sisterMAG Issue 20 by sisterMAG

G A M r e t s i THREAD #s 6

Editorial

sisterMAG Team & Contributors

Multimedia und Download Index

Editor's Choice: Products we love

On a thin thread: Marionettes

COTTON

Woven wind: A little introduction to the topic of »cotton«

The Better Cotton Initiative at IKEA with the Blogger Styling Feature

New, sustainable and not comparable An essay by Pliqué

How to care of clothes

Who is behind Philomena Zanetti? We talk with young designer Julia Leifert

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FABRIC 0 G2

The 30s – with VICHY Editorial from Toni Info Feature Acne Tarda

MILK FIBRE

182

MILK – The Info Feature

Test Special Normaderm

with pictures by Claudia Gödke

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Alpha Cruxis

194

The Dairy Revolution

Interview with a young label for handbags

How one makes dresses out of milk fibres

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204

Maxwell Scott

Food Pairing with Alpro

Interview with the manufacturer of modern classics

German Food Blog Days 2015

136

Special Braided Updos

146

Weaved Crust Pies Adinda de Boer bakes pies with a crust for and with you

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Tomato meets Cinnamon Smoothie Special with Sandy Neumann & Anni Kazymir

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Milk, Cheese & Yogurt Fermentation made easy – with or without animal products. By Anni Kazymir and Sandy Neumann

Traveling to Eastern Tyrol

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

CASHMERE

258

Cashmere – The Info Feature around the fluffy material

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CASHMERE MATTES

Our Fashion Shooting with the essie Special Collection PLUS a giveaway

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Cashmere Lovers: Katharina Malley and her startup »Cashmere Doc«

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Cashmere Lovers: Designer Antonia Zander

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Cashmere Lovers Blogger Interviews with Vienna Wedekind, Masha Sedwick & Sanzibell

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Interview with Annette from Lebenslustiger The blogger and artist shows her home and talks about working with huge threads and wool

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DIY Knitted Pillow with Lebenslustiger

CHARGER

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Visit of the #IZDDW Crew the new sisterMAG Büro with cake recipe by Claudia Gödke

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All Is Connected An essay by Alexander Kords

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sisterMAG Roadtrip with FORD Galaxy … to the Baltic Sea

TAPE

390

Our SQUIP Summer Party Event Recap from our party with many bloggers and Glacéau Vitaminwater

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SNAPCHAT – A Beginner's Guide to the new Social Media Channel

364

Desk to Success: Interview with Jeannette Gusko from change.org

368

In EVERY ISSUE

410 Preview

411

#DigitalDIY with featured.de

Imprint

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412

MUSE RADIO – Interview with Podcast founders Kat & Marta

Our contact details

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

@thneu

Thea & Toni on the first day in the new office. Now there are already tables and a fridge :)! @tonneu

Dear readers! Multitasking – are you good at it? Unfortunately, my mother – our fashion manager – passed one characteristic trait on to me: we would both prefer to work mono-thematically. To plan a project from the beginning to the end, execute and complete it. With (nearly) three magazines, six permanent team members, hundreds of contributors and one or another event for Lebenlang, sisterMAG or our new title Dearsouvenir I’ve lost the luxury of monotasking long ago. Just like an inextricable system of threads – some thick, some thin, red or blue, important or less important – tasks are creating a (sometimes inextricable) net in my sister-mag.com

Editorial from Thea head. That is how you can imagine every sisterMAG: a system of ideas and topics which, in best case, make it to the final layout and which finally melt into a whole – to one fabric so to speak. Exactly this is the topic that fascinated and pushed the sisterMAG team during the last months. The 2015 August/September issue of our magazine for the digital lady is titled »threads & fabrics«. This time, the magazine is divided in sections with alliterative names such as »cotton«, »charging cable« or »cashmere«. And now, let’s look deep into each other’s eyes and acknowledge: Who

THREAD

Thea´s new workplace

up: Annette from Lebenslustiger working with oversized wool right: Shooting with the finest Cashmere-pieces of the season!

ANNY CK

would have thought that we would Toni was absent for a few weeks due make it to 20 issues? I remember well to a surgery and rehabilitation. Midworking on the second magazine. I August, we could finally welcome was sitting in front of my computer her back and with her our good and looking at an issue of Lonny Magazine optimistic soul – healthier than ever! (back then, the 21st issue or so) and She also left a message for you here I was convinced: We won’t make it! . At the age of 34, she belongs exactly Three years (and countless worked to the group of age that we focused through nights) later I type a big 20 on on together with our partner VICHY the cover of sisterMAG. We are really in this issue: the 30ies and a problem happy!

that is not addressed very often: skin

There are some eventful weeks behind impurities as an adult. Toni even us. The whole team had to face a removed her make-up for this and I challenging time with the launch of the really give her credit for that!

last issue: my sister and co-founder In other respects, a completely new

Issue 20 | June 2015

Coffee table in an empty office: the cake recipe and Behind The Scenes here 8

chapter opened to COP with Toni’s return. We moved to new premises on 1 August. We are still in the old AEG premises in the Berlin district of Wedding but now we can call an impressive number of rooms as well as toilets our own . Of course, we spent many days carrying boxes, assembling furniture or vase shopping! Our parents were helping all the time and we thank them warmly for it. Without your ideas and practical help we would probably still sit in an empty hall! Even though our internet is not working properly and we still wash our cups in a tiny sink you feel the fresh wind blowing through our new offices. The first shootings – cover, essie

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Th e am az in g co ve r dr es s

Cashmere Mattes and the braids – took place in our new photo studio. We all can’t help but constantly posting pictures of the oversized industrial buildings and inviting each and every person over to our office. In order to share this with you we are preparing a huge #sisterMAGoffice feature for the next and 21st issue of sisterMAG. However, you can have a short view in the office here as blogger Mia Bühler visited us in Berlin together with the Vodafone team on the first moving day. In the 8-hour livestream, you may already gaze at the empty rooms. Again, there is a lot to discover. This issue’s information section is once more very large. We devote this issue

THREAD Braids hairstyles-Shooting with Designer Marie as Model and Karina Berg as Stylistin

Sandra, Toni, Ashley & Kathrin

This time we'll talk about all kinds of fabrics: cotton, c ashmere or milk fabric Final preparations for SQUIPEvent: Luisa to the topics »cotton« (You find a short introduction to the topic here ), »cashmere« (Where does this fluffy material actually come from and what to pay attention to when buying it? Read this here

) or »milk« (whole

milk, raw milk, soya drink or lactosefree – we explain everything here). We found nice partners for all these features who present exciting topics in this sisterMAG: IKEA explains the Better Cotton Initiative and why the whole range is shifted to this standard in 2015, essie presents the

new Special Collection Cashmere Mattes and Alpro provides delicious smoothie recipes on the basis of their milk substitute drinks. This issue’s common thread () leads you to the section »charging cable« where it gets digital as always. We developed some DIYs together with Vodafone. Ford let us experience a very nice tour: this time we travelled with our

Issue 20 | June 2015

#sisterMAGfamilie – our reader Nicole applied for a tour with us and together we explored the Experimentarium in Zingst and many functions of the new family van Ford Galaxy. A special highlight was our evening with several bloggers in mid-June: the sisterMAGsquip event in the Halleschen Haus was candy-bright and merry, no wonder as it was organized with our partner Glacéau Vitaminwater. You find all pictures and impressions here . 10

While glancing to the slowly setting sun that warmly lightens our office we want to say good bye until next time – which is the autumn issue in October.

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Keep us posted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram … or Snapchat! We are filling this channel for some time now with many background information and insights in our editors’ life. If you can’t do anything with Snapchat yet we recommend our beginners guide that you find here. Bye and so long!

Thea

and the sisterMAG Team

THREAD left: Mini editorial meeting with Toni, Luisa, Sandra & Laura down: Milk Info Feature from Claudia GĂśdke

top: Yasmeen & Cris while Snapchatting (@sister_mag) right: House moving â&#x20AC;Ś

Issue 20 | June 2015

THE SISTERMAGTEAM

My favourite Thread

THEA NEUBAUER Chief Editor

TONI SUTTER Marketing Director

ALEX SUTTER Sales Director

The common thread in every one of the sisterMAG issues

Rope! It’s so strong because it is made up out of many small threads

The silk thread- a symbol for comfort and venture

LAURA GLABBATZ Content Managerin

MARIE DARME Designerin

YASMEEN DABU Praktikantin Redaktion

Bouclé-ever since Coco Chanel created the legendary Chanel Jacket in the 50s it is essential in fashion. I especially love bouclé in autumn!

It’s a classic: wool!

Manila fibre-it reminds me of the banana leaves we used to decorate our table with back in the Philippines!

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KATJA SA Praktikantin

THREAD

EVI NEUBAUER Fashion Director

SANDRA ROTHFELD Content Managerin

LUISA SANCELEAN Managerin Marketing & PR

Sowing thread – nothing works without it! Especially in my life :)!

Tweed: the handmade fabric made from pure new wool. Tradition made in Scotland.

Cotton flax-fibre, it reminds me of the starched bed sheets at my grandma’s.

ABANDO n Design

MATHILDE SCHLIEBE Designerin ...ist unerlässlich für das Gewebe.

HELENA MELIKOV Designerin

IRA HÄUSSLER Werksstudentin R edaktion

Wool – it feels like home. My grandma still knits socks for me!

Probably cashmere – I basically live in the old cashmere jumper I stole from my mum! (Sorry mum)

Issue 20 | June 2015

CONTRIBUTORS OF THIS ISSUE ANNI & SANDY FERMENTATION & SMOOTHIES

Finally we did a feature with our dear friends Anni and Sandy. However we have only met Anni personally so far and have enjoyed some thorough discussions about art, food and taste with her in the past. EMMA BLOCK ILLUSTRATOR

THE COVER PHOTOS Marco di Filippo HAIR & MAKEUP Karina Berg MODEL Carri DRESS Evi Neubauer SET DESIGN #sisterMAGteam

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The British illustrator is a contributor to sisterMAG for a few years already. In London we were able to sip a cup of tea and eat a biscuit with her before. The little girls and drawings from Emma are a constant source of joy for the editorial team! ZOE NOBLE PHOTOGRAPHER

Unbelievable but Zoe is also a regular on the sisterMAG team since Issue 3! This time we even went on a little adventure trip to the Baltic Sea and she sustained one of the hardest sisterMAG challenges: sleeping in one room with snoring Cris :)!

THREAD

The link symbol shows you where a link to a website is overlayed.

TEXT Mari Berg Anne Breitenstein XING Yasmeen Dabu onefauxseven.blogspot.com Liv Hambrett livhambrett.com

Thea Neubauer @thneu

Sandy Neumann confiture-de-vivre.de

Sandra Rothfeld @mllerougechamp

Annalena Huppert nummerfuenfzehn.de

Jana Ahrens plique.net

Alexander Kords kords.net

Anni Kazymir 1akitchen.com 15

I L L U S T R AT I O N & L AY O U T Thea Neubauer neu4bauer.com

Helena Melikov helena.melikov.de

Emma Block emmablock.co.uk

Marie Darme LinkedIn

Katja Sabando @thekkay

Ana Rey anarey.org

Mathilde Schliebe ma---d.tumblr.com

T R A N S L AT I O N Katrin Greyer Maria Foh

Katherine Riedel

Tanja Timmer

Ira H채ussler

Issue 20 | June 2015

PHOTOGRAPHY Anny CK annyck.com

Cris Santos cristophersantos.com

Marco di Filippo mdfstudio.com

Diana Patient dianapatient.co.uk

Nina Heidemann ninaheidemann.de

Ashley Ludäscher ashleyludaescher.com

Silke Lentz nicecreations.com Anette Wetzel-Grolle lebenslustiger.com Kathrin & Simon ataleoftwohearts.com

Zoë Noble zoenoble.com

PRODUCTION

FINAL PROOF

Laura Glabbatz

Alexander Kords

Sandra Rothfeld

Stefanie Kießling

Antonia Sutter

Claire Cunningham

HAIR & MAKEUP Lena Schleweis lenaschleweis.de Karina Berg karinaberg.de

Yasmeen Dabu

PROOF Brigette Boddem Nathalie Hibberts-Caswell Pauline de Billiers Brettell Helena Putsch

VIDEO

Emily Westbrooks

Lucas Milhomem

Anne Breitenstein

Claus Kuhlmann

Birte Weseloh

Cristopher Santos

Larissa Kogler Ryan Hartmann

EDITORIAL

MODELS Carri (Cover)

Jil Pearl Management

STYLING

FOOD

Evi Neubauer @Neu1bauer

Katja Sabando @thekkay

Thea Neubauer @thneu

Luisa Sancelean @louisancel

Claudia Gödke claudiagoedke.com

Hürriyet Bulan botanic-art.de

Sandra Rothfeld @mllerougechamp

Anni Kazymir 1akitchen.com

Marie Darme @maridam_

Adinda de Boer wolvestable.com

Sandy Neumann confiture-de-vivre.de

PA RT N E R You can find the partner features easily. They are marked by the word »ad« in the top left corner. We thank the partners of this issue. Without them it would not be possible to bring sisterMAG in the quality, you are used to, to you!

