Archivi tag: München

SAMUEL SOHEBI

             He started his professional adventure with the best statement ever:

“YES, I CAN DO IT”

Name: Samuel Sohebi

Profession: Celebrity Stylist & Owner of the shop Kult By Samuel Sohebi

Born in Munich in the 1988 and started as a Stylist for Philipp Plein.

He started his professional adventure as a fashion stylist with the best statement ever: “YES, I CAN DO IT”. Even though it was a new experience for him, he is convinced of the fact that you must be able to sell yourself even when you are not able to do something, and just GO FOR IT.

He started with Philip Plein, and from there the people and the press started to notice him, by taking pictures and talking about him. He has worked with Naomi Campbell in Ibiza, the Russian Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Glamour in Russia. He has prepared several campaigns for jewels and perfumes, and also provides styling services in Cannes for L’Oreal during the Film Festival event.

Furthermore, he has worked for Penelope Cruz and her sister Monica, to prepare them for the red carpet.

Of course, social networks played a big part on his success, people are always interested in which party you are going to, and which people you are hanging out with; you always have to keep the public informed and keep the magic alive.

In comparison to other stylists who start as Magazine editors, he started by styling models at events. For Sam, styling is not something you can learn; it’s a talent, something you do with passion and that needs inspiration. You have to combine the magic of the creation of the designer with the personality of the celebrity you work for.

In 2012 he opened his shop, Kult by Samuel Sohebi. The dresses he sells are purchased personally by him from around the world, especially from Italy (Bologna, Florence, Milan) and famous designers. Samuel cares not only about the quality or the brand of the dress, but about the aesthetics.

He realizes that not every woman can afford a designer dress since they can be expensive, but also, since every woman does not have the size of a model, he tries to mix and create a combination of the most beautiful dresses, taking into consideration that every woman needs to feel like a princess but in her own skin. There is no pressure to sell, every client must feel free and feel at home.

Something that always surprises him is when some famous women in the fashion or showbiz industry ask for his opinion on their look, and the best compliment for him is when clients come back to tell him about the event, show him pictures of the dress, how well it fit, and how satisfied they were.

What is the difference between a styling job for a magazine and a celebrity?

“In the first case, there is a story to tell the public, while in the second case, you dress a woman that wants to look and feel sexy. She wants to be the star under the spotlight and her goal is to get into the magazine or blogs in the best way possible. In order to do a great job as a stylist on the red carpet you have to study the trends of the moments, you need to know who is the designer of the moment.”

What are the difficulties of this job?

“Attitudes. A lot of attitudes are not coming from models or celebrities, as you could imagine, but from the staff, managers, photographers, who in some cases don’t know anything about fashion.”

Fashion in Europe and USA:

“I will like to move to New York to work as an intern for Vogue. I wouldn’t mind starting from scratch by doing trivial things like delivering coffee and making copies as long as I am doing what I love and taking steps to get where I want to be. In Germany fashion faces hard times. Sometimes you feel there is no progress like everything is moving in circles, and this is the unpleasant sensation I feel every time I come back from Milan or Cannes. In America it’s totally different, there is a lot going on and coming out and as a young man I know that professionally I can really grow up fast.”

WATCHING, LAUGHING AND TALKING ABOUT SOME OF SAM’S PICTURES:

4 men walking in suits

This photo depics Sam, his brother and two of his best friends headed to a sale event for the shop. It’s an unusual photo in Munich, where women love to be fashionable but it s more difficult to see guys walking like this along the street. The pic was taken with a simple phone but looks great and it captures a great moment for Sam.

Chanel Iman with a light blue dressabito lungo azzurro argenteo

They met each other at Elie Saab backstage in Cannes back in the 2009; Sam went to Iman because he noticed her cool tattoo on her back, from there they started talking and exchanged contacts to be friends. Sometimes Sam brings her dresses, she is really an easygoing and simple person. The dress she is wearing is from a Prêt-à-Porter dress (Versace).

Samuel on a catwalk

We jump back to 2009, the first year of life of the shop Kult by Samuel Sohebi and his 24th Birthday. He decided to launch this event, and while organizing by himself for the first time in his life, he realized how difficult it is to prepare an event for 600 guests, and manage the staff including photographers, models, and the press. But he took this event as an investment to let people know him, his job, his passion, and his shop, and you know how social networks of course do the rest by sharing the event, pictures, tags, hashtags, that is the way people get to know you faster and search for your name around… who is this guy? Just click on it.

Be always ready.

