We all know fashion is hard work and if you’re working during fashion week, then, well, that’s even harder work. Somehow, designer darling Julian Zigerli makes it all seem easy and manages to stay cute and optimistic navigating it all. For all the voyeurs out there, here’s your chance to follow Julian behind the scenes at his breathtaking guerrilla show during Berlin Fashion Week this past summer.
9:30
I slowly get up at my friend Hans’ place in Neukölln. There’s no rush with getting up, ‘cos we are fully prepared for the show and I have a very good team which holds my back, so I can easily chill a bit more in bed. Only task to do: get flowers for Katharina Grosse.
10:30
Leaving the house with three back up outfits in my backpack. Couldn’t decide on what to wear for the big day. As usual. Crossing the street to get a shitty hot chocolate and a very buttery croissant to-go. Grabbing the best flowers I can get at some very shitty flower shop I found on the way. It really is not the easiest down there at Hermann Platz. Why would I buy flowers that are already blossoming at the fullest? They live like 5 minutes before they die. Anyway, I found a good bunch and now it’s already getting late. omg. Calltime 11:00.
10.50
Sitting in the bus to Haupbahnhof. Public transports is the glamorous way to travel on a showday. And look… the flowers really are nice.
11:10
Already way too late. Finally arrived at Hauptbahnhof. Still a 10 min walk away from our backstage area. I haven’t mentioned why I bought some flowers for Katharina. It’s cos she is the kindest and let us use her studio as a backstage area. BEST BACKSTAGE EVER I’m telling you.
11:20
Bloody bus ain’t coming. Shall I walk the 10 min knowing that I will walk this distance another 5-6 times today, since our show location is the Geschichtspark Moabit next to Hauptbahnhof and the studio is just 10 min away from it? FUCK IT I’m getting a cab. and WTF the kurzstrecke (*short distance ride) is 5 motherfucking Euros? now? How dare you Berlin!!!!!!! I remember it being 3€ and I was already shocked when it went up to 3.50 and then 4. I guess I need to start more cab fights from now on. That always works until they kick you out and you refuse to pay. Then you just grab the next one and same story all over again. Free ride yay!
11:45
Finally arrived and unpacking the collection to get it all ready for the day. And look who’s here all smiles and happy. Our lovely Simona the girl with the whip, which she uses if someone is not dancing to her or our pipe. Swush!! Get dressed models!
12:40
We are ready for the boys and as I told you BEST BACKSTAGE EVER. See for yourself.
13:15
Everything is set up and everyone from my team is briefed. I guess it’s couch time. I’ll let Yannick Aellen work his magic. He’s my show producer and has everything under control.
14:00
The hair and make-up guys have arrived for the test. A quick briefing and let’s get started. We need grass.
15:00
Yesss, it’s fantastic! Thank you Michelle the mastermind from AOFM Pro make-up team. We need more grass and skin glue.
15.15:
giving some orders to the team. we need all the catering food and beverages in now. we need spray glue so we can glue the grass on the socks. i need a white spray so i can tag our park entrance with a white rabbit. and we need a good time, which we all are having at the moment and pretty sure for the rest of the day. most importantly!
15.30:
i have to go and pick up my sister from the Hauptbahnhof. She is sitting in the TXL right now and already called me when she boarded the plane in Zürich, when she landed in Berlin, when she got into the Bus and now i’m again late for the pickup. sorry sis, brothers never change.
15.45:
look who’s here <3 <3 <3
15:50
She must be my first guest being 4 hours early. Total front row material with that hair.
16:00
The model boys have arrived. We’re gathering in front of Motel One right next to the park. They still don’t know that we will be doing a guerillia show in the park.
16:15
The secret is out and the boys are thrilled about this exciting happening. Only problem is, the backstage is too far away, that’s why we had to plan the run-through then and there. Coffee and food comes later.
Let’s get started! Yannick is taking them by the hand and shows them what we had in mind and what our “runway“ in the park will look like. It’s a lot of walking. A 5 minutes catwalk almost. It takes a while to brief all the 26 boys. Also our music concept has to be tried out right away.
16:45
Frauke (our music queen), Hélène and Laura have arrived with the 25 Samsung speakers and mobiles. Yes each and every one of the models will carry their own music around with them. Connected via Bluetooth with the mobile in their pockets. And yes there are many different songs and it is crucial that the right model is getting the right song. A simple number system helps here. The boys are numbers now.