A click on the logo brings you directly to the partner feature.

Multimedia & Download Index One click and you'll be directed to the download!

SCHNITTMUSTER

20/1 – Sashiko Jeans

19/2 – Leather Skirt

REZEPTKARTEN

Weaved crust pies Alpro Smoothie Feature

Fermentation of milk & coconut

Cake #IDZZW by Claudia Gödke

VIDEOS

Food Blog Days with essie Cashmere Alpro Mattes

Cocktail recipes SQUIP event

DIYS & FREEBIES

#sisterMAGroadtrip #sisterMAGsquip with Ford Galaxy Party in Berlin

#DigitalDIYs

sisterMAG SQUIP Event sister-mag.com

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Cashmere BOP BASICS

CLUBMONACO 20

MIU MIU

beige

THEA: CHIEF E D I TO R

FLUX sister-mag.com

CLAIRE-ANNE O´BRIEN

EDITORIAL

TYPE HYPE

FLUX

MONOQI

FOOD52

UNIQLO Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

DYKE AND DEAN

STUDIO ARHOJ

FOOD52

blue

POKETO

Cotton

MARIE: DESIGN

GREEN TIE STUDIO

ALISSA+ NIENKE J.W.ANDERSON HAY sister-mag.com

THREAD

MUUTO

Wool

HUGO BOSS

rose

POKETO

VIU

K ATJ A : I N T E R N

HOUSE DOCTOR

YVES SAINT LAURENT

LADURﾃ右

MUUTO Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

RIO S E NETT

Text: Liv Hambrett livhambrett.com

Photos: Nina Heidemann ninaheidemann.de

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THREAD

T I A E R VE C C H AO

There are marionettes hanging from every square inch of ceiling and wall space. Their wooden feet clatter gently and brush my shoulders as I walk through the ground floor of artist and puppeteer Peter Beyer’s house. »Don’t get a shock,« he had written the day before, »it looks a lot like work in my workshop. Marionettes hang from everywhere and it is all a bit creatively chaotic.«

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Creatively chaotic is one way of putting it; a whole other world is another. The marionettes wait, hanging from their strings, laughing or smoking, or in suspended conversation with one another. They catch your eye, and it’s like they’re asking you to come and play with them. In a small studio, with bright spotlights and a stage, two marionettes horse around with a shopping trolley. Behind them stand the members of Ger-

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man band Revolverheld, waiting for the next opportunity to play their guitars. Two typical North Germans with scruffy, salt-stiff hair and fisherman’s pants, chill next to each other, probably mawkishly discussing the schietwetter the moment we turn our backs on them. Surely, after dark, they all hop down and visit each other, relax a little, stretch their wooden limbs. Their faces are so animated, their bodies so fluid, there is no way they are still when no one’s looking. They’re barely still when people are looking. ded by these Surrounpuppets, I cannot help but feel a pull between the uncanny and the enchanting. »There is a magic in the marionette«, says Peter, and he isn’t wrong. »When they are played well, they are bewitching.«

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CRO SSING

C U LT U R E S

CENTU

Marionettes, coming from the French word for »little mary«, have been a part of theatre and storytelling for thousands of years, crossing cultures and centuries. Although they first appeared in Europe around 400 years ago, there is evidence to suggest they were a regular part of theatre in Egypt as early as 2000BC. Literature from Ancient Greece, including the writings of Herodotus

RIES

and Aristotle, frequently refers to often to marionettes and the Ancient Greek word for puppet translates to »drawn or pulled by strings.« In Mayanmar, formerly Burma, royals were patrons for marionette theatre was patronised by royals and formed a central part of how they communicated with each other. In Indonesia, wayang, meaning »shadow puppets«, controlled by bamboo sticks, were used in front of light to bring stories to life. Shadow puppetry likely came from China; one story has it first being performed in China over two thousand years ago.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

N E TT MARIO IN

EUROP

Italy is commonly seen as the starting point for the spread of marionettes into 17th century England. Puppetry and marionettes were, and still are, highly culturally significant in places like Sicily, home of Opera dei Pupi that dates back to the 15th century, and Naples. The enormously popular Punch and Judy shows, associated most often with seaside England, derived from Neapolitan puppetry – Guarattelle. The character of Punch, cruel, big-nosed, and violent, came from the commedia dell’arte, Pulcinella. Punch and Judy ultimately became hand puppets, but began their life in England as marionettes. In 18th century Europe, operas composed specifically for marionette theatres, were a popular form of entertainment. The tradition continues in modern day Salzburg, where the Salzburg Marionette

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ES E

Theatre, established in 1913, still puts on productions, many featuring operas composed by Mozart. One can also catch a performance of The Sound of Music, a homage to the classic film which itself featured the famous yodelling »Lonely Goatherd« marionette scene. (If you aren’t already humming »high on a hill was a lonely goat herd«, you’re doing well.) In Germany, Kasper and Seppel are synonymous with marionette theatre. Kasper was the German version of the awful Punch; unlike Punch, he underwent a personality overhaul in the 20th century and became a whole lot nicer. Of course, one would be remiss to discuss puppetry in Germany, and not mention the Augsburger Puppenkiste. A generation of Germans grew up with this marionette theatre that began as a small, family-run theatre and gained

THREAD

its own television show in 1953. Perhaps the most famous marionette of them all hit television screens in the USA in 1940. He was actually born nearly two hundred years prior to his television debut, springing from the imagination of Italian writer, Carlo Collodi. He was the little wooden puppet who could not lie without it showing in his little wooden nose â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pinnochio.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

I 30

FA C E S

SEE

THE

SHEL AT

VES

N N ROSS MA

A marionette artist and puppeteer of thirty-five years, Peter is enthusiastic about modern marionette theatre. Despite TV and computers and the ubiquitous iGadgets that are now part and parcel of childhood, the magic of the marionettes will never fade. He holds workshops with kids and speaks of their tremendous engagement with

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their creations and with each other. There are exhibitions and festivals where groups perform modern day classics like The Gruffalo. Aspiring artists and puppeteers can study the craft in Stuttgart or Berlin. We are sitting at one of Peter Beyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many work tables. This one is covered in heads, and bags of materials used for eyeballs. He has

THREAD

pushed aside what seems like twenty unfinished faces to make room for us. I pick up a head. The face is part plastic, part cardboard, and there seems to be the word ‘strawberry’ written along the nose. It has a protuberant chin and bulbous eyes, and a sense of resignation. ‘I don’t make beautiful or mainstream figures,’ Peter says. ‘I try to build real characters; the eyes are always crooked, or the nose big. They have more charm. When I go shopping and I see a funny bottle, regardless of what’s in it, if it makes a good face, I buy it. I see faces in the shelves at Rossman.’ There are bodies made of old oil canisters, tubing necks awaiting their heads, stacks and rows of cans and bottles and tubs. Occasionally he points out a finished marionette and tells me its face is a drinking yoghurt bottle or its body is a balloon. As I look around the table, I think I recognise the contents of my fridge. I ask him what his family makes

of the creative chaos, of the hundreds of friends they

share their home with. His kids, he says, grew up building and playing with marionettes, and his wife has never known him to be any different. ‘Besides,’ he tells me, and there is a sparkle in his eye, ‘there are enough boring people in the world.’

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

woven

Wind

cotton â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how a small cloud of fibre made its mark on human history by

Anne Breitenstein

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COTTON

A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC OF COTTON

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be hard pressed to find a wardrobe completely devoid of cotton. Taking a closer look at the fabric a whole world of tales woven from it emerges: from precious crops of the ancient world via its role as a driving force of the industrial revolution to the fuse that sparked fair and sustainable trade.

th an

7,0

Peru / as c In

00 years ago

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M a y as / M

e x i

COTTON

Cotton has been around for many years. More than 7,000 years ago the Maya people of Mexico and the Inca civilization in Peru tended to fields of fluffy whiteness, which looked much the same as they do in modern day India and Pakistan. Cotton is an ancient arable crop which was cultivated independently by several peoples in Asia, Africa and South America. The use of cotton as a fabric and the basis for clothes developed equally independently.

COTTON

Sports medicine loves cotton for its kinesio-tapes. Because of its fluffy fiber, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extremely elastic, light and air-permeable..

The shrub-like plant thrives in the heat and develops its distinctively hairy grains, which ultimately burst allowing small bolls of fibre and seeds to be caught by the wind and spread over huge distances. The white fibres we use to this day to make yarn are sourced from just these hairy grains.

BUT HOW DOES A BOLL BECOME A SHIRT? The individual fluffs of fibre are harvested by hand or by machine and then decontaminated of black, and often sticky grains from other plants. 220lb of raw cotton (batting) will yield around 77lb of fibres, 136lb of grains and 7lb of waste. These numbers give a pretty good idea of the level of 37

tedious labour farmers and slaves faced for hundreds of years, before any helpful machinery was invented. In order to create actual strings a countless number of tiny hairs had to be gathered and combined by hand before being woven in an equally sophisticated way. Some pieces of clothing created in this manner

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

cotton wool

eds

100KG 62 KG

ste

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s e if br

COTTON

reached such levels of intricacy that they were referred to as »woven wind«, because you were barely able to feel them on your skin.

THE PROCESSING OF COTTON Especially in the West, cotton clothing remained an exclusive luxury for a long time, not just because of its elaborate creation process but also due to the fact that it had to be transported via long and treacherous routes, like the Silk Road. It wasn’t until the English and their East India Company managed to organise the transport of the precious commodity in a more efficient manner that significant amounts of cotton made their way into Europe.

THE COTTON BUSINESS The so-called white gold, however, remained first and foremost a business – and a less than cosy one at that. Transcontinental processes evolved quickly, but while England was soon moving towards spinning machine aided mass production the raw materials came from plantations in the Caribbean, on which millions of slaves from Africa performed hard labour. Even today the pitfalls of

globalisation are particularly obvious in the cotton industry. Uzbekistan for example, a leading producer of raw cotton, relies on child labour to harvest the fibres. These are then sent to Egypt or China to be spun. Before this they are made into clothes by people in Bangladesh for a shamefully low wage. Then, finally, these clothes are sold here - more often than not at quite ridiculous prices.

