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MARK ANKERSTEIN

Mark Ankerstein | Photo © Opportunity International

Many people are looking for the sense in their lives. Mark Ankerstein decided to add more value to what he was doing by changing his profession and starting over in an NGO. As CEO of Opportunity International Deutschland he manages an NGO that helps to build a stable environment for motivated but less well-off people in developing countries by creating jobs and an income. Read about Mark’s motivation and journey and the work of Opportunity International Deutschland in the interview by Tom from Superior Magazine.

Photo © Opportunity International

Mark, you have a very successful career in advertising business. Now you are CEO of the NGO Opportunity International Deutschland. What’s the reason for this profession-change?

I had a wonderful time working in the advertising industry, but in my mid-forties I was looking for a – some would say “sense” – I would call it “added value” in my life. I thought it must be possible to have a career and doing “something good”. This desired combination was the incentive for looking for a profession-change and I stared my journey. That journey brought me to an NGO, working as the head of marketing-communication and from there to being the CEO of an NGO. Up to now, it was a fantastic journey and I do not regret the step into the charity-business, because it really adds value to me.

Was it a more spontaneous decision or did you have something like that in mind for a longer time?

Changing the job was spontaneous – but the decision respective the “inner journey” started some years before that. Maybe most concrete when I worked in an agency for one of my clients: an NGO. The people working in this NGO had such a great spirit and conviction but at the same time acted very professional and worked hard. That combination really impressed me even more, knowing that they did not even get payed a high salary – so something beyond money was valuable for them.

Emprendedora Highschool Nicaragua | Photo © Opportunity International

What is Opportunity International Deutschland? What are their aims?

Long story short: Opportunity International Deutschland helps to create jobs and income for poor but motivated people in developing countries. For that, we use the method of “social micro finance” in combination with support via trainings and consulting. Our aim always is that the people in developing countries (we call them “clients” not “beneficiaries”) can make their own living by working and having an income – so they become independent from aid. We work very closely with partner-organisations in the respective countries, develop projects together and finance the conduction of projects through donations we collect here in Germany.

What is your role in Opportunity International Deutschland exactly?

By being the CEO of a small NGO, I am involved in almost everything – of course in collaboration with my colleagues. Starting with the management of our office and the staff, developing the overall strategy and participating in the program-strategy, representing the organisation at events and holding speeches, once in a while I need to travel to the project-countries and last but not least I´m working as a fundraiser.

How helpful is your previous career for your new work?

In the advertising business you learn how to be well organised, you have to hold presentations quite often and you need to have the ability to “tell a story short and interesting” – this all was a great training for my work in the charity business. And of course, an NGO needs to advertise and communicate as well, here the job in an NGO does not differentiate from the job in an agency.

You started some months ago. What’s the biggest difference between your advertising job and your new work?

In the agency I was a specialist, as the CEO of an NGO I’m more of a generalist. But the biggest difference is not “what I’m doing” it is more “why I’m doing it”.

As mentioned, I travel 2-3 times a year to our projects in developing countries as e.g. Ghana or Uganda. Looking into the eyes of our clients and seeing the hope for a better future we give them, seeing the dignity that they get back because they have a job and are independent from aid, can send their children to school etc. – that gives me energy for weeks and months and that’s why I´m doing this job.

Can you describe one typical project of Opportunity International Deutschland?

The YAP-Project – Young Apprenticeship Program – in Ghana. Here we offer young people in Ghana, age 16 – 24, who do not have a decent education, not have a job, income or perspective to join in on a skilled training to learn how to become a mechanic, tailor, cook etc. The training takes over three years and we cover the costs and provide the young people with health insurance, most of them have never had one before. This program is officially acknowledged by the government of Ghana and at the end of the training the young people have an exam and receive an official certification. Then we offer them a micro-credit with no interest rate, so they can start their own small business.

