Silverware @ Antique Flea Market, Ostbahnhof

This is Klaus. Say hello to Klaus! Klaus is a Berliner and since 25 years he passionately collects antique silverware. Now he owns a huge collection and during the warmer seasons he sells part of it (what he calls "the tip of the iceberg" - hope that wasn't bragging :) ) at the antique flea market behind Ostbahnhof.

Although a charming notion, I never thought of buying silver cutlery at a flea market. You hardly find two pieces of the same set and I have no knowledge to distinguish the good from the bad.

You won't face these troubles when dealing with Klaus: he sells complete sets, he tells you everything what you want to know on historic cutlery (even if you don't buy anything, its interesting to listen :)) and he remembers what you have bought from him in former times when you cannot recall it on your own (THAT is service)!  Finally his goods are so low priced that really, bargaining would be out of place. 

Attentive readers might have noticed from here that I got new cutlery (WMF series 2300 from 1930) and it doesn't come as a surprise that I am totally happy with it!

Klaus Beulich, Silverware from over 100 years. 

He runs a booth at the antique flea market behind Ostbahnhof and at other flea markets (Straße des 17. Juni, Fehrbelliner Platz).

The flea market at Ostbahnhof takes place every Sunday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Contact beforehand to order a special set: schaffie@gmx.de

mee ori, multi-brand fashion shop in samchung dong

i rarely shop now since it was incredibly tedious to clear out my belongings in the last years. as to the wardrobe i want to have a light, versatile one that fits into several suitcases! that will be a great day to come. meanwhile, like any serious foodie, i encourage food gifts for christmas because they will never end up as rubbish :)

whew, having said that i introduce a shop today. i have been strolling around in seoul which i think is the greatest shopping city in the world - compared to other popular capitals prices are still low and for every class of goods there are so many co-existing price levels that one will always meet one's budget. the only place with horrifying price tags are the department stores. it makes gasp to see how many items can break the 1 million mark that seem to be sold to people who don't look like millionaires (we are talking about wons but still...). however, there are serious alternatives in this city!

when passing the lovely window of mee ori that describes itself as a "multi-brand fashion shop" in the historical neighborhood of samcheong dong, i couldn't help but enter. jeong seo kim is the owner and offers selected as well as self-designed apparel together with dazzling accessories (footwear unfortunately for the last time now). ms. kim describes her style as "lovely avantgarde" :) and as far as i can judge, every single item met the requirements of being up-to-date, ravishing and comfy. (it's worth mentioning that being edgy seems not to be a virtue among the fashionistas here. the great majority of the street-looks is demure.)

and she really has the talent for making you think that she worries about your appearance without haunting you.

"your coat is NOT CASHMERE!! how could that happen??? you should change that!!!! " (until that pitiful statement of hers i took much pride in the coat as being my best one - jil sander for uniqlo, fall/winter 2010... so that came as a shock.)

"elsewhere you can get this kind of coat only at max mara, i assure you." (sounds good to me and i want to believe she is right.)

"in abgucheong dong it is already sold out" (sounds even better - for korean women it still is the reference area for elegance...).

"do you know alexander wang?? this one is inspired by his coat..." (i have no idea. but isn't alexander wang always supposed to be black?)

seeing the price tag was another shock.
but when taking into consideration how these items are made it is comprehensible that it must cost significantly more than the average zara-duplicate: ms. kim constantly watches international designers (other names dropped were marc jacobs and maison martin margiela) and personally reinterprets their works - influenced by the colors and history in her neighborhood and by the requirement of suitability for daily use. the fine fabrics are carefully selected, often they are bought on inspirational travels in bali and thailand. and she has a soft spot for the patterns of japanese producers.

i tried to bargain (which is a must at retailers in korea, especially when you buy more then two items):
"eonnie! i know you want me to have this and me too but simply i can't afford... pleeeease give me further reductions... btw, i am from busan, too!"
- "where have you been to high school??"
- "dongnae..."
- "i am from haeundae! do you (at least) live there?"
- "nope..."(that marked the end of our similarities because for koreans not only your hometown but also your home district and your school, that is called "motherschool", are crucial.)

in the end i still got a further reduction on the sale and took away a new coat and a white blouse with bliss. i am done with shopping for this season and hopefully for the next winter to come (check this post again then for a long-term review :) ).

get interesting fashion insights of ms. kim in a magazine interview here.

mee ori

opens daily from 11 am - 7:30 pm
Chongno Gu,
Yunboseon Gil 65.