THE SOCALLED WHITE GOLD, HOWEVER, REMAINED FIRST AND FOREMOST A BUSINESS – AND A LESS THAN COSY O N E AT T H AT.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

, e t ca i re y l e d arns o . s e g made of cotton, that ar that 0 50 s one t h hread of 1 5 k m only weig 0 re a

The 40

No wonder cotton has become one of the most contentious topics on the WTO’s agenda. While both weavers and tailors collaborated from the early centuries in the history of cotton to manufacture precious garments from brocade, damask cloth, velvet and lace that didn’t rely on chemical additives, traditional cotton farming has been taking its toll on nature, animals and humans. The issues range from misuse of water to health hazards resulting from the use of pesticides, chemical additives and genetic manipulation to exploitation, protectionism and violence. A growing number of consumers, however, are now looking for clothes they can buy with a clean conscience, and there is a measurable trend towards fair and sustainable fashion

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that turns its back on the race for the cheapest production process. The value chain is improved upon by the emergence of co-operations amongst small farmers and Fair Trade certified plantations in the Global South. These initiatives offer attractive rates - usually above world market level - to farmers willing to grow their crops in an ecologically and socially sustainable manner. Such production sites are still just niche phenomena, but they do send a clear signal to the population in the respective country as well as the world market and its consumers.

WHAT'S THE SECRET OF THE »WHITE GOLD«‚?' So what’s the secret behind the socalled »white gold«? Cotton is cool

COTTON

and breathable – more than any other natural fibre in the world. It‘s also comfortable and second to no other fabric in terms of performance and durability. It feels soft and smooth against your skin and has a very low allergenic potential. Cotton is 94% cellulose and can easily be spun and dyed. Fabrics made from cotton are tear resistant, absorbent and resistant to heat. These characteristics make cotton incredibly versatile – from designer fashion to functional clothes and even the paper used to print Euro bank notes. The fashion industry has created a vast array of crazy cotton fabrics with batiste, satin, canvas, damask cloth, denim, flannel, terry towelling, gabardine, jersey, calico, molleton, piqué, and velours just a few of the more well-known varieties.

WHOEVER WANTS TO ENHANCE THEIR LIFE CYCLE ASSESEMENT OF HIS CLOTHES, SHOULD WEAR IT MORE OFTEN.

But as anyone who wears pure cotton will tell you, it creases very easily and doesn’t really do that well at keeping you warm. Pure cotton fabrics also tend to shrink in the wash. Make sure to keep these facts in mind when shopping for clothes so your new items will do both their job and make you look good. When a finished piece of clothing makes its way into our wardrobe its raw fibres are at the end of a very long journey. Modern fibres like polyester are »taught« the desirable qualities of cotton from the start. If you want to stay natural and improve on y,our clothes’ ecological balance sheet at the same time: just wear them for longer!

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

better coTTon

At the end of 2015 IKEA will have changed its whole range of products to sustainably farmed cotton. sisterMAG asked Sustainability Manager Ulf Wenzig what this means and how they are going about it.

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COTTON

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

better coTTon

Sofa covers, blankets, dish cloths – cotton is ubiquitous in our daily lives. In fact, it is among the most important natural fibres in the world and utilised on a daily basis. 250 million people around the globe rely on cotton production for their livelihood. Increasingly, sustainability and fair trade are becoming important considerations in the cotton industry; Better Cotton is just one initiative helping to support a positive change. sisterMAG talked to Ulf Wenzig, Sustainability Manager at IKEA Germany about »Better Cotton« and his profession.

Ulf Wenzig studied energy & environmental technology at university, and first came into contact with IKEA in 2003 through his involvement in a so-called eco-profit-project. During a three-year stint in Indonesia, he received a phone ULF WENZIG Sustainability Manager IKEA Germany

call from IKEA commissioning him for some management projects. Despite an established relationship he still had to go through the ordinary application process in order to secure the permanent position as Sustainability Manager. He has held this position since November 2011 and it makes him »completely happy, because it is the best job I have had so far. It is diverse and offers the chance to take on many different responsibilities, as well as being a part of the decision making process in a leading organisation. I have had an inside view of many companies and am familiar with the dark sides of everyday professional life – but I have definitely found my way to the sunny side now!«

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COTTON

HOW DOES IKEA DEFINE

sustainability

Our global sustainability strategy »People & Planet Positive« incorporates the classic trinity of sustainability focusing on people as well as the environment. The challenge is to align these efforts with a profitable management strategy. There is no use in going to organic extremes when nobody will buy the resulting products.

We have three areas of focus: The first one aims to provide a »Better Life For People And Communities«. It’s all about the people and society at large, and examines our behaviour as a company towards the people in our different markets; towards our employees, towards the people who live in our stores’ neighbourhoods and towards all the people along the supply chain (factory workers and the

producers of our raw materials). This

is also where efforts overlap with the Better Cotton initiative. The second focus area is called »Energy & Resource Independence« and concerns itself with ways to increase our independence from traditional energy and raw material sources. Our aim is to produce more renewable energy than we need for our organisation by 2020. We have also defined goals for wood, cotton and, most recently, plastics. We are looking to move our entire portfolio to Better Cotton by the end of 2015. The third pillar of our sustainability strategy is a »More Sustainable Life At Home«. Which products and ideas could we offer to help our customers leading a more sustainable life at home - even on a budget?

T H E T H R E E PA R T S O F I K E A ' S S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y S T R AT E G Y

Better Life For People And Communities

Energy & Resource Independence

More Sustainable Life At Home

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

HOW

ULLKAKTUS pillow, beige

2.99

DOES

better come in? coTTon 46

Better Cotton is where our initiatives for a better life for the people, i.e. the social aspects, and the environmental aspects overlap. Cotton is IKEA’s second most important raw material. With between 0.6% and 0.7% of the annual global production we consume a significant amount. Cotton production relies on a multitude of environmental factors and is well known to require huge amounts of water and also involve pesticides and artificial fertilisers. The farmers need to source these components at significant costs, so we are trying to develop ways in which to tackle classic cotton production a just bit more cleverly.

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We didn’t found the Better Cotton initiative ourselves, but we have been involved from the start and have supported the non-profit from the go. The initiative’s main goal is to train farmers in the biggest cotton markets and teach them new, clever – and sometimes very simple – tricks to optimise production. We illustrate ways of saving water, pesticides and artificial fertilisers – and still increase the harvest. All these measures cumulate in one simple effect: cotton being produced with a less detrimental environmental impact. What makes this initiative unique is the fact that the increased profit directly benefits the cotton famers; we’re not going into negotiations saying »now that you are producing at lower costs we’ll be paying less, too.” The surplus stays right where it is created, with the farmers, and in the best case scenario will go towards the education of children, healthcare, retirement provisions and similar causes.«

COTTON

BCI trainers regularly visit the biggest cotton producing countries and talk to local executives. They also organise and run the required training courses and share insights into special irrigation techniques which prevent the flooding of cotton fields. This results in a more efficient use of the available farmland and can help prevent pest infestations. Once one farmer employs these methods successfully, others soon express a

desire to follow and it all snowballs from there – 240.000 farmers currently employ these principles. If other large buyers of cotton follow IKEA’s example we might be able to reach the estimated tipping point of around 30%. If 30% of the global cotton production switches to the new standards, an eventual complete switchover becomes likely and the new standards could be implemented worldwide. The BCI’s annual report currently estimates the share to be 8.5%.

240.000 farmers already work using the Better Cotton principles How does Better Cotton change farming? • watering methods • Less dung & pesticides • More income

Did you know that cotton is the second most important material for IKEA? Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

WHAT

D VA L A pillow case

6.99

/ 2 pieces

is the difference between bettercoTTon

There are countless ecological standards which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it any easier for companies like IKEA. So we keep looking for partner initiatives whose principles are compatible with our own vision. In terms of wood, we have chosen the FSC standard. For cotton we have teamed up with the BCI because their vision best matches our own goals. Our common initiatives include: Cotton made in Africa, Ă&#x2013;kotec 1000. There is also organic cotton, but that follows a very different approach. Organic production requires the fields to lie fallow for several years

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GLANSVIDE blanket, cold

49.00

and sustainable

COTTON

to allow the soil to rid itself of all artificial residues before recommencing farming. To me such requirements lack feasibility. In Pakistan for example, many micro-farms are comprised of less than one hectare of farm land and their proprietors simply cannot afford to let it lie dormant. They have families to feed. Switching to high-quality organic cotton production is not an option for these farmers.

what does that mean

for the costomers?

As a low-price strategy company we are committed to not passing the inherent costs on down the supply chain to the detriment of our suppliers or the environment. Traditional

COTTON

furniture retailers do not have any influence on the products’ design and development, or how their raw materials are sourced. IKEA has an advantage over these competitors as we can influence these factors and thereby also impact pricing. Sustainability does not negatively impact our customers – we want the largest number of people possible to be able to share in the concept of sustainability and not see it as an unobtainable luxury. It isn‘t necessary to pass on the cost of environmental investments to the customer. If we discover that a supplier has some catching up to do

in terms of their energy systems we will sometimes make the investment but without implementing repayment modalities which will translate into higher prices. The BCI does not have a negative effect on prices – on the contrary: if we hadn’t switched to this ecologically sound type of cotton the supply would be so low that higher prices would have been unavoidable. However, I wish customers were more aware of Better Cotton. I would like them to think something along the lines of: »By going to IKEA I can do my bid to make the world a better place. That‘s really cool!«

biggest

e g n e l l a h c

obstacle

D VA L A bedding set

29.99

Economy tends to focus on short-term effects. Everything comes down to annual cycles and business strategies – and sustainability tends to fall victim to those. We are facing huge challenges which require long-term solutions but that doesn’t square up with this short-term nature. Sustainable goals cannot be achieved implementing a short-term plan so several years ago we decided to re-evaluate the temporal dimension

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

HYLLE pillow, hard

29.99

under which we operate. This has opened the door for different kinds of investments. Another obstacle is a lack of mental flexibility to manage and implement change. This is why IKEA never stops reassessing and reinventing itself.

how do you

motivate

Our employers are the best ambassadors for our sustainable ideas. Putting a strategy in writing is easy, but in order to succeed in implementing it you must convince the people by motivating, training and educating them. We organise barbeques at which we communicate these topics. But you also have to involve the staff on a personal level. If you manage to make them see the advantages of sustainability in their own homes you have succeeded in convincing them of its importance.

your staff?

In Germany we further these efforts with an GURLI initiative called »Try it yourself«. The sales pillow case, department compiles a collection of products green4.99 helping you on the way to a sustainable home. We have raffles to decide who gets to take home such a package. The lucky colleagues ULLKAKTUS will often share their experiences with the pillow, blue collection with the organisation – oftentimes 2.99 not holding back on the aspects they didn’t like either. This way we have managed to affect a change in peoples’ lives without ramming the facts down their throats like a bad teacher.

sister-mag.com

GURLI pillow case, grey

4.99

COTTON

sisterMAG asked four bloggers to integrate ÂťBetter CottonÂŤ in their private home. The outcome: great inspiration for you and your kitchen, bed or living room! Thanks to the four talented ladies!

Jasmin Elbmadame

Caro Sodapop Design Kerstin Sanvie Nora Seelensachen

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

CARO'SL I V I N G

ROOM

sodapop design better coTTon

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COTTON

Do you pay attention to sustainablity of cotton when buying textiles? I have to admit that I didn’t really care about it (until now). As for clothes, I prefer to shop »Fair Trade« but when it comes to furnishing and texties I didn’t pay attention to it yet. Sustainability is an important topic and I think the Better Cotton Initiative is a very good thing.

My name is Caro and on my blog »Sodapop Design« I write about the things that make life more enjoyable. You will find

shopping advice, DIY ideas and inspiration about living, interior design and decorating.

Which product do you like most from the IKEA range and why? My very favourite items are the super soft and cosy fleece blankets. At home, we have at least eight of them. The striped cushion covers belong to my favourites as well – the colours are great and they perfectly match to autumn.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

JASMINS

LIVING ROOM

elbmadame 54

better coTTon sister-mag.com

COTTON

I am Jasmin from Hamburg and I am writing on elbmadame. de about topics that I am interested in like interior and design, travel and lifestyle since the beginning of 2012. ELBMADAME.DE

Do you pay attention to the sustainability of cotton when buying textiles? I try to pay attention to sustainability of products in many fields but until now I have to admit that this works much better for food than textiles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I think there is a lack of transparency especially when it comes to clothes, which should still be improved. However, I pay attention to the

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

company I buy from and have a closer look at their corporate philosophy and image. Therefore, I consider »Better Cotton« by IKEA a very good initiative in this field, a good example that hopefully a lot others will follow.

