Sioux x Til Schweiger Launch Event

Sometimes, the world is small, extremely small. At the risk of straying too far afield, let me provide some background on the story behind this fabulous launch event in Hamburg last week.

Best friends since over 30 years: Dr. Annette Christoph with me.

I went to a girls’ school. My school years were fantastic. We were five girls who have all stayed close friends since then. One became my maid of honor, the other one the godmother of my daughter and so on. We all work in different fields, I am the only one in fashion. Therefore I was amazed when my friend Dr. Annette Christoph invited me to Hamburg for the launch event of Sioux x Til Schweiger. Her partner in life, Lewin Berner, bought Sioux in 2010 with other private investors after it had gone through interim difficulties. If you are born in Germany, you will be familiar with this Swabian company with a long-standing tradition that is specialized in footwear. Now, for the first time, the brand is taking with German actor Til Schweiger a celebrity ambassador on board.

With Lewin Berner at the event.

Besides acting, Til is also a filmmaker. In the end of 2018, he celebrated the premiere of the 13th film directed by himself and the first with an American actor as a lead. In the remake of the German movie «Honig im Kopf» (2014) «Head full of Honey» Nick Nolte starrs alongside Matt Dillon and Emily Mortimer. It is a moving story about a man suffering from Alzheimer’s who embarks on a final road trip with his granddaughter. Unfortunately, the US version was not as successful as the German one.

Til Schweiger is a funny guy!

This year, Til has discovered another talent of him that lies in his DNA. His great-grandfather was a shoemaker all his life and now Til himself enters a long-term partnership with the cult shoe label and will design in close cooperation with the creative team of Sioux his own shoe collections.

In September 2014, Til had already founded Barefoot Living. The idea arose when friends and fans asked him where the interior design of the film sets in his iconic German movies, such as «Keinohrhasen» or «Zweiohrküken» (if you haven’t seen them, please do… so funny), was from. The answer was easy as Til Schweiger also lives privately in these designs. Today, Barefoot Living offers furniture and home accessories as well as cashmere sweaters, and some cosmetics.

Hamptons feeling at Barefood Deli

Later, Til expanded this lifestyle concept by opening Barefood Deli in Hamburg, the restaurant where the launch event with Sioux took place and even an hotel, the Barefoot Hotel Timmendorfer Strand.

Sioux x Til Schweiger launch event last week.

Til Schweiger: «By partnering with Sioux, I’m expanding my Barefoot Living concept, which closes a gap for me, because shoes have been missing so far. I have always wished for footwear that is casual, stylish and comfortable in one. I had already been familiar with Sioux’s iconic model, the so-called «Grashopper» from my childhood days, but recently I have rediscovered the company for me. It was crucial for me to have a partner with a lot of know-how by my side, who perfectly implements my feel-good concept and shares my own values.»

The result of this cooperation are three relaxed styles. Including a newly interpreted «Grasshopper» in Til’s carefully selected leathers with natural crepe sole, a casual leather sneaker in a slightly destroyed look and a really comfortable biker boot. The latter also comes with a natural crepe sole, an unusual combination, that plays a central role in this capsule collection and is one of Til’s favorites.

Gladiator to Governator: Ralf Moeller told Til that he sent Arnold Schwarzenegger a photo of the biker boots and that he would love to have a pair as well.

To celebrate this fantastic collaboration, Til had invited some of his celebrity friends who all came to his restaurant to toast on their talented buddy. Please enjoy some of the best impressions of the evening below. It was a fun night and I ran into lots of familiar faces.

Ralf got already his hands on the biker boot, which seems to become a celebrity’s must-have.

During his welcome speech, Til mentioned what he truly liked about Sioux was the work environment, as you cannot feel any hierarchy, only passion for the craftsmanship.