Anguk Station, Subway Line No. 3

phone: 02 722 7660

Mafalda Vintage

One of the few inhabitants I met here so far took me to Brooklyn's Smith-Street and Atlantic Avenue. With quite some efforts I figured out later that the name of the neighborhood must be Boerum Hill. The Atlantic Avenue in that section is full of glorious boutiques and antique shops. Pricey though.

And in between these I spotted the best vintage shop I've ever seen. I know how tiresome it is to name "best of"s at such frequent intervals as I have been doing lately - best food, best shopping, best arts etc... I swear that I will soon point out the not so sunny sides here to regain credibility.

The shop's name is Mafalda and it's named after the mother-in-law of the owner, Christina. Why is it unique? Every piece is chosen and presented with so much spirit and love that in your hands, it feels like an art object of its own.

The colors are vivid and the textiles in such a flawless condition that you are astonished how time could pass away without leaving any traces.

While the winter weather let me shrink back to the same gray colors for countless weeks in a row, I own a silk blouse for the next Miro- or Mondrian-visit since then. And a blazer in Yves-Klein-Blue together with a couple of flower-printed dresses (all these were on heavy sale) keep me asking: when did we ever stop wearing colors? And when will spring come along?













In such moments you bethink what's so great about vintage garments:

• It is timeless but still makes you aware of history.
• It makes you grateful to the unknown pre-wearer who has been handling the clothes so well that it still looks newly-made.
  
• It's fun to imagine at which occasions it was worn before.
  
• It allows you shopping / consuming without wasting new resources.
  
• After all, you get the best textile quality at an affordable price as clothes in the 50ies, 60ies, 70ies were meant to last a life long.

Christina told me that she bought her first vintage clothes at the age of 13. Thirteen. And she was the first person I encountered in this city talking about sustainability while packing my purchase in a simple unprinted paperbag. When I asked her if it didn't hurt to give away these treasures she revealed that the hunting part was the most fun. And the traveling involved with it in her case. How charming.

So thank you, Christina for the bargain! My pictures don't serve your place right but it was a lucky encounter.

Mafalda: 360 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn
Subway: Hoyt St-Shermerhorn St (A, C, G)
Bergen St (F, G)
Hoyt St (2, 3)
Wed-Sat: 11:00-19:00
Sun: 12:00-18:00


Picture of Christina taken from nymag.

my new rubber boots

At an early point of time I learned that two items were essential here that virtually don't exist in Berlin: rubber boots and earmuffs. That's why I didn't possess any of them but when the snow turned into slush

rubber boots became the must-have of the moment: the only way to keep feet dry.

The purchase however wasn't easy. I dislike the shape of most rubber boots like hunter boots (either chavy or clumsy) so I opted for a Swedish brand that makes playful but still classy boots. Of course the color I wanted seemed to be sold out in the shops (in those days everyone who didn't already have some were getting rubber boots) so I hunted after them all around the city. But it was totally worth the effort and I rarely stepped out of the door without them since.

Now, whenever there is a puddle to jump in I rejoice like a kid and pity other leather-soled-pedestrians.

New Year's Day

On New Year's Day I finally made it to the hipsters' part of Brooklyn, Williamsburg. To be precise, it's one segment of the Bedford Avenue and some side roads. I had been to the avenue itself already but I had started at a "wrong" section. The street is 16 km long in total, so as a matter of fact, I didn't made it to the other right spot. Instead I ve seens so many Hasidic Jews as never before in my life.

I went to a highly praised vintage store, the beacon's closet (other stores that I wanted to see were closed on that day). At first sight I was disappointed as the stuff wasn't well-assorted and there weren't as many leather goods as I hoped. But in the chaos I detected a cute wool coat of one of my favorite Korean fashion brands. It fit perfectly, was in great condition and was only tagged with 25 $ (the shop personnel probably didn't know that it was worth ten times as much:))! I was happy as my last coat of the same producer lasted ten years.

Afterwards I spotted a shop where you can make accessories to one's liking. I was looking for some long and simple necklaces a longer time so this was the chance given. I chose a ferreous padlock and a golden leaf as pendants. I love that the leaf can be worn in multiple "positions". I also made this stud earrings in the shape of a rose. In the evening I went to a Jazz Club in the West Village (Smalls). It was pretty crammed and pretty good.