GURLI pillow case, green

4.99

Which product do you like most from the IKEA range and why? 56

My favourite IKEA product is my EKENÄSET

armchair.

The

cloth

cover and frame go perfectly with the rest of my furnishing, and I really like the shape of the furniture (the armchair is designed in the style of the Scandinavian 60ies/70ies). Besides, it is incredibly comfortable!

more Ikea products

click here to visit the online shop sister-mag.com

S TO C K H O L M

D O RT H Y pillow case

RAGNBORG pillow case

COTTON

GURLI Plaid, grey/ black

9.99

MALISEN pillow, white, beige

14.99

G U R L I 4.99 pillow case, grey

better coTTon 57

ÖVERENS plate

ÖVERENS bowl

FJ Ä L L A S TO C K H O L M vase box Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

I am Kerstin, a media designer and lover of beautiful things. For this reason, I started blogging more than six years ago. My profession and passion for the nice things are combined in this blog. I deal with topics such as living and decorating, creative DIY ideas as well as nice things and places.

TUVBRÄCKA bedding set, 3-pieces, black, white

39.00

SANVIE.DE

D VA L A pillow case, black

39.00 R Ö DTO P PA blanket, cold

59.00

Do you pay attention to sustainablity of cotton when buying textiles? I have to admit that this topic is gaining more and more importance with me becoming a mother. I didn’t think much about it but especially due to the kids and a life with kids sustainability became more important to me.

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What's your favorite IKEA product? I really like lots of IKEA products – we recently purchased the new Karlstad sofa and I am thrilled! It is incredibly comfortable despite the price. But the huge duvet for two that we have in our bedroom is also great. I spent a long time searching for one like this and finally found it at IKEA. Sleeping under it is a real pleasure. I could probably list a lot more products that we have at home and don’t want to miss in our daily life anymore.

COTTON

KERSTINS

BED ROOM

sanvie

better coTTon

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

GURLI pillow case in grey or brown

4.99

NORAS

KITCHEN

seelensachen sister-mag.com

COTTON

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Nora Kadlicz is from Lower Austria and since 2010 she posts on her blog ÂťSeelensachenÂŤ - photos of her house and the constant changes that are made there. Also her daily life with her kids, recipes and deep thoughts can be found in her blog. As a mother she is paying attention to the sustainability of cotton and even teaches her kids her knowledge about the treatment of resources. The SYSSAN series is her favorite from the IKEA assortment.

SYSSAN pillow, white, beige

14.99

sister-mag.com

COTTON

These blue and grey shades are inspiring her for the coming autumn season. It allows her imagine creating a combination of these products, like a wooden house with other autumn materials, that create a cosy amosphere.

JUSTINA chair pillow, grey

4.99

better coTTon

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

new

sustainable and incomparable Text & Fotos: J A N A A H R E N S â&#x20AC;&#x201C; P L I Q U E . N E T Illustration: E M M A B L O C K sister-mag.com

sustainable

COTTON

VS SEE-SAW?

Individuality VS SUSTAINABILITY?

FA S H I O N ’ S A M A Z I N G POTENTIAL…AND ITS LIMITS.

There seem to be no limits to the power of fashion. So we turn towards the amazing supply of inconceivably cheap clothes in order to be able to stay on top of each trend, while still finding the perfect individual outfit for each occasion and mood. Fashion is first and foremost supposed to be fun. The actual fabric in which we clothe ourselves becomes both less important and more highly charged with symbolism at the same time. It follows therefore that we are not so much devoted to a particular piece of clothing but to the image of ourselves it creates, making it easy to discard a bargain as soon as it’s time to move on to a new image.

Though often found on opposite shelves, weekly fashion tabloids and superhero comic books share surprising similarities: Much like the avengers, modern fashion seems to posses powers nothing short of supernatural. Luxurious and democratic at once, it makes us look beautiful and feel closer to our idols, yet it is still widely affordable. And the weekly updated dos and don’ts and ins and outs of fashion still leave room for our individual character and changing moods. It’s a neat and coherent system,

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy-going and it promises contentment. But it also leads to a more or less globally uniform way of dressing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that has at its core the extremely cruel face of fashion, one which is easily undercovered with even the faintest glance behind the scenes of mass production processes. But is there any alternative? If we shun the offerings spouting from the big trend creating machine and retire from the

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COTTON

Feast of Fashion can we still achieve

fashion editor-in-chief at The New

an individual look? Or would this

York Times shared one idea at the

subject us to boring, unfashionable uniformity zapped of any joy? Is there a magic spot in which individual expression, sustainability and enjoyment of fashion are in

Copenhagen fashion Summit 2014 when she spoke about the concept of the »Sustainable Wardrobe« (see video here the

popular

). Turning her back on phrase

»sustainable

fashion« – which she considers

perfect balance? There has to be some

a contradiction in terms - she

middle ground between Fast Fashion

exposed the superpowers afforded

and asceticism. Vanessa Friedman,

to fashion as a mere marketing ploy.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Vanessa Friedman’s concept of a Sustainable Wardrobe puts the responsibility solely in the hand of the consumer thereby also offering them freedom. Here’s her suggestion:

I have a suitcase of the same four dresses and two jackets and leather trousers that I have been gradually building for the last ten years, and at this stage that exact group of clothing, give or take a pair of boots or bag, goes with me every single fashion season. And I chose what’s in it because it is comfortable, and I can fold it up and stick it in a suitcase and then pull it out and not have to dry clean it or iron it multiple times over a month, and it can get me from shows to cocktails to dinner without changing, and because when people see those clothes they never have any idea who made them.

Vanessa Friedman sees the concept of a Sustainable Wardrobe as a promise to values. But it is also the expression of a uniquely individual style. As a fashion personality she is living proof that a deep interest in fashion and a sustainable style are genuinely reconcilable. Her concept is both progressive and traditional. She promotes a signature look. Instead of chasing each trend she has spent

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years considering how she wants to be perceived and finding the items of clothing best able to sustain this image over time. Her style decisions are first and foremost governed by her own ideas, with only the occasional consideration given to an ever changing list of suggestions by the fashion industry. But that hasn’t diminished her interest in fashion one bit.

COTTON

is made your wardrobe starts evolving based on the changes in your personal life not due to some passing trend. There are many advantages to this approach to individuality in fashion. For one, a signature look is by no means tied to just one style. The decision of what is most becoming is a wholly individual one. It is down to every single person to decide if their style is a black and white minimalist approach, a focus on colorful handknit garments or a head-to-toe denim ensemble. Once that decision

Another advantage is that items of clothing bought with a view of wearing them for a long time to come are worth paying for. Hence it is easy to choose beautiful and elegant clothing that will age well - not just fade like trendy bargains â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and gain further individuality over time. The third advantage is an antithesis of the second one: With a Sustainable Wardrobe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s alright to go and buy

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

The many adva of an individu signature that pair of sneakers that so perfectly fits outfit X without having to worry about them being sourced, produced and traded fairly. If you take care of your shoes so you can wear them for a long time to come the detrimental effects will be considerably less than buying a new pair every couple of weeks.

What it comes down to is that individuality in fashion no longer refers to maxing out on every available trend, option and style. Treat yourself to the luxury of understanding your own personality and communicate it with a good eye and special care for detail.

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COTTON

antages ualised

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

How to take care of clothes T E X T : Ya s m e e n D a b u

I L L U S T R AT I O N : M at h i l d e S c h l i e b e

Fine feathers make fine birds

Clothes do not only make you more attractive they are also considered as the second skin. Therefore, you should take care about them as if they really were. It is the clothesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; task to regulate between your body and your environment and to support your skin. But clothing also has to fulfil and meet and the respective functions and conditions to keep your body healthy. If you want to keep your clothes as long as your own skin you should pay more attention to the proper care. But we all know it: Often, it is your favourite piece that has to bite the dust while you are actually trying to preserve it. The reasons for that are insecurity and ignorance. Therefore, we deal with some tips and provide you with the most important information about the different cleaning types of various materials:

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COTTON

The different fibres Basically, there are two main groups of textiles. There are natural fibres and chemical fibres. The latter made from chemical substances like oil, gas or coal. Natural fibres are for example cotton, silk and sheep wool. Synthetic fibres like viscose and po-

lyester become more and more important nowadays. By now, artificial fibres represent 59 % of all required fibres. Due to this variety of textiles and the different characteristics the care of clothes is always slightly different. An overview:

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Cotton This natural fibre is very versatile and durable. The properties include absorbing moisture, letting air circulate and it is breathable. It is a tear-resistant and robust fibre. Plus, consumers can be delighted about a good price-performance ration. When purchasing cotton you should take into account that the durability depends on the fibreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length. The longer the fibre the better the quality. This fabric is already used for many different occasions: business, leisure and sports. Masses of clothes are produced from cotton.

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COTTON

Wash: As cotton can be washed at high temperature it can easily be machine-washed. We would still recommend to pay attention to the care label. Cotton can be washed in spin cycle.

Care: Normally, cotton is very durable. However, printed textiles should be washed inside out. While drying, wet cotton shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lie for long but hang on the line when still dripping wet.

Iron: In case of cotton, linen and wet cotton, you should use the iron or steam iron at level 3 while blended fabric should be ironed at low temperature as a high level makes the chemical fibre of the blended fabric turn brittle and inelastic.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Silk Silk is made from the cocoon of the silk worm and the finest yet strongest natural fibre. For more than 5000 years, silk is considered as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most precious natural fibre due to its lightness and softness. Yet it is tear-resistant, absorbent and thermostatic. Due to its shimmering lustre this material looks particularly elegant but it is very sensitive. When purchasing a silk blouse you should keep in mind that it may slightly fade out in the sun light and that sweat stains appear quickly on it.

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COTTON

Wash: Silk clothes should be washed at a maximum temperature of 30째C (86 F) with a sensitive care programme or by hand with a special detergent. You should iron the blouse or dress inside out with a dry cloth at the lowest level. Pay attention not to use a steam iron for silk. Do not: wring, spin and hang silk up when wet.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Viscose This materialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special feature is that it can adapt the appearance of other fabrics. It is a natural raw material that has been chemically refined. You may recognize viscose by its lightness and soft flowing.

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COTTON

Waschen: At best, you avoid washing viscose with jeans or other clothes with zippers in one load. The drum shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be completely filled. Clothes should be spun shortly and washed with liquid detergent in a gentle wash at a temperature up to 40Â°C (104 F).

Dry: Before hanging up the clothes dripping wet they should be pulled into shape. Viscose clothes should not be dried in the dryer nor above the heating. Reason: Viscose tends to shrink.

Iron: You should iron viscose while still wet under a wet cloth. Tip: If your favourite viscose blouse shrinks, just moisten it after washing and iron it into shape.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Polyester It is not only used for clothes but for multiple uses (e.g. producing plastic bottles). For the textile industry, polyester is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best known synthetic fibre and it is often mixed with other raw materials like cotton or new wool. This artificial fibre is very light resistant and weatherproof, it nearly doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t absorb water at all and it is crease-resistant as it is highly elastic.

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COTTON

Wash: When it comes to polyester, you don’t really have to think about the washing routine. It can be easily washed at 40 – 60 °C (104 – 140 F) and mostly, it doesn’t need to be ironed.

