Chris Abraham is no stranger to this blog. He’s done a couple podcast. He will be doing a couple more– so expect some serious irreverance soon. However he’s recently started contributing to AdvertisingAge online as an expatriate blogger.
His theme is Berlin is poor but sexy — and one that comes via the mayor of Berlin. Here’s an excerpt from his post (which I highly recommend you read. Commen there on adage.com or here on this blog –because I don’t require you to register)
Berlin is sexy, poor and the most casual city I can imagine. Everyone wears jeans, T-shirts, hoodies and some sort of field jacket. At first I mistook this casualness as slovenliness or poverty. No. Berlin’s casualness is very intentional. In spite of limited cash, Berliners are slaves to fashion and remain current. The moment jeans went skinny, Berlin went skinny. When the world became obsessed with Chuck Taylors, Berliners sported them. Current, as long as the fashion palette keeps to caps, jeans, T-shirts, jackets and sneakers. When my friend Mark wore the wrong sort of casual, his friends staged an intervention: The jeans were all wrong, the jacket was uncool and the shoes had to go.
Well that sounds amazing like LA, Chris! And yes we stage fashion interventions here too– unless the person’s lifestyle is something other than being fashionably up-to-date. Regularly I check the jeans, shoes and hoodies and you would find most of what’s worn on the street — either in Berlin or LA– to be similar in style or brand.
It’s not just marketing to the college kid because they can’t afford $200+ jeans (unless they buy them at sample sales or off Ebay where they prices are about 50% less). I refuse to spend that kind of money too — that’s a personal choice. What the marketing needs to skew to isn’t necessarily about the college kid but the next style curve– or hot new items– found typically by focus groups and watching street fashion. When it comes to cell phones, I talk to my friends. I hate my iPhone.. for numerous reason (like deleting my appointments selectively, collectively and without any real help from Apple) . Talk to the people who are not just trendsetters but the common man– as in you and Frank– and ask what you want. I see you in a hoodie but I also know you can dress appropriately for other types of business occasions. I think the average person on the street with some modicum of interest in cell phones or fashion (shoes, jeans, accessories) would be able to give you a laundry list of what they want to have and what they wish were out there.
(*Ask me about denim anytime! I have written more than 17 articles on how to find the best fitting denim and have interviewed a ton of denim designers. I know what’s needed out there and I know what is missing in the marketplace.)
Based on your commentary, I bet there are complex cosmetic “rituals” on the women than you realize. (I happen to know a beauty editor in Germany. She’s basic but still not without her style and it encompasses sheer lilac shimmer eye shadow which I happily send over to her. Yes she does take public transport too) . I can’t imagine that if it’s snowing in Berlin, that hoodies would suffice in the keeping warm department . What does one do then? Hooded parkas: quilted or wool?
I don’t wear Manolos but I have my share of fashionable shoes and I am still seen in jeans and a hoodie too. I rarely wear athletic shoes though– unless you count Converse or 80%20 shoes. I did have a serious Converse addiction — 5 pairs including pink and metallic.
Guess Berlin isn’t as far off as LA after all.
Stevie Wilson
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