Sam and Redfoo moment LMFAO

The pic was shot in Cannes in 2013. It was 10 am on a beautiful sunny day and probably Redfoo from LMFAO partied all night long in the same distinct and colorful outfit, and as he was not interested in sleeping, he decided to look around for someone to play tennis with. Guess what? Sam is always in the right place in the right moment, you know that thing called… TIMING! Even though he was not able to play the game, he always finds a way to be over the top. And by the way, who would say no to LMFAO?

Mr. Bentley and Sam

The name of his dog has a reason!

Once, he worked for P. Diddy during an event promoting his perfume UNFORGIVABLE cologne by Sean John and the White Party, which took place at Nikki Beach in Saint Tropez. He remembered how P. Diddy’s family members were all absolutely nice to him; with his mother being the funniest woman in the world, and P. Diddy himself being one of the coolest party people ever. While Sam was having the best working experience of his life, the only person that was repeatedly rude to him without reason was the guy holding P. Diddy’s umbrella. His name was Mr. Bentley, that’s why he decided to Name his dog after him!

How did he get this job?

It was faith; Sam was in Saint Tropez when he met a guy he knew from the US who was kind of desperate because the stylist he wanted for the event was sick. He needed a replacement, so he just asked Sam if he knew a good stylist? SERIOUSLY?

At this point, we all know that Sam tends to have perfect timing, so he just suggested himself, and took the chance to show what his mama gave him! In every game played something unexpected always pops up, and in Sam’s case, he was able to meet Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton and received the chance to work with them.

Hotel Room with Model

sam hotel modelThis shot was taken in the room of Costes Hotel in Paris. It was a dress fitting for Alessandra Ambrosio and Sam needed to find a model the same sizes as her to see if the dress would fit her well.

In this picture you can see everything; Sam in the back, tired and doubtful about whether the client would like his choice or not, the model in front of the mirror, and last but not least, a dog, fearless of what is happening in the lives of the people there, as he hatches happily out of the window.

Alessandra Ambrosio loved the dress and we can totally understand why.

Samuel and Andre’ Leon Talley (Vogue)

This pic was shot at a Chanel event at Gran Palais. Sam designed the white fur bag is grabbing in the pic, André Leon came to him to ask who was the designer of the bag and Sam was surprised to receive his attention. For Sam, André is a really good advisor when it comes to the professional life.

moment

You are free to follow him and his celebrities here – SAMUEL SOHEBI FACEBOOK PAGE

ESRA

I try my best and I always go hard in everything I do. I am not sitting home waiting for something to happen.

 

Esra, German – Turkish fashion designer with a Persian name was born in Munich 23 years ago.

Her grandparents came to Europe around 1964 to change their destinies and find employment. Eventually, they decided to settle in Munich. After so many years they still feel strangers in this host land for many reasons: a language which they can’t speak properly, a so faraway culture, say nothing of the different diet. Let us be real, in exchange the new land offered much more possibilities than what Turkey could offer at that time, so that was the best choice they could take. “For us, grandchildren, Germany is home, Turkey is a destination where to spend a nice vacation but as soon as we step in a German airport the feeling which embrace us is always the same: welcome back home. It is also true that the Turkish feeling you have in Turkey is so far away from the Turkish feeling you sense in Germany, I can’t explain”. The parents and grandparents lost so many things by coming to Europe, this is why they want to make sure that Esra and her siblings preserve their culture by teaching them the language, inspire their eating habits by cooking and dining together traditional Turkish food.

Why fashion, Esra? 

“I have always been used to drawing Japanese anime and I liked to draw them with different hair looks, add clothes for them to wear and make them fashionable. At that point I realized that I wanted to create clothes, it was funny to match them together, choosing the colours. I love drawing and love clothes so I have merged the two passions in one with the aim to make this big dream real. I am thrilled about the fact that my ideas have the chance to become real things, to feel and to touch. They originate from my head and come out into reality; seeing this process of transformation is amazing. I make everything by myself and I don’t like to copy, I want only my ideas.” The first collection of Esra, inspired by Hanbok (traditional Korean dress) and a bit from Yamamoto, is from 2014, a project with the university that took 6 months of hard work.

Why this overwhelming passion for Korea and Asia?

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“Because it reminds me of my childhood, I was always watching Japanese anime. I love Asian food (and she can prepare it very well!), the culture, how they live with each other. I also tried to learn Korean on my own, starting of course from a real so difficult- to- deal- with alphabet.”