Tip:

Before stowing your clothes in the furthest corner when changing summer and winter clothing you should clean them in order to avoid unpleasant odours and moths.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

WER STECKT HINTER

PHILOMENA ZANETTI? People follow trends. They always have, they always will (even the 'unadapted'). One of these trends is the change to sustainable fashion. Many want to know what they wear: where it comes from, who made it and under which conditions.

philomenazanetti.com

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COTTON

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

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COTTON

But can sustainable fashion reach the standards of the 'normal' fashion industry, satisfy the customer and keep up with a fast pace? After interviewing Julia Leifert, designer of Philomena Zanetti, we think it can. The 32 year old creative told us all about her goal to let the clean cuts of her label speak for themselves, to eliminate the prejudice against sustainable fashion. No-nonsense, confident, adapted. That is how she describes her label. At first, we want to know who Philomena Zanetti is. Contrary to most labels, it is not the name of the designer. It turns out that it was the name of her great-greatgrandmother. 'I grew up with this name. Along with other women in my family, she is one of my biggest inspirations. They are strong women and the name connects me to them, as much as it slows things down. The name is very old

and

especially

during this fast fashion movement, a name like

Philomena

takes me back.' The

label

founded

was in

2014, its headquarters are still located in the home of its designer but the samples can be found at Common Works in Kreuzberg. A little throwback-moment shows that Julia originally studied Law in Konstanz. This never really made her happy and the young woman (born in BadenWuerttemberg) decides to follow her love for fashion and art by teaching herself how to sow. After using it as a creative outlet for a while, she realised that this is what she really wants to do. 'I thought: Law is not my thing. I have always been a creative person, especially during my childhood and adolescence when I drew a lot. I loved making things, a passion I never lost' So Julia Leifert started studying fashion at the AMD in Berlin. She interned at BPMW in New York and met other young designers. 'New York is so full of energy. Somehow, everyone is always doing something.' Even though having her own label isn't in her head yet, she knows that fashion is her thing. 'Well, I went to New York and I saw that everyone was doing their own thing and it worked. The people don't seem to worry as much, they just do stuff and see where it takes them. After coming back I

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

had six weeks to finish my semester. During the holidays, I designed a whole collection.' Following her dreams, she went to New York again, this time to work with a designer and everything else is history. Back in Berlin, her main concerns were finding a manufacturer and a place to produce her clothes. 'I didn't really learn this so I needed professionals to support me. This is how I found Common Works.' The next range- AW 15/16 directly continues to be produced.

New York and Berlin. The designer has more than once been attracted by the city that never sleeps. But did she ever consider moving? 'I moved to Berlin because I love this city. That's why I never thought about moving anywhere else. Berlin is where it all started and even though New York is so inspirational, it is not where my label belongs. In Berlin, you can try whatever you want because not that much has already been established. There still are niches.' 'Of course Berlin is cheaper, too. It is much easier to start something here, there is so much to discover and many young people want to discover and accomplish new things. Everyone is right here.'

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How did she manage to start manufacturing without a collection? Common Works helped Julia out. The company from Berlin offers many benefits and workshops for young designers. The workshops mainly focus on smaller collections. Common Works is GOTS approved and specialised in sustainable productionone of the most important points for Julia. 'Sustainability is one of the most important points for me. Everything starts with choosing the right fabric. I don't use fur or leather because I have been vegetarian for a long time and now live a vegan lifestyle. I only use organic material if the material is inartificial like cotton or linen. Sometimes I use wool, always KBT approved. This guarantees that the animals are being treated well. Most of the fabrics are GOTS approved, that means that they don't contain chemicals or toxic colouring. My manufacturer is GOTS approved, so the workers are being payed well, trade unions can be founded and there are strict rules about the working hours and safety measurements.' As important as sustainability is for the label, the design is the main focus. This is what sets Philomena Zanetti apart from other sustainable labels. 'My label belongs to the group of

COTTON

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

more expensive labels and represents contemporary design. Many labels have sustainability as their focus, I want to adress a larger group of people by making it more appealing.' It should focus on the fact that sustainable fashion can, well, be real fashion. 'I was never able to find something that worked for me from both aspectssustainability and fashion.'

Julia's very high standard in regards to transparency and sustainability does bring some challenges, especially because it limits creativity to a certain point. 'I didn't think it would be that hard. I had â&#x20AC;&#x201C;and still have-

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the ultimate goal to have an entirely vegan label.' She also completely abstains from using chemical fabrics, such as polyester. Even wool, a very natural material, has to be checked for its quality. Completely discarding of designs or being limited in certain points surely isn't easy. Still, Julia won't let go of her moral principles and her idea of a truly fashionable and sustainable label. This is also influencing the creative process-she takes whatever material she has and lets it inspire her for the final design. Next to frequent trips to trade fairs, a lot of research is a big part of her work.

COTTON

This work is very demanding, mostly because Philomena Zanetti is run by no one else but Julia. 'If I had known what I'm signing up for, I probably wouldn't have done it.' She really is doing it all on her own, but doesn't regret a thing. Of course, Julia is always planning ahead for the next big project. She wants to establish sales and distribution. Her next goal is to show her work at New York Fashion Week in September, hoping for a similarly positive reaction as in Berlin. She will spend the rest of the year designing a new collection and launching the online shop. After a first collection with six pieces and a second one with 10 pieces, she wants to double the amount to reach a broad audience.

I want to know what her biggest success was since the launch of Philomena Zanetti: 'My biggest success is the amazing feedback. This is what makes me keep working. It makes me believe that this concept is important and that it can work. More and more people are starting to look for sustainbale fashion and I think I can be very happy with everything I have achieved withing this year.'

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

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COTTON

{ We at sisterMAG love the new collection and can hardly decide which piece we love the most. The designer knows which piece makes her the proudest: 'It's the coat. I think it's even more beautiful when you look at it. It is such a timelessly elegant piece when you put it on even though it's inspired by a men's coat. It is very feminine but strong and an investment piece that will be wearable for years and years.' }

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

The 30ies

Portraying a generation

Together with VICHY, we discover lifestyles and their impact on the skin with readers in their 30s. sisterMAG founder Toni (34) starts it off.

sister-mag.com

FABRIC

FOTOS: Cris Santos & Diana Patient & Stocksy TEXTE: Antonia Sutter & Yasmeen Dabu MODELS: Antonia, Catharina & Lissy

We are testing the new VICHY NORMADERM skincare range and the new moisturiser. Six readers used the products to battle impurities. Learn all about the causes of impurities in our informative feature.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

A LETTER FROM TONI

HELLO After Thea wrote most of the introductions (some of them in the dead of the night before launching a new issue) to the past couple of issues, I want to address our readers in the middle of issue Nr. 20.

A memorable and hot summer has passed by. As some of you may know from Instagram (@ tonneu), I had to undergo major surgery so most of my summer was spent recovering and thinking. Talks with my mother (60 by now) and my sister (still 27) mostly circled around our futures and our goals.

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FABRIC

Antonia

34, Berlin

is co-founder of the publishing house Carry-On Publishing and sisterMAG. Her life mainly takes place at her desk in the office and primarily consists of â&#x20AC;&#x201C; how many of you possibly can not believe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; numbers, invoices and Excel spreadsheets. She takes care of accounting and the commercial part of the company and also directs maketing and strategy. Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Turning 30 is a big deal for most people. I just remember a relaxed birthday in Paris. While I didn't really mind turning 30, my sister is very different about this. We, being 27 and 34, represent along with most of our friends the typical 30ish woman. When some of us already think about the compatibility of our jobs with our own families, others are still looking for Mr. Right. Some may be downloading several bedtimestories apps and others uninstall Tinder for the umpteenth time and swear they won't ever use it again (again). While some may already be longing for a sidekick, others cannot see the wood from the trees and are close to giving up the search for â&#x20AC;şthe oneâ&#x20AC;š for good. As if this exhausting

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search wasn't enough, this also is the age where most of us work our hardest, either looking for opportunities to be promoted or trying to establish our own businesses-or trying to work as much as 'back then' while being a new mother. In

addition,

obviously have to stay in shape, toning (and torturing) our bodies with Zumba, Yoga

running

and

keeping

to date with the latest events in our friends lives. While writing these lines, I am sitting in a deckchair in our sunny back yard, but not for the sole purpose of tanning. My goal is to battle my

impurities,

something that has haunted me for a long time, just like 4 in 10 women in their 30ies. Didn't we all think by the time we're 34 we would be done battling teenager problems?

Akne Tarda

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4 in 10 women in their 30ies suffer from acne tarda

Most women around 30 work long and hard hours either trying to climb the career ladder in a corporate environment or starting or expanding their own business – or trying to equal their earlier performance in a postmaternity-leave-part-time-position; all this while making sure to keep in shape with Yoga, jogging or Zumba and not neglect their friends who also need regular attention ranging from consolation to diversion. On top of all this a statistically significant number (4 out of every 10) are haunted by a problem they thought had gone for good: skin blemishes.

Skin blemishes – The reality Unfortunately, I can empathise all too well from personal experience, so I consider myself exceptionally lucky to have sisterMAG partner VICHY’s Katrin Kipper, PhD, on speed dial. She heads the »Medical Marketing and Science« department for the French cosmetic

manufacturer who got its name from the small town in Auvergne where it was founded. Katrin told me that adult acne, or acne tarda, not only affects me and many of my fellow thirtysomethings, but it is also currently on the rise in many Western industrial nations. Acne tarda, just like »traditional« teenage acne, is caused by a genetically determined hormonal imbalance. The actual triggers for adult acne, however, tend to be so-called co-factors, like intolerance to certain medications, an individual’s diet or the use of unsuitable cosmetics. Where diet is concerned, certain dairy products, sugars and fats, i.e. highly glycemic food (which raises the blood sugar level), can stimulate the sebaceous glands providing an ideal breeding ground for acne. When choosing cosmetic products it is especially important to make sure they are suitable for your individual skin type. Oils and greasy creams can facilitate the creation of acne.

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A care system against acne VICHY have developed the NORMADERM care system to specifically combat adult acne. The line combines acne treatment and anti-aging care. While many typical anti-aging products to which women in their early thirties tend to begin to turn are too oily for acne-prone skin, these dermocosmetic products are much better suited and their carefully combined ingredients provide adult skin with all the care essentials it requires. The right skin care line combined with a healthy diet, as little stress in your life as possible (stress, be it on the job or in your family life, can have a detrimental effect on the progression and development of acne) and regular exercise can help combat blemishes in adults and noticeably improve the appearance of your skin. 100

Pharmacies which stock the NORMADERM line by VICHY offer a free analysis of your individual skin type as well as consultation on a suitable care regime. The dedicated website also holds a lot of useful information including the »3 golden rules for clear skin« , one of which I was definitely caught out by. So let’s rejoice in the fact that there is a fully stocked arsenal of weapons to fight blemishes in adult skin, while we still have to fight most of the other battles between our late twenties and early thirties without much scientific support. Good luck with those and many more sunny days of late summer!

Yours Toni

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Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

»BREAKOUT SESSION«

A C N E TA R DA Turning 18 is a big deal for most of us: now we can officially call ourselves adults. Finishing school, starting a new life, some definite degree of independence and responsibility all make us feel like now life is finally going to start properly. From that moment on, time just flies and after what feels like the mere blink of an eye you’re going on 30. Discussions with your girl-friends suddenly revolve around ticking biological clocks and a fear of being left on the shelf if Mr. Right is nowhere in sight yet. The magic word is confidence. Shy and timid people lose time – or so Hollywood 102

tells us. So just be confident; sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? But unfortunately, our bodies do not always go along with our plans for them and so our outer appearance sometimes doesn’t quite match up. Is it all down to stress? Why does our skin suddenly behave like it never really left puberty behind? Acne is especially annoying if it hits women in their 30ies. More often than not, the affected didn’t even have those problems during puberty and are understandably confused as to why they should haunt them now. We are going to take a closer look at adult acne (»acne tarda«) in this feature and will answer questions as well as suggest solutions.

IN COOPERATION WITH DERMATOLOGIST DR. MED. STEFFI FLAXA

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A D U LT

ACNE?

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Acne is an inflammatory disease of the sebaceous follicles. It has several visible symptoms: Swelling or bulging of the topmost layer of skin, increased sebum production and secretion, and the build-up of bacteria. If these symptoms occur simultaneously, sebum builds up in the hair follicles which may clog, eventually resulting in the formation of a plug (a microcomedo). The skin gets inflamed and pustules and nodules may appear.

