I have a very special relationship with Berlin. It represents freedom for me, which seems contradictory to its post-1930s past. In 1997, I studied abroad in this unique city. When I recently saw the RED LIPS jacket by Marcell von Berlin, it embodied the city and my experience there.
It was less than 10 years after the wall came down, and the city was undergoing tremendous change. There was redevelopment and reconstruction everywhere you looked. It was as though the city was being unveiled to the world for the first time since the outbreak of World War II, and I was inspired.
I was 20 years old and far away from home. And I was far away from the responsibilities of my grade point average and other academic concerns. So, I let Berlin have its way with me.
During my student days in Berlin, my style changed. I stopped hiding behind flowy clothing and started to wear things that fit my body. Often my friends and I went straight from the classroom to a bar and then a nightclub – there wasn’t time to change when there was living to do! It was here that I taught myself how to “take your outfit from day to night,” advice that continues to this day in women’s magazines. Ha!
Living in Berlin
I was renting a room from a female photographer in Prenzlauer Berg, who remained true to her bohemian lifestyle in the former East. She had stayed put when the wall went up. And she never saw her parents and sister again after that.
I embraced the life being lived around me. Considering what had happened after the war and the ensuing Cold War period, people were open and seemed to feel free. There was no judgment, just happiness and acceptance. Berlin has an edge that makes way for whoever you are and want to be. It was incredible, and I felt it in every part of life in the city.
Personal Photo Album | 1997
This sense of freedom was not a feeling I was accustomed to. From the suburbs of Kansas City where I had grown up, or at my university in Des Moines, Iowa, things were more ristrictive. It was the first time I was learning about freedom, at least the definition of freedom that I was excited to be experiencing.
And each time I have visited this city since 1997, I experience the newness. New museums, new buildings, new monuments. Regardless, the spirit of the city still feels the same to me, and I breathe it in with each visit.
Meet Marcell von Berlin
On a recent trip to Berlin, getting my dose, I fell into my old pattern of visiting the few places that are still around from back then. The falafel at the Rosenthaler Grill, music and dancing at Die Busche, and my favorite street to shop on, FriedrichstraĂźe.
As I was strolling down the street, taking in the stores that have been there forever as well as the new high-end boutiques that have popped up more recently, I stopped cold in my tracks when I came upon the window of Marcell von Berlin.
This was Berlin! At least to me. I took one look at the pattern on the line of clothing hanging there, and found hidden inside the beautiful pattern a sense of liberation and appreciation. It represented an edgy femininity that I felt Berlin had given me so many years ago.
Immediately I knew that I had to buy something. I didn’t think about how or when I would wear it. I just knew that there was something about the print on that fabric that spoke directly to me and my experiences in Berlin. The friends I was with could see it in my eyes. They left me alone to browse, and instead went to have a beer. And I started trying things on.
I could not have had a nicer salesperson. She was patient and honest, just what you need when you want to find the right thing.
I have an obsession with long kimonos, so I almost decided on that right away.
Then had a second thought, it might be too much, so I decided on a shorter jacket instead. I wanted something I could just throw on over a pair of jeans. This was perfect.
Marcell von Berlin Capsule Collection Lookbook Photos | 2018
Wearing the RED LIPS Jacket
Like many things that I buy, my new purchase sat in its bag outside of my closet for weeks after I returned home. So many things I buy feel very special and like they need time to unfold in front of me in my room. Weird!
It was the same with this jacket. Finally, one night when I was meeting some of my German girlfriends for dinner, I thought what better occasion to premiere the jacket.
After I had completed the outfit with jewelry, ripped jeans and heels, I could not wait to show the jacket to my family.
My 10-year-old son’s reaction was a bit delayed. He liked the jacket until he noticed the print on the fabric, but then he made it very clear that even if he was fine with the fact that I had something that meant so much to me, I had to promise never to wear it around his friends. I totally understood, I promised to do so … at least for the time being.
My 6-year-old daughter’s reaction, on the other hand, was immediate.
What Ottilia Had to Say?
Ottilia usually goes straight for the design on the fabric, and when she saw this, she giggled.
She is still in a phase where she mimics anyone who is doing something that amuses her. So, she learns from us all, and from me in particular.
She is very curious about my clothing choices, but here was one that she just could not compute.
And each time I wear the RED LIPS jacket, Ottilia always finds a way to ask one of these questions:
“But why do you like the jacket?”
“Do you want other people seeing you in that?”
“Are those women really showing their …?”
She is still trying to figure it out, and I love her for her continuous curiosity.
Why I Really Love This Jacket
I feel the RED LIPS jacket celebrates women and, in essence, I feel that I am able to celebrate a big part of who I am when wearing it. In some ways, it is a silent celebration, as most people don’t even notice what it is when they see me wearing it. I don’t want to shove my feminine pride in others’ faces, but I don’t want to hide it either. And this is what I hope my daughter takes away from situations like this.
In the end, it is a silly jacket that has gotten a lot of attention in our family, but I like the conversation and questions it has brought to the table. And the real reason why I bought it was the memory that it brought back of my time in Berlin. So however you want to twist and turn it, it is now an important part of my wardrobe.
Have a look at my other posts about pieces that celebrate women by clicking here.
And take a closer look at some Marcell von Berlin’s collection on Instagram, just click the image.
Want something similar? Have a look at what’s in my boutique:
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Cosmic Scarf350 kr. -
Friends of Eve Scarf450 kr.
1 COMMENT
Carole Postal
5 years ago
This Berlin post is so you! These dresses are so you. Flowy and beautiful and lovely. Yup, you!