18:00
Almost through and running late for the start of hair and make-up. Yannick we need to hurry up, they need the boys backstage. I’m leading them all the way back to Studio Grosse. Feeling like a duck mama with her boys walking in a row behind her.
18:15
Get them hair did and get that grass on.
18:45
Our lovely Viktor posing for Joseph Wolfgang Ohlert.
18:55
Back at the park welcoming Arne our PR manager. Yannick is waiting for the last boy to arrive for the briefing and I’m gonna go and get that spray on the wall now.
19:00
Location is marked. JULIAN ZIGERLI S/S16 “WHITE RABBIT“ in Berlin at Geschichtspark Moabit. Here we are!
19:30
Not nervous yet. Everything is under control. The boys are running around the house all topless. I wonder why. Grass everywhere. I forgot to mention that we also had to brief our technical guy for the light set up in the park. That happened around 18.00. Luckily Team Zigerli is working full power and I didn’t hav to go to the park again to show him how it’s done. Thank you Jonas and Stefan <3.
20:00
The boys are getting dressed and I am throwing some interviews for FAZ, Sleek, NZZ, etc. and yes time is running.
20:10
Our last boy finally arrived at the backstage. It’s RJ Mitte, the Breaking Bad star. Cool dude and glad he’s walking for me. But being late is never fun for nerves. Where are the hair guys?!! A little freak out and WTF screaming until someone confirmed with me that they are waiting on location. So RJ’s hair will be done in the lineup before the show starts. Very last minute.
20:20
Let’s go to the park boys! We need to start on time since there is a very angry park lady coming at 9 pm sharp to kick us out. With some bribe money in our pockets, we feel a bit safer,though. The 10 min walk to the park was probably the longest and most nervous walk I had before any show. I’m not usually a nervous person. Maybe 5 min before the show I am. But having 10 minutes to think about whether the park is full of people and what could go wrong is nerve wrecking I’m telling you. Did I mention that it is an open air show and that the weather really was unpredictable today? Luckily the dark clouds faded away and I have the perfect twilight mood I was hoping for.
20:30
Arrived at the park. Getting the music on all the speakers set up. Making some final retouches on the draping of the clothing. Giving every boy a kiss (I wish) and we’re ready to start.
20:38
Show started almost on time and it is going smoothly. A little bit too much wind for the little speakers, but what the hell, it will just make the whole thing more mysterious. It is very sad that I am not able to see this particular show from the front. The park is just too beautiful and I can only imagine how it would look when the models are walking out of the bushes, crossing this huge meadow to finally end up between some poplar trees where the whole bunch will present themselves in the final set up. All carrying some bird whistles, wale sounds, kawaii music or deep tunes from paris.
20:46
Hiding behind the bushes, waiting for my sign from Yannick to run out and do the goofy in front of my audience.
20:55
Exhausted and happy. Everything went well. The crowd seemed to have liked the show. They are still sticking around to get a closer look of the collection. Well done TEAM ZIGERLI. Once again, a very satisfying show with amazing reactions and most importantly, we spread a good feeling with the work we did. Happy times!
Tim Grupp, a Zigerli classic
Posing with the show couple Antonin and Skyler, who became the Berlin Fashion Week sensation and even made it into several printed newspapers the next day. Officially they are not a couple and both in very happy relationships with 2 beatiful girls. Love is love!
22:45
#teamzigerli
It took us forever to clean up the backstage area. Who’s stupid idea was it to put grass on the models?!! I guess my brilliant mind only went till showtime and didn’t think of any consequences. Happy and exhausted the official team shot.
23:00
Grabbing two high-capacity taxis — one to Mitte and one to Neukölln. Just dropping off the stuff.
23:30
From this point on I was too exhausted to take any more pictures and I guess it was an okay choice to meet the team again at Hühnerhaus for dinner. We needed some chicken and fries in our stomachs. Who knew that they dont serve alcohol at this place?!!
00:00
Bringing my sister home to tuck her into bed. Did I mention that I am way over using the public transport from this point on? Taxi’s only now.
00:30
Meeting my team again at Monster Ronsons. A traditional after show karaoke party is about to start. Singing your mind numb is pretty much the best thing to do with several rum and cokes in my hands.
Singsingsing drinkdrinkdrink till approximate 4am. taxi home. sleep. dream.