The most obvious difference is the affected area of skin. Teenagers with their usually normal to oily, sometimes combination skin tend to suffer with a spotty forehead or temples. Blackheads in grown women, however, tend to appear in the lower parts of the face, around the mouth and chin area or on the neck. Comedos on the back or cleavage are also common. With the affected area often deep beneath the skin, adult acne can be especially inflammatory and painful.

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AROUND

41 %

OF ALL WOMEN

between 24 and 40 SUFFER 104

WITH SKIN

IMPURITIES.

Acne is often chronic in adult women and it can develop over long periods of time. Some women suffer well into their mid 40ies. There is no treatment (yet) which will completely cure the affliction once and for all. This makes a regular care regime even more important as it is the first defense against a repeat breakout as well as the formation of scars (which can be a result of inflammation). The deeper the inflamed area the more severe the scars can be, this is especially true if the condition persists over a longer period of time and if you try to take the blackheads out yourself. The best results have been achieved through a combined exterior skin care treatment and suitable medication. Young skin requires a different care regime than more mature skin. Moisture deficiencies are much more common in mature skin, as are blemishes, large pores and general shine. Inflammations are more common and tend to be recurring. Whereas teenage TREATMENT skin, even when OF suffering with acne, tends to be naturally ADULT ACNE well moisturized with generally smaller pores. Inflammatory blackheads and blemishes occur sporadically.

THE UNDERLYING CAUSE:

Your Hormons DOING SOMERSAULTS

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04 T R E AT M E N T

NORMADERM

24 h Moisturising Day Cream for imperfection-prone skin

The best person to consult about suitable products might be a dermatologist as they will be able to suggest the most appropriate and compatible treatment for any given situation. Choosing a treatment this way will also minimise the risk of having to abandon it mid-way due to intolerance. Exterior skin treatments like gels and creams are a salient part of any regime, but an equally important

aspect is patience as most treatments will only come into full effect after several weeks. So make sure you stick with your chosen treatment for a considerable amount of time to be able to properly assess its effectiveness. In addition to the treatment of an acute issue, long-term preventive measures should be considered.

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NOR

24 Moistur

MAKE-UP

moisturis imperfection-

REMOVAL AND SKIN CARE You might also want to try Normaderm Night Detox as a night cream alternative. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an antibacterial clarifying night treatment for oily skin which is prone to blemishes. It can help reduce sebum production and resulting oily skin.

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07 ONCE IN A MONTH

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24 C Cr

Tinted impe pro

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MADERM

h riser

ser for -prone skin

ORMADERM

4 h BB Clear ream

Moisturizer erfectionone skin

As any beauty guru will tell you: The key to beautiful and healthy skin is a suitable skin care regime. It’s bad enough to have to deal with the same kind of skin issues as your own teenage children, and standing next to your offspring in the bathroom nurturing your individual blackheads is not for everybody.

06 AT NIGHT

But whatever you do, don’t choose the wrong kind of skin care! This is one time when it’s alright to tell your children »this is for adults only«. Don’t share your teenager’s care line - skin suffering with adult acne needs the exact opposite of their rich day and night lotions. Choose products which don’t cause skin irritations and are free from acne promoting substances. Go for a makeup that has been tested to prevent clogging and treat your skin every (other) day with a genuinely suitable product (i.e. one that is soap and solvents).

A period not only tends to come at the most inappropriate time of any given month, it also often announces itself a week before with a general feeling of discomfort and – more often than not – our face breaking out in spots and blemishes. Covering any and all spots with concealer seems an obvious idea, but that would put far too much strain on our skin which is in desperate need of relaxation. Enter Normaderm Clear BB Cream – a new corrective and antibacterial BB cream by Vichy with salicylic acid, oil regulating zinc and kaolin which helps to combat shine.

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SPOT

SUN

NORMADERM

Hyaluspot SOS-stick Fast acting formula against imperfections and blemishes

Irritated skin shouldn’t be further stressed with masks, peelings or rubbing in general as all these treatments actually stimulate the sebaceous glands. Don’t try taking blackheads out yourself! Especially if you haven’t washed your hands first. This will inevitably lead to inflammation. If it’s already happened, don’t despair! The Normaderm Hyaluspot SOS stick puts an invisible layer of Hyaluron on the spot which will protect it from new and additional bacteria. When choosing a concealer stick to hide the issue, make sure to opt for one which will also help dry out the spot.

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Depending on the treatment chosen you might want to avoid direct sunlight as this can further irritate your skin. Contrary to public opinion sun doesn’t dry out spots but rather will make the skin produce a protective top layer in which oil accumulates and clogs up the pores. Wearing sun screen is definitely recommended. Idéal Soleil by Vichy combines sun screen and care without leaving an oily film on your skin but with the added benefit of a mattifying finish.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

THE SISTERMAG TEST MONTH

T H E 3 0 'S The best product is only as good as its reviews and its effectivity. Can this product impress a broad range of customers in different environments? Through Facebook, we found our testers: women who have suffered from impurities and skin problems for a long time. They put the new VICHY NORMADERM moisturising treatment to the test and critically investigated its impact on the skin throughout the day!

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Moreover, we have questioned our testers about their personal lives: have they achieved their goals? Are they happy with their lives? The results are the honest stories of six women from diverse backgrounds. A big thank you to them for giving us an insight into their lives and testing NORMADERM!

new NORMADERM

24 h moisturising cream daycare for blemished and sensitive skin

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Catharina London

designer of wedding dresses living in South Wimbledon, London with her 3 month old baby and her husband Michael. Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

LOOS-GEHTS.DE

Lina Loos

»Once, someone even asked me whether I had the measles!« environment I'm in massively influences my skin. Whenever I'm stressed or don't get enough sleep, my skin is quick to show that it's unhappy.

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Ever since turning 30, my life has drastically changed. I decided to take the jump and founded my own company to be a freelance wedding photographer. 10 years ago, I would have thought that by the time I'm 30, I'd be married and live in my own house with my kids. Things took a very different turn for me since none of these things have actually happened but I'm still very happy. I think that the

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NICIANDTHEGOODLIFE.COM

Nici Beckendorf »Ever Since the brand was introduced by sistermag, i tried it and i'm verry happy about it.«

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My life really has changed after turning 30. I don't feel like I'm restless all the time, instead I enjoy quiet moments both in relationships as well as at home and living a steady life. I need more rest than in my 20's. My job has certainly become more stressful, my problems seem to be bigger than back then. Everything feels very different. The way I live always shows on my skin. During past years, I didn't really take care of my health. This year, things have changed. I work out, take time for myself and spend more time outside. This has been revolutionary for my skin.The only thing that keeps me from having clear skin is smoking-I'm trying to quit! Ever since puberty hit me, my skin has been somewhat impure. Luckily, it never really was terrible but clear skin still seems unreachable to me, especially in the chin area. When things are worse, everything seems to be inflammated. For a long time, I under went treatments at a dermatologists and payed frequent visits to a beautician but neither this nor being able to afford more expensive products seemed to do much for my skin.

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Mandi Larsen Shortly after turning 31, I moved from New York City to Germany. For the past seven years, I have learned German, moved from Hamburg to Berlin to Bremen and been promoted. My 30s weren't always easy but they sure are exciting! Whenever I haven't slept enough or I didn't drink as much as I should, my skin turns a bit dull. That's why I try to go to bed early and drink at least 2.5 litres of water per day. I have fought impurities and spots ever since being a teenager but now I feel like I have found the right balance of products and I'm willing to spend a bit more on skincare.

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HAPPYSERENDIPITY

Lou Celestino When I turned 30, my skin seemed to have gotten better over night. After about 2 years, things got worse again. Not as bad as when I was 16, but it did affect me. I noticed that my impurities had come down my face, from my forehead to my chin area. Luckily, it's not as bad as during puberty.

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Did my life change after turning 30? Yes! I got engaged, we bought a house and I had 2 children! When I was 30 my life seemed to be slowing down but now it's back at a fast pace. I always assumed that I was going to get married and have kids but that thought never really substantiated itself. I've never been good with specific plans.

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ÂťMy skin has always been adolescent-in every way!ÂŤ

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After turning 30, I could notice some change in my skin: more small wrinkles and, through hormonal changes, spots. I try to be relaxed about these changes. I go to my beautician every once in a while and use good products.

Nicole Rautenberg

BABY ROCK MY DAY

Rebecca Behrendt Yes, my life did change. I had a second child and took some time off my job. It felt like such a huge thing to do, but having a baby and working are not very compatible. I changed my job twice after being fired shortly before my 30th birthday. It was a huge shock but also a great opportunity. During 2013/14, I graduated as a graphic designer. I feel like life in the 30s isn't that free anymore, you have so many responsibilities. I had no idea what it would be like to turn 30. I feel like I always thought it would be easy and enjoyable when, in reality life can be very unfree.

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From my skin care, I expect an unfussy and easy way of working. It needs to be quick as I am always on the go in different countries, under different weather and water conditions.

Lissy 34, London sister-mag.com

ÂťMy s is gett better better

works as a producer for movies. Her job requires a lot of travelling but she enjoys being independent and meeting new people and challenges.

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»The product is great, very efficient and it feels good on the skin. My skin is getting better and better. Sometimes I wish things would develop a little quicker but I know my skin needs its time. The only thing that is missing for summertime is SPF, but I can also use my BB-cream from Normaderm for that. I'm looking forward to seeing how my skin will develop. Thank you for letting my try this product! The cream has an amazing texture and instantly sinks into the skin, not leaving a weird film. I love the fresh, subtle smell. The efficiency of the product is great, too. A bottle like this should last a while!« N i c i

skin ting »the r and product is r ! » Nici g r e a t « I like the Normaderm moisturiser. I haven't had any spots and my pores have become significantly smaller. The smell is very nice. I wouldn't say that it's a substitute for a product I am using now but I'd consider adding it to my routine!

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»The product is great! I love the fresh, subtle smell!« Mandi

End

Interview WITH

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ALPHA CRUXIS REBECCA MARTIN

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Name, what do you do and what is your label’s name? Rebecca Martin. I’m the designer and founder of Alpha Cruxis. We create premium leather goods with a bold, minimal, geometric aesthetic.

Where do you come from, where do you live now and how did you end up in this town? I’m originally from Australia. I was born in Tasmania and also lived in Victoria and Melbourne before moving to Europe. The decision to move to Berlin was not really planned. After graduating from a Bachelor of Design in 2010, I came to Europe in 2011 to do some internships and thought I would go back to Australia after a year or so. While interning I decided I wanted to spend more time in Europe and that I also wanted to start my own label. Berlin was an obvious choice as I had friends living here already and had loved my time in Berlin during previous visits.

What is the philosophy behind the brand? What is especially important to you? Artisanal hand-crafted quality, using the highest quality materials is at the core of Alpha Cruxis. We use traditional techniques and materials that have remained the same over centuries to create truly modern pieces. Aesthetically; clean lines and strong shapes form the core of our collections.

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What are they made of? How do you produce them? We use vegetable tanned leather sourced from Italy and Belgium, suede for the linings, and polished metal zips and hardware sourced from Italy. We hand craft each piece in our Berlin studio using over 20 processes in the making of a single bag. Even the stitching is done by hand using a traditional twoneedle saddle stitching technique. 120

How and where do you find the materials? A lot of research goes into finding the right suppliers with the best quality materials for our bags. Sometimes we visit fairs for leather and components, and other times we have samples sent to us to compare before making a final decision.

How did you get into designing handbags ? What does the design process look like? It began with the leather that we use, 3mm thick vegetable tanned leather, which is most commonly used for saddlery. I began working with this leather in my final year of study and fell in love with it for the sculptural shapes that were possible due to its semi-rigid quality. I continued to explore construction techniques to see what this leather could do when worked in different ways. Eventually this led to the faceted shapes that you see throughout our collection. Construction techniques and craftsmanship continue to be at the heart of my design process.