Lewin Berner, managing partner of Sioux and a true passionate Swabian entrepreneur who is literally on fire for his company, had every reason to be happy that night. His goal of bringing Sioux back to its old strength just got a huge step closer. The collection will be available as a limited edition online and at the selected stores from now. Only 333 pairs of each model will be produced.

And the next step? Starting this month, the dream team is working with Til’s daughter Luna Schweiger on a women’s collection… She will also become the face of the campaign. Stay tuned!

LoL, Sandra

German actor Fahri Yardim and Til Schweiger’s partner in the German TV crime series «Tatort».

Entrepreneur and founder of Air Berlin Joachim Hunold with Lewin Berner.

With German photographer Stephan Glathe, who shot the campaign for Sioux x Til Schweiger, Lewin Berner, Dr. Annette Christoph and Uta Zilly-Linke.

German TV host Johannes B. Kerner

Photos: Courtesy of Sioux and © Sandra Bauknecht 

SIHH 2013: IWC’s Pole Position

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This week, I went to Geneva for the 23rd Salon International de la Haute HorlogerieSIHH 2013. Of course, my first stop had to be the IWC Schaffhausen booth that had been once more the most impressive one seen at the famous watch fair. Do you remember the amazing Italian ’50s/’60s theme for the Portofino watches in 2011 or the aircraft carrier for the Pilot watches in 2012?

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Speaking of IWC Schaffhausen, you are talking superlatives which is entirely in keeping with the creative spirit that reigns at the Swiss watchmaking company. After the amazing launches and events of the last years, I had been pretty curious if this could be topped. And yes, they did it! As director Marc Forster said, “arriving at the IWC booth feels like arriving at a film set”. And this time, I arrived at a race track. The booth was filled not only with the most exquisite watches, but with the most stunning race cars you can imagine.

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So ladies and gentlem, start your engines. In 2013, IWC Schaffhausen embarks on the Formula One season as the Official Engineering Partner of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One™ Team and relaunches the Ingenieur family that appears in a new, modern and very impressive light.

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Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, puts his finger on it when he says: “Three outstanding quality features set the new Ingenieur collection apart: top-quality IWC movements, sophisticated functions and innovative materials.”

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The story of the Ingenieur is strongly connected to the rapid progress made during the 1950s when technological progress dramatically increased the presence of magnetic fields. The Ingenieur, a pure and simple man’s watch, became famous as the antimagnetic watch of that time. When in 1976, IWC Schaffhausen unveiled the “Ingenieur SL” designed by Gérald Genta (above on display at the booth), an icon was born.

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In 2013, the Ingenieur has become the perfect watch for the racetrack as the set-up of a Formula One™ racing car and the assembly of a high-precision timepiece, both exemplify the art of engineering at the highest-possible level. Materials used in motorsport, such as carbon fibre, ceramics and titanium, are the hallmarks of the new design line.

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My favourite model: The Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance (Ref. 3224) features a rubber strap with a textile inlay, which is stitched with signal-yellow or red thread.

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Personally speaking, it’s one thing to look at those photos and read all about those new must-have timepieces, but it’s quite another to strap them on your wrist and examine them up close. The new Ingenieur watches will surely be a hit for IWC, so better race to the next IWC dealer and get your hands on them. The pole position will be all yours, at least style-wise.

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What a beauty: The Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month (Ref. 3792) features a perpetual calendar together with a digital date display and leap year indicator.

Have fun exploring whom I spotted at the booth and stay tuned for more photos coming up, especially from the amazing IWC Race Night with top celebrities from all over the world.

LoL, Sandra

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Michela Cerruti, daughter of Aldo Cerruti, an Italian racing driver that might be soon spotted driving the Formula One tracks.

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German soccer goalkeeper Jens Lehmann

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German actor Thomas Kretschmann

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Former French soccer player Zinédine Zidane with me

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Actor Ralf Moeller

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From left to right: Zinédine Zidane, Ralf Moeller and Jean Reno

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Boris Becker with me

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Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, Photos of 2nd collage: Courtesy of IWC