In the light of the refugee-situation we have right now here in Europe, for us this is a program that gives young people in Africa a perspective in their home country and can help to prevent that this people flee from poverty and no perspective by going on an often deadly journey to Europe

If somebody likes to support Opportunity International Deutschland. How is that possible?

To be straight, the best way to support our work is a donation. We need financial resources to conduct our projects. Our entire work is financed via donations.

You work a lot, but what do you do in your spare time?

I try to spend as much time as possible with my wife and my little daughter. If time is left, I like to do sports and meet with my old buddies – once in a while I also do visit cultural events as concerts and exhibitions.
But to be honest, sometimes I also like to simply do nothing.

You live and work in Cologne. Is Cologne your preferred city in Germany?

I was born in Cologne and do see it as my home-base. My family and friends live here. I spend some years in other cities like Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Berlin – I liked to live in other cities but I always came home after a while – and my home is Cologne.

Which places, stores, restaurants, bars or anything else would you recommend if friends would visit Cologne for the first time?

I like Café Franck. This café has a very nice and interesting interior mixture of old- and modern-fashion and the cakes are fantastic. One of my preferred restaurants is the Lütticher–great food and very friendly people. Still the place to be is the Café Schmitz– hip and cool for some years now.

Thank you for the interview!

ANTONIA GOY

DBMS S/S 2018 | ANTONIA GOY Show | Photos © Getty Images for Der Berliner Mode Salon

As part of Der Berliner Mode Salon, curated by German Vogue editor in chief Christiane Arp, the fashion label Antonia Goy presented it’s spring/summer 2018 collection called “Born Free”.

Fashion designer Antonia Goy and architect Björn Kubeja, the two creative heads behind the label, continued with the ideas of their winter collection “Alien Nation”, which was already inspired by childlike curiosity, open-mindedness and the unconcerned interest in all stranger things.

DBMS S/S 2018 | Antonia Goy and Bjoern Kubeja at ANTONIA GOY Show | Photos © Getty Images for Der Berliner Mode Salon

Right at the beginning, bright colors like orange and signal red as details like belts, ribbons or shoes popped up collectively with stripes and powerful plaid checks and caught the audience’s attention.

It went on with flowing long dresses, dresses with asymmetric front parts, feminine high waist trousers, wrapped pants and skirts, oversized blouses and bold coats with sharp silhouettes. By the use of asymmetries, cut outs and transparencies the designer duo build architectural volumes and recreated the proportions of classic patterns. Light cotton, textured batiste, flowing silk crepe and viscose were used as materials.

To that color bang at the beginning, followed black, white, blue and green as main colors. After a short break, the models used to pose for the photographers, a wild mix of prints, polka dots and even more stripes followed as well as a change of the shows mood. Instead of simply walking along the catwalk, the models suddenly began to take selfies with individual viewers in the audience, took seats between the guests and started dancing on the catwalk. So much fun in the early morning is rare at the fashion week, but Antonia Goy has not only proven a sense for great fashion, but also a feeling of joy. And this is one of the most important – but unfortunately, too often forgotten – things in fashion: it should be fun!

HIEN LE

MBFWB S/S 2018 | HIEN LE Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

Fashion designer Hien Le who is well known for his unisex-pattern and the easy going implementation of material, presented his Spring/Summer 2018 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin fashion designer and dedicated his new designs to the poetry of dancing.

MBFWB S/S 2018 | Designer Hien Le at HIEN LE Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

The show started with a few looks in white: cotton shirts were combined with shorts and high waist skirts, flowing skirts and silk blouses in light pink followed. Up to this, a few male looks hit the catwalk and showed high-waist stripe shorts, loose shirts and jackets in beige. In both styles, Hien Le picked up his signature way of layering, for example by wrapping different shirts above each other. A free wrap details and some pleats recall the typical dancer’s style, but by their clean cuts, they are also clearly Hien Le.

The colours were as delicate as the materials: Nude, beige and bright blue shades were supported by a bright safran yellow. The used materials, light cotton and silk, were decorated with handmade buttons from porcelain manufactory SCHOEMIG, who cooperated with the label HIEN LE and supported the new collection.