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IPHONE CASE

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GEM WALLET

SQUARE WALLET

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sister-mag.com SQUARE GEM COIN PURSE

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Where do you find your inspiration? I’m quite a detail-oriented person and am drawn to things that others might overlook, the texture of a particular surface or a pattern in the pavement stones. I’m drawn to geometric shapes in the urban landscape, and particularly to Brutalist architecture. But each season I hope to distill some feeling of our time, some contemporary essence into the collection rather than working to a particular theme or trend.

GEM WALLET WITH STRAP

The Alpha Cruxis bags are very elaborately made and a lot of work goes into each bag. Do you think that today – with brands like Zara or H&M – a brand like this can survive? How would you describe your customer/the girl who wears Alpha Cruxis? I think there is a growing awareness and appreciation of slow fashion, artisanal production and emerging, niche designers. Our customer is one who values these qualities and would rather invest in something that is a unique statement piece that they will wear for many years.

Do you have a role model? Or a designer that you really look up to? We admire designers that share our values. We were recently a part of Origin Fair where we joined 99 other emerging labels from across the globe to show our collection in Vicenza, Italy. It was really inspiring to be amongst other young designers, to share experiences, knowledge and creativity.

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If you could only own one handbag – which colour and form would it have? I’ve been wearing our Square Gem Shoulder Bag for years now so truthfully, I would have to say that one.

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Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What would be the dream for Alpha Cruxis? The dream is to expand the studio to continue to produce our bags in-house. We plan to add to our range; at the moment we do women’s and unisex pieces, but we would like to do a collection for men as well. 10 years is a long time! I’m sure I’ll have many more new plans by then!

Shoes and handbag matching – a do or a don’t? I think personal style is more important that any ‘rules’ in fashion, so whatever your personal expression is, embrace it!

BELT BAG RECTANGLE CLUTCH

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BIG CLUTCH

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INTERVIEW MAXWELL SCOTT BAGS 126

with WILLIAM FORSHAW sister-mag.com

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Founded in 2002, Maxwell Scott Bags reinterprets the art of leather craftsmanship for the modern day. The brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beginnings can be traced back to a recreational tour of Italy by William's mother Jacqueline. The discovery of leather goods on family travels combined with strong entrepreneurial instincts saw the potential for a new breed of bag maker. Drawing on the rich Italian heritage of leather goods, founder William Scott Forshaw began to conceive an antidote to the throwaway fashion culture he observed elsewhere. In its place would be a dedication to the finest materials and a design philosophy influenced by innovative yet understated British design. And so the original favourite the Paolo briefcase was born. Initially tailored towards corporate clientele, the transition from boardrooms to online allowed Maxwell Scott Bags to realise its potential and expand its collections.

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BRIEF CASE LORENZO

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The biggest challenge for a relatively small online retailer still is to compete and prove ourselves against the big and well known High Street brands. Even though our bags are luxurious and of very high quality and we definitely surpass the quality in stores by far it is hard to assert oneself against brands that are already established and famous. The rapid developments in the digital world are another challenge. As a small family business with limited resources we always have to be one step ahead and find out what might work and what doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

Your company is producing leather goods for 13 years. Which challenges does your family business face in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world?

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How did you come upon the idea of founding a company like this?

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When I started working in advertising in London it struck me right away that a majority of men did not quite value stylish briefcases and attache cases. Some colleagues even carried a plastic bag to their designer suit. That disturbed me. When I fell victim to corporate structuring and lost my job I travelled to Italy with my mother. She loves handbags and organized bag parties like others arrange Tupper parties. That is where I got the business idea from and started with the plan to provide every single business man in London with a high quality briefcase. From there on, everything took its course.

You only use Italian leather. What is important in selecting the raw materials?

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The first sign of quality are the name and the price. We only work with high quality and well-known companies like YKK for zip fasteners and the alci brand for locks. They who offer too low prices canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide the quality that we need for our bags.

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BRIEF CASE BARELLA With the blog, we want to provide our Besides the online shop customers with the possibility to look you also manage a blog. behind the scenes. Plus, we are all What is this about? interested in fashion, trends, travelling and lifestyle and want to share that with our customers and potential new customers. How many leather We have about 140 leather goods, i. e. goods do you have bags, briefcases, travel bags and currently in range? accessories available in three colours: chestnut tan, dark brown and night black.

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How many bags do you We produce around produce per day? 20 bags per days. How long does it take The tanning process of until a bag is ready the leather takes about 6 for sale? weeks. After that, everything goes quite fast. We need approximately one week to complete a bag. Nowadays, many prefer handbags made of synthetic leather or fabric due to price and fashion. What is the advantage of leather goods?

We notice that it is currently changing. More and more cheap brands produce an exclusive or luxury line. Customers are looking for quality and classical items that upgrade their wardrobe for several years.

Leather is very robust and durable. It is timeless and develops by and by a beautiful patina (surface structure). Leather bags are timeless accessories that you can take pleasure in for decades.

So far, young people do not show much interest in craftsmanship and high quality products. Do you believe this development will last or can you see a change in buying behaviour?

There a pictures of seamstresses 100 %! All our bags are a 100 % on your homepage. How much handmade. Therefore it takes quite a manual labour is in the hand while until we complete a bag. bags, suitcases and briefcases?

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What do you pay particularly attention to during the design process of new bags?

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Do you have any advice for us about the best leather care?

Of course we do look at current and coming trends and then try to find a market gap asking ourselves ÂťWhat is still missing?ÂŤ We also consider customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remarks and wishes. Technology also plays a big role e. g. smartphone cases for the new iPhone6 or iPadMini. But in general, it is about designing a fashionable but timeless, elegant and classical accessorize that can be worn for many years.

Leather is a natural product and should be treated with natural products as well, e. g. with beeswax. Further tips and tricks can also be found at our homepage:

maxwells

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cottbags.

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a h t i w 138

1 2

Start braiding a normal French braid: Part hair in 3 equal parts. Leave outer parts at first, taking up pieces from the front to braid into the plait. When taking up a new strand, wrap it tightly around the plait once and then continue braiding. Loosen up your braid.

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Part hair into 3-4 parts (depending on how much hair youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working with). Use the left part to braid a French braid (instruction at the top). Braid the other parts the standard way, tucking in the ends and pinning them to the back of your head. Braid the 4th part (like the 1st) into a French braid. Pin the ends from the 1st and 4th part to the back of your head.

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Pull your hair into a sleek ponytail on the side of your head.

2 Braid the ponytail and loosen it up.

Wrap the plait around your head and secure it with bobby pins.

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2 4 5 6

Comb your hair to one side.

Take a strand of hair close to your hair line and twist it back, taking up more strands as you go. Repeat until you have reached your ear and secure.

Part hair in 2 parts.

Take a small part of hair from the left side and put it with the hair on the right side. Take a small part of hair from the right side, put it to the left. Continue this way (Fishtail Braid). When done, loosen up braid and secure with bobby pins if necessary

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RECIPES & PHOTOS

Adinda de Boer

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Our Taiwanese apartment looked and smelled like a tiny, messy grandma bakery the last couple of days, which I love. I've never baked so many pies in one day and the days after that. I think my skinny jeans needs to wait a little longer after tasting, eating and finishing all these scrumptious baked fruit and chocolate pie's. That's life, I know But! I did however have some delicious pie's to comfort you through the rainy and colder autumn days to come. Typical autumn weather is a nice excuse to stay at home and warm up the house by baking some delicious pie's don't you think? It's easy to find endless kinds of fruit back here in Taiwan, but some of the Western fruit pie recipes ask for specific varieties of pears or grapes. I find it simple to change some of the fruity ingredients as long as it's from the same family. That's also the reason why I love many pie recipe's so much, because they are so flexible. In this case I used Chinese apple pears instead of Bosc or Barlett pears and Japanese Kyocho grapes instead of Concord grapes. So if you can't find that specific type of fruit, don't worry; try to experiment ing with other types of fruit. I also thought of some fun new ways to decorate my pies crusts, beyond the traditional weave. For example: I used two colors of dough for the Derby chocolate pie crust and used my scissors to cut out some fun shapes out of the lattice strips of the grape pie. I also used a lattice cutter for the first time. I always thought that it would make my pie look Âťstore boughtÂŤ, but I've noticed whilst making crusts by hand, they never quite looks like machine made. Especially with my personalized almond and raisin circle crust. And Braiding is one of my favorite ways to decorate a crust, it makes a pie look very good right away. Well, I hope this will inspire you to have a fun afternoon baking and crust experimentation.

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Recipe from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds pie book

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INGREDIENTS DOUBLE PIE CRUST 2 1/2 CUPS UNBLEACHED ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR 1 TEASPOON KOSHER SALT 1 TABLESPOON GRANULATED SUGAR 1/2 POUND COLD UNSALTED BUTTER, CUT INTO 1/2 INCH PIECES 1 CUP COLD VINEGAR 1 CUP ICE

1. Stir the flour, salt and sugar together in a a large bowl. Add the butter pieces and coat with the flour mixture using a bench scraper or spatula. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are ok; be careful not to over blend). 2. Combine the water, cider vinegar and ice in a large measuring cup or small bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water mixture over the flour mixture and mix and cut it in with a bench scraper or spatula until it is fully incorporated. Add more of the ice water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons

at a time. Using the bench scraper, your hands (or both) and mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining. Pinch with your fingertips to bring all the dough together, sprinkling any dry bits with more small drops of the ice water mixture, if necessary, to combine. Shape the dough into a flat disc, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably overnight, to give the crust time to mellow. If making the double-crust version, divide the dough in half before shaping each portion into a flat disc. Wrapped tightly, the dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.

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filling recipe from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds pie book

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1. One day ahead (or hours before), make crust. Preheat oven to 425F. Roll the bottom crust to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Leave about 1/2 inch of the rolled out crust beyond the pan's edge. Chill in the fridge. Roll out the top crust and cut into 0.5 cm-wide lattice strips on a piece of parchment paper placed over a baking sheet. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge. Preheat your oven to 425F/220C. 2. Core, peel, and slice the pears to about 1/4 inch thick with a sharp chef's knife. Place in a large mixing bowl and coat with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Add in the anise extract if you are using. Combine the sugar, flour, 1 1/2 tsp aniseed (if not using the extract), allspice, salt, and bitters in another bowl. Lightly whisk to combine. Gently combine the pears with the flour and spice mixture. Remove the crust from the fridge and gently place the pear mixture into it. 3. Arrange the lattice crust on top and trim or fold the ends to match the edge of the bottom crust. Roll the crust in from the outer edge to seal the two layers together. Crimp the edges, by going around the crust, pressing the top and bottom crusts together with your fingers. 4. Place pie in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up the crust. Remove pie and brush

FILLING 6-8 BOSC OR BARTLETT PEARS, JUST BARELY RIPE AND A LITTLE FIRM JUICE OF 3 LEMONS 3/4 CUP WHITE SUGAR 4 TBSP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR\ 21/2 TEASPOON ANISE SEED, DIVIDED, OR 1 T ANISE EXTRACT 1/8 TSP ALLSPICE 1/4 TSP SALT 2 DASHES OF OLD FASHIONED BITTERS 1 EGG

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1 TBSP MILK DEMERARA SUGAR, FOR SPRINKLING crust with remaining egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar and anise seed. 5. Bake at 425F for 15-20 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack until crust just starts to brown. 6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F, move the pie to the center rack, and bake for 45-55 minutes more. Pie is finished once juices are bubbling, you can easily poke a knife or skewer into the pears, and the bottom crust is browned. (Using a glass pie pan makes this easier to see.)