– Esra admires Karl Lagerfeld, defining him as a wonderful and special person. Her positive opinion about him came thanks to a documentary which drove her in the perception of him as intelligent, pragmatic, appreciating the unique way he communicates [1]. She was also inspired by the designs of Yohji Yamamoto [2]; pure and clear, not exaggerated and not overloaded of accessories.

The studies.

MDH is a private University in Munich. Esra told us in a calm state of mind that if in 10 years she won’t feel to be in the fashion industry anymore, she will simply switch to something different. “I try everything that I want to try, I wanted to study fashion design and I simply did it.” In the next future, she sees herself launching her own brand and bouncing it all over the world, the aim is to create a high quality product which the consumer can wear in daily life, won’t be Haute Couture. “I think that every- day- fashion is more interesting and eloquent because it can communicate the identity of a person. Sometimes it screams and sometimes it only whispers who you are, but it always communicates. Haute Couture is just elegant, someone that wears a Chanel dress, predictably I would say, wants to appear beautiful or elegant but it will actually be more difficult to decipher the personality. See the clothes, and you can perceive something about the person.”

“I am currently at my fourth year of studying. I have also applied for an internship in Turkey for a fashion company in the city where my family comes from. In the future I would like to live in Japan and Korea.”
Her background is multicultural that is why she doesn’t have any problems integrating in another social and cultural context: “When I will be in Asia, the culture I belong to won’t matter, what matters is to be open, kind and friendly.”
Going back to fashion, what she appreciates in Asia is the freedom to wear anything according to your style and liking, since in daily life during work hours, they have to limit themselves stylistically, on the contrary in Europe “We are not really open minded in terms of fashion.”

 

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What can you tell us about this school?

“Unfortunately it is very expensive, if you can’t afford it you can’t study there. My monthly fee is around 700€, I can afford it by working on the weekend, trying on my own and not asking my family for financial support. It is hard, yes, but life comes in its own way, it does not make sense to make many plans, just live it. I try my best and I always go hard in everything I do. I am not sitting home and waiting for something to happen.”

Religion

Because of her religion Esra has to cover her body and her hair. Some people say that she should feel uncomfortable in creating clothes for women who don’t need to be covered. “The reason why I make clothes is because I feel that I have to, this is what I want to do. When I create, I feel that I want to share what I am, it would make no sense to create clothes only for myself”.

Why do you choose to wear total black look (except for your red Chucks!)?

Black is always elegant, for every occasion; cocktail, dinner, everyday life, easy to combine with other things. Black is uncomplicated.

Would you compromise in order to get where you want? 

“I wouldn’t, losing myself and my own ideas is not worth it, I want to do something that represents me and my thoughts.”

If you could give an advice to other fashion designers…

“Always believe in your dreams and yourself.”

How do you believe in yourself?

“If I really want to do something, I believe that I can do it. You learn this rule especially when you grow up with siblings, you have always to fight to earn your things!”

 Your inspiration comes from…

“Everywhere; a movie, a landscape, a flower, a colour.”

If you could choose to be someone else, to change something or to move to a place where nobody knows you, where you don’t have to give explanations to anyone, what would you do?

“I think I will like to be born again as myself because I am actually happy in my life. My strength resides in the fact that I don’t worry about the things I cannot control, I put always my all in everything I do, I give 100% and if anything negative happens I try to transform it to my advantage.”

Are you like this because of you or because of your family?

“It’s my experience, and of course my religion influences my view, it’s part of my life. When I am praying my life becomes easier, those ten minutes or more of prayer appear without problems, I can be myself.”

Describe yourself in few words.

“Basically a positive girl with a good sense of humor, focused and strong. I am a tough girl, I don’t give up easily. I am always honest even though sometimes it is hard to do it because it can hurt… What do I hate? When people are not honest.”

Good luck Esra!

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 [1] About KARL LAGERFELD, the star of a new documentary. The four-hour production aired on September 7 – 2013 in Germany. The mini biopic focused on the designer’s career and the relationship between fashion and religion – drawing comparisons between fashion magazines and the bible, and likening models to angels. The film was directed by television journalist Martina Neuen. “It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek,” Neuen told WWD. “It cannot offer you redemption or anything eternal.” Lagerfeld allowed the journalist access to his shows and studio over a period of 16 months – and shared details of his personal life and career. The documentary, entitled Mode Als Religion (Fashion as a Religion), also features interviews with Diane Kruger, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista, Suzy Menkes and Milla Jovovich – to name but a few. “He is the most impressive person I’ve ever met,” added Neuen. “He is a true individual, and there’s a lightness of being around him.” Source: Vogue.co.uk.

 More information here: http://www.mediadesign.de/

 

Donatella