is an ongoing process of mine. There is no final destination here but the journey is fun.
Do you have a vision to make this place a better one?
I’d like to think that by doing the right thing by myself and other people it makes a difference.
What is the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
Discovering a place that I felt and still feel deeply connected to.
What would you like to see more often?
The only thing I miss more than my friends from the Maldives is being there with them.
Sunrise or sunset–what do you prefer?
I love both, and the contrast.
Who is your personal hero?
I don’t believe in putting someone in a position of a hero. But there are qualities I admire in people. I admire people who have the clarity of vision to see what’s wrong in the world, the moral character to want to change it and the bravery to take action.
What´s your picture for IWISHUSUN?
The picture below. I had no idea where Roman (the photographer) was taking me. We drove through countless plastic tourist towns, cycled 8 km through a damp forest and my heart sank. Suddenly this beautiful ocean vista appeared before us taking me completely by surprise. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” (John Keats)
Photography: Roman Walczyna.
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Katja Schweitzberger
editor-in-chief of LesMads, fashion blogger & music lover – Berlin
Katja Schweitzberger may be an expert when it comes to fashion but she is also a music lover – we share our love for the “good tunes” of the 60s and 80s, our passion for bands like The Rolling Stones, The Cure, The Smiths and all the other indie bands that followed decades later but were obviously inspired by these idols. Katja, who studied English as well as German language and literature, is also editor-in-chief of one of Germany’s most renowned blogs, LesMads, where she took over the reins from its founders Julia Knolle and Jessica Weiß in late 2011. Always in search of the latest news in fashion, the loveable Berliner-by-choice keeps us up to date on topics that turn LesMads into a daily must-read.
Combining her two passions, Katja Schweitzberger found her own aesthetic language that reveals different influences: her love of indie music and films as well as her interest in new designers, collections, textile experiments and fashion treasures. The result is a very clean but always individual style that is half sporty, half chic. We appreciate all the more the fact that we saw Katja wearing our logo T-shirt earlier this year, wishing you sun from Hamburg’s music festival Dockville, and it’s obvious she is well aware of the impact of images, of sight and visual impressions! Now Katja has finally popped in for an interview and we are happy to share it with you. A very warm welcome!
What is more important to you, the sense of taste or sight?
Why?
The sense of sight. Though I love to eat – and of course taste – seeing is far more important for me. It is the only way to fully enjoy the things I love the most: fashion, movies, photography.
You are a creative person. What is your vision for your personal work?
I won’t say that I have a concrete vision for my personal work. A vision can also limit you. I just want to experience and learn as much as possible. And of course make our readers happy.
Your work mainly focuses on the visual side of life. But how does your life sound like?
That’s a tough question. I am not sure if anyone else but me would enjoy that soundtrack. Let’s say it’s a mix of The Cure, Gesaffelstein, Billy Idol, M.I.A., Fleetwood Mac and Die Antwoord.
We share our passion for music, especially bands of the 1960s and 1980s. Do you think the world was a better one back then?
I don’t think that the world in general was better back then but the music certainly was. Today music – especially pop music – doesn’t have the same value anymore. People just search for entertainment and want to have a good time. They don’t really care about what kind of music is playing when they are going out for example. And this reflects on the music. It’s not made to last. A lot of it is boring and disposable. You usually forget about the latest hit within a week. Or hear more about the performer’s (see Miley Cyrus, Rihanna or Madonna) private life than about their music.
Your personal evergreen?
I have so many evergreens. Today I pick Rod Stewart’s “Young Turks.”
What is your sound for IWISHUSUN?
I don’t quite know why but I was just thinking about something warm and soft and then the sound of Feist came to my mind. I haven’t heard her music for quite some time but somehow I think she fits.
Blind people and those who can see surely experience the world in different ways. How would you describe the world to someone who suffers from an irreversible loss of the ability to see in one sentence?
The world is a crazy beautiful place and if you can’t see it with your own eyes, experience it with the help of your loved ones.
What is the most beautiful thing you ever saw?
Peta Loudhes, the valley of the butterflies in Rhodes.
What would you like to see more often?
The sea.
What is your tactic for making the world a better place?
Listening to people.
When was the last time you gave back and what did you do?
I donated clothes to the Skyy swap market. The proceeds of the event went to Berlin Aids-Hilfe e.V.
Who is your personal hero?
Grace Coddington.