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

filling recipe from Martha Stewart

Grape

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FILLING 7 1/2 TO 8 CUPS CONCORD GRAPES, RINSED 1/2 CUP SUGAR 4 1/2 TO 5 TEASPOONS CORNSTARCH 1 LARGE EGG

1. One day ahead (or hours before), make crust. Roll the bottom crust to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Leave about 1/2 inch of the rolled out crust beyond the pan's edge. Chill in the fridge. Roll out the top crust and cut into 1, 2 and 3 cm wide lattice strips on a piece of parchment paper placed over a baking sheet. Cut triangle shapes out of the lattice strips, using scissors. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge. Preheat oven to 450F/220C. 2. Remove skins from grapes by pinching the ends of each grape, reserving both the pulp and skins separately, discarding any accumulated liquid. 3. Place pulp in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until the seeds separate from the pulp and the pulp breaks

down, about 6 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve into the bowl with the reserved skins; discard solids. Let cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge for 2 hours. 4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove grape mixture from fridge. Stir in sugar and cornstarch into the grape mixture and pour into prepared pie crust. Beat an egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Arrange the lattice strips on top of the pie. Brush the crust with egg mixture, reserving any remaining mixture. Transfer pie to oven; bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F/180C. Continue baking until filling jiggles when shaken, about 30minutes. Transfer pie to a wire cooling rack.

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filling recipe from Martha Stewart

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FILLING 2 1/2 HEAPED CUPS RAISINS 2 CUPS COLD WATER 2 TABLESPOONS CORNSTARCH 3/4 CUP SUGAR 3 TABLESPOONS CIDER VINEGAR 1/2 TEASPOON SALT 1 1/2 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON 2 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER 1 LARGE EGG YOLK 1. One day ahead (or hours before), make crust. Roll the bottom crust to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Leave about 1/2 inch of the rolled out crust beyond the pan's edge. Chill in the fridge. Roll out the top crust and cut into 2,5 cm-wide lattice strips on a piece of parchment paper placed over a baking sheet. Braid 3 or 4 braids, enough to cover the whole pie. Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge. Preheat oven to 450F/220C. 2. In a medium saucepan, mix together raisins, water, cornstarch, sugar, vinegar, salt, cinnamon, and butter. Bring to a gentle boil over mediumhigh heat. Let boil until very thick,

1 TABLESPOON MILK PINCH OF SALT stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. 3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour raisin mixture into pie shell. Place the braided lattice strips on top of the pie. Crimp edges as desired. 4. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, milk, and salt. Brush egg mixture over the crust and place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

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filing recipe inspired by Nigel Slater's plum pie recipe

Plum & Blueberry

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FILLING RIPE PLUMS AND BLUEBERRIES, TOGETHER: 800G-1KG GOLDEN CASTER SUGAR, 2-3 TBSP GROUND CINNAMON, A KNIFEPOINT SOME MILK FOR THE CRUST

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1. One day ahead (or hours before), make crust. Roll the bottom crust to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Leave about 1/2 inch of the rolled out crust beyond the pan's edge. Chill in the fridge. Roll out the top crust on a floured board, cut out the lattice crust with a lattice cutter on a piece of parchment paper placed over a baking sheet. Also cut out a 1-inch lattice strip to cover the edge of the pie. Cover the lattice in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge.

2. Cut the fruit into large pieces, toss with the caster sugar and cinnamon and put into a lightly buttered 20/22cm baking dish. Lift the lattice crust over the pie. Place the 1-inch lattice strip on the edge of the pie. Press almonds and raisins onto the edge, one after another. Brush the pastry lightly with milk and bake for 40 minutes. Dust with caster sugar and serve warm with cream (optional).

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chocolate crust recipe from Martha Stewart

Derby Pie

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CHOCOL ATE CRUST (FOR 2 COLOR BRAIDING)

2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR 3 TABLESPOONS UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER 3 TABLESPOONS GRANULATED SUGAR 6 OUNCES UNSALTED BUTTER, COLD AND CUT INTO SMALL CUBES 1/3 CUP BREWED COFFEE, COLD

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1. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large bowl; whisk to incorporate. Add the butter, then using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Slowly add the cold coffee in thirds, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition. Continue stirring until a soft dough has formed. Gather with your hands and knead slightly, then mold into

a circular disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes (or up to two days). Remove dough from refrigerator and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface and transfer to 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Leave about 1/2 inch of the rolled out crust beyond the pan's edge, then fold and crimp. Return to refrigerator for 20 minutes before filling and/or baking.

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recipe from The Four & Twenty Blackbirds pie book

Derby Pie

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Download RECIPES

FILLING 1 CUP WHOLE MILK 1 CUP HEAVY CREAM 12 OUNCES BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE

1. One day ahead (or hours before), make crust. Roll the bottom crust to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Leave about 1/2 inch of the rolled out crust beyond the pan's edge. Chill in the fridge. Roll out the top crust and cut into 1-inch-wide lattice strips on a piece of parchment paper placed over a baking sheet. Cover the lattice in plastic wrap and chill fridge. If you want to have a braided upper crust, now is the time to braid it; braiding 1 chocolate lattice strip and 2 natural colored strips together. After braiding, let the braids rest in the fridge on a piece of parchment paper placed over a baking sheet. Pre-heat the oven to 325 F / 160 C. 2. In a large saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a light boil. Place the chocolate pieces in a large bowl, then pour the hot mixture over the top. Let stand for 5 minutes, before adding in the salt and whisking to combine. Whisk the eggs in a separate small bowl. Slowly pour in a small amount of the chocolate mixture into the eggs;

1/2 TEASPOON SALT 2 LARGE EGGS 1/4 TEASPOON PEPPERMINT EXTRACT 2 TO 3 TABLESPOONS BOURBON DASH OLD FASHION BITTERS COCOA POWDER FOR DUSTING whisking as you pour to acclimatize the eggs to the warmth. Whisk this egg mixture back into the chocolate mixture, adding the peppermint extract and bourbon then whisk until smooth and combined. Strain this chocolate mixture through a fine-mesh sieve directly into the pie crust. Place the braided lattice strips on the edge of the crust. 3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The pie is ready when the edges are puffed in slightly and the center is solid, but still slightly wobbly. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack for 2 to 3 hours, before dusting with cocoa powder.

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East Tyrol

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FO TO S : Ashley Lud채scher T E X T: Yasmeen Dabu & Sandra Rothfeld T R AV E L O R G A N I S E D BY: Tirol Tourismus (tirol.at)

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Following an invitation by the tourism marketing office of the federal state of Tyrol, the sisterMAG packed their bags to go and explore a little known part of Austria this June: East Tyrol! Ricarda from 23qmStil.de , Clara from tastesheriff.de , Jeanny from zuckerzimtundliebe.de , Nic from luziapimpinella.de and Nicole from lifelovedeeply.de joined in our adventure and helped us conquer the Alps in the Lienz district, discover its cottage industries and feast on regional specialties to our – and the residents – hearts’ content.

THURSDAY MORNING. In just a few hours we’ll be off to East Tyrol – just the place for anyone who loves the mountains and is looking for that perfect mix of relaxation and action on their summer holidays. A quick look at the first day’s itinerary suggests, not only a full day, but also elevating hiking boots to the top of the list of things to pack. Many of our intended destinations are best reached on foot.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON. At Salzburg airport we are picked up by a shuttle bus delivering us straight to the Hotel Holunderhof (German for »elder farm« - www.hotelholunderhof. at . We make full use of some downtime before our first activity and get settled into our rooms, and explore our temporary home.

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travel group Clara

Tastesheriff

Sandra

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Nicole

Live Life Deeply Nic

Luzia Pimpinella

Jeanny

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the hotel room

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Eva

Tirol.at

Mela

Mela Mรถrtenbeck

Ricarda

23qm Stil

Ashley

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5.30 PM The rooms at Holunderhof are all beautifully decorated and strike an exquisite balance between modernity and rural charm. A French balcony in every room is both a great place to relax and a wonderful way to enjoy the fresh mountain air straight from your bed in the morning. A closer look at the hotel quickly shows another of its strengths: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great family destination. Holiday apartments, with a family kitchen and up to two bedrooms plus sofa beds, guarantee a relaxing stay for everyone. Ideally situated for the Zetterfeld winter sport region and the Lienzâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; mountain cableway, this is an ideal base camp for all summer hikers and mountain bikers, too.

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FRIDAY 7.00 AM Customary breakfast The breakfast menu at Holunderhof does not sport your typical continental selection. When in East Tyrol breakfast as the East Tyroleans doâ&#x20AC;Ś so we indulge in exclusively locally sourced ingredients and products. Curiosity (and a lot of coffee which is also available) rallies the troops, i.e. our little travel group, to the table and we give the Hollersulze (elderberry jelly) a try.

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8.00 AM In search of Punxsutawney Phil The Lienz cableway takes us into the Zettersfeld area where we meet with a national park ranger, under whose guidance we explore the so-called groundhog way leading to the Faschingalm, a mountain lodge.

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12.00 PM Trout from the pond in the back yard Tummies rumbling we reach the familyrun Faschingsalm lodge in perfect time for lunch. The establishment prides itself on its regional cooking; there is no room for ready meals. If you like fish you can even get fresh trout farmed right on the premises. And how about a side of Oskar? No, we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t name the fish before we ate it; Oskar is the potato brand of East Tyrol. Even if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a big fan of fish make sure to try the signature marinated trout!

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3.45 PM Home-made herbal salt We visit the Gerlhof in Nussdorf Debant a family-run farm www.gerlhof.at where we learn to make herbal salt in the traditional fashion, and also get to bake our own tiny bread rolls. The Gerlhof farm is a particularly lovely little corner of the world and proprietors Margit and Leo make us feel right at home. So much so that we would love to stick around for longer, making full use of the patio and further exploring the farm and all its animals.

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6.30 PM No witches‘ brew! By the evening we are all exhausted, but the prospect of a proper night cap soon perks us up again and off we go to the »Kuenz« distillery, a family business steeped in more than 40 years of tradition. We are greeted with a round of our all-time favorite drink - Gin & Tonic – after which Martina gives us a guided tour of the distillery including a sample of many, if not most, of their delicious creations. The signature drink is apple schnapps from a wooden barrel. Most of our travelling companions also buy a particularly tasty type of Austrian gin…because it’s never too early to think of souvenirs.

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8.30 PM Never on an empty stomach! Lightweights and those looking to sample the full menu should make sure not to go to Kuenz distillery without a proper foundation in their stomachs. Back at the hotel we quickly make up for the omission of this step on our itinerary today and head straight for the restaurant. Well fed – make that »positively pampered« - by the wonderful people at the Holunderhof we retreat to our comfy beds in the wee small hours.

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SATURDAY 8.45 AM Tile making in Matrei Well rested and strengthened by another Tyrolean breakfast we’re off on our next adventure; We’re going to pay a visit to the charming little market town of Matrei. The first stop on our way through town is Tonlodn , www.ofenbau-niederegger.at an artisan clay manufacturer, where we (unable to come up with more creative individual ideas) try our hands at tile making. We’re hooked, and immediately start making plans for a tile shop on Dawanda. After this hands-on activity our next item on the itinerary is sightseeing.

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11.00 AM Total relaxation Anyone whose idea of a holiday is more about relaxing than being overly active will feel right at home at hotel Hinteregger. Its exceptional spa area with its natural pool and perfect view of Matrei castle, is just one of the many selling points that make it a favorite with its guests. The rooms all have names derived from the local vernacular (with definition and etymology also provided) an endearing detail and one of many that make our much-too-soon goodbye so very hard.

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12.00 PM

12.30 PM

Home grown No trip, especially to East Tyrol, is complete without some souvenirs. And there is no better place to find a suitable gift than the bustling Matrei market. This valley market is renowned for its selection of exclusively regionally, i.e. from East Tyrol, sourced products. We pick up some delicious Deferegger elderberry mustard and a therapeutical pillow filled with arolla pine shavings, whose beautiful scent alone is sure to heal any affliction.

Weeds for lunch?! Pit stop at the »herbal tavern« Strumerhof www.strumerhof.at where there is, a steaming pot of weed