All the looks were combined with that one shoe, that probably never gets out of fashion: white sneakers. And it was not just the collection that brought us directly to a dance studio, it was also the music selection. The models danced over the runway to relaxed R’n’B sounds from Brandy’s “The Boy Is Mine” and Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel”.

VLADIMIR KARALEEV

MBFWB S/S 2018 | VLADIMIR KARALEEV Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

With the presentation of his spring/summer 2018 collection designer Vladimir Karaleev opened the last day at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. The designer is known very well for his extraordinary talent for material mix, deconstruction of pattern and transformation. Once more he presented simple cuts with asymmetrical layering alienated. The designers focus is still on the overlay of different forms and constructions and Karaleev also remains faithful to his typical styles in unisex look.

MBFWB S/S 2018 | Designer Vladimir Karaleev at VLADIMIR KARALEEV Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

The collection consists of classic Marlene-trousers, long pullover-dresses, deep slits on skirts and dropped down shoulder parts on tops and blouses. Especially one wrapped underboob top attracted the audience attention.

the designer Vladimir Karaleev also remained faithful to his color scheme: black, white and grey were accompanied by a few shades of blue and some nude tones. Some individual pieces like a box shaped jacket or a mullet skirt in a bright musty yellow build a strong contrast to this.

To break the soft and nude tones, he used different details like attached pockets or thick zippers in deep black and plays with different materials. Airy cotton, linen, silk and chiffon combined with shiny metallic fabrics, created an exciting mix in his outfits.

VANESSA SCHINDLER

MBFWB S/S 2018 | VANESSA SCHINDLER Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

As part of the brand cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and German fashion magazine ELLE, Vanessa Schindler presented her spring/summer 2018 collection at Der Berliner Mode Salon.

Just two months ago, the upcoming design talent from Switzerland won the “Grand Prix du Jury Première” at the Hyères Fashion and Photography Festival – of course in the category fashion – and her collection „Urethane Pool, Chapter 2“ proves that she is ready to keep up with designers like Dorothee Schuhmacher or Malaikaraiss. Her designs are unique, extravagant and exhilarating.

MBFWB S/S 2018 | VANESSA SCHINDLER Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

The idea behind her collection was to work with urethane as main material. A liquid polymer, which transforms itself after a long time of drying into a transparent, rubber-like substance.

Cropped turtleneck-pullovers made of velvet, a giant knit dress and broad-cut sleeves met floor length tulle dresses, gentle blouses and flowing skirts. The used urethane was used as details on trousers, as cut outs and in the form of seashells on a gown.

The collection included a strong contrast between heavy and light materials, close-fitting and wide silhouettes as well as the use of bright and dark colors. With colors like ivory, light purple, brown, black and gray she burst the designer typical summer color scheme, which is often based on bright and shiny colors.

The presentation attracted celebrities like Susan Sarandon, Bryn Mooser, Franziska Knuppe, Bettina Cramer, William Fan, Anna October, Steven Tai and Florian Langenscheidt, who all visited her show to get a glance on her designs, characterized by the use of puff thin fabrics, decorated with transparent shining ornaments and the interaction of contrasts and volumes.

STEINROHNER

MBFWB S/S 2018 | STEINROHNER Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

The Berlin based and award winning fashion label Steinrohner presented their spring/summer 2018 collection on the third day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin and proved that nature is still their greatest source of inspiration.

MBFWB S/S 2018 | Designers Caroline Rohner and Inna Stein at STEINROHNER Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

For their Autumn/Winter 2017 collection „Symbiosis“, Inna Stein and Caroline Rohner turned the structure of lichens into their idea of fashion – however the new collection is visibly inspired by the colours and the floral playfulness of the Tiger Lily. „Edition Flora“ is all about the fragile but powerful expression of flowers and the feeling of a beautiful spring- or summer day, on which bees are flying from flower to flower, collecting pollen.

The models crossed the catwalk in knee-length dresses, raincoat-like jackets and easygoing shorts. Historic lithographs of flowers transformed into floral prints, were found on transparent tops, short skirts, flared trousers and on a long-sleeved jumpsuit. STEINROHNER wraps the female silhouette in crêpes de chine, linen, silk, organza, cotton and plastic transparency.

Besides the floral styles, the collection offers a variety of plain pieces in bright yellow, gently creme, a few light blue shades but also black, white and silver. Made from silver threaded jersey, pieces like an overall or a wrapped dress fit perfectly to the mainly metallic shoes, which were combined to bright yellow and creme colored stockings.

Highlight was the show-closing dress: An airy, fairy and all-out transparent dream dress in white, decorated with a lot of tiny blossom like fabric pieces, which perfectly provided the tender feeling of „bee-ing“ on a field full of flowers.

LENA HOSCHEK

MBFWB S/S 2018 | LENA HOSCHEK Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

With her spring/summer 2018 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin fashion designer Lena Hoschek worked again in the decade, she rules best: the 50ies. Inspired by a film, called “I often think about Piroshka”, which takes place in Hungary 1955, her new designs obviously refer to Hungarian folklore.

MBFWB S/S 2018 | LENA HOSCHEK Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

Inspired by the traditional costumes and temperament of Hungarian women, the collection presents a veritable explosion of colours and patterns. A variety of light and airy dresses with opulent ribbon embellishments, wide and floating, pleated skirts with flounces, embroidered blouses with tiny puffed sleeves and tight pencil skirt silhouettes were to see. Lena Hoschek remains faithful to her signature style, which she is very well known for: feminine and gentle.

“Kiss me Piroschka” is yet another testimony to Lena Hoschek’s unmistakeable expert craftsmanship and her attention to details. Besides the opulent folklore embroidery, the looks were completed by rattling old gypsy jewellery and headpieces, handmade from vintage flowers and glass bead tendrils and pearls. Side braids and flowers in the hair provided a cute girlish look, while high red boots gave the contrast to the feminine feel of a strong and powerful woman.

Perhaps it would be an adorable idea, to reissue the movie again with the collections outfits,in any case it’s sure, that this fashion love story would go well, similar to the designers one. In 2014 Lena Hoschek got married and now she is pregnant, so she couldn’t make it personally to her own show. But at the closing walk, her models held panels with photos of her, which were provided with acknowledgments and small greetings.

In keeping with the theme of Hungarian folklore, you can look forward to a summer of bohemian flair and cool hippie-chic.

IVANMAN

MBFWB S/S 2018 | IVANMAN Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

He did it again! Serbian born Ivan Mandzukic, the creative head behind the Berlin based fashion label Ivanman opened the Mercedes-Benz-Fashion Week Berlin first and presented his new designs for the upcoming style season.

MBFWB S/S 2018 | Designer Ivan Mandzukic at IVANMAN Show | Photos © Mercedes-Benz Fashion

Inspired by the German artist Joseph Beuys and by typical work wear, his spring/summer 2018 collection brings the traditional worker’s look into fashion and new social circles.

A clear connection between the artist’s signature vest and traditional blue overalls can be seen in box-shaped jackets and coats with oversized flap pockets and pleated pants, according to the traditional workman-style with dungarees. But it seems like Ivan invented a new definition of dungarees. Similar to tops, those are standing out only as upper parts, decorated with practical pockets, loops and ribbons, which can be seen as a recurring colorful detail in the collection.
Otherwise the whole collection is dominated by two colors: black and indigo blue, a quite interesting contrast to his last collection, which was full of soft pink and turquoise. But the intensive blue tones convey the feeling of fresh and happy summer days and modern male esprit.

The collections interaction between art and work, retaining a balance between new ideas and the typical IVANMAN style is elaborated very well and it seems like performance artist Beuys is back. Let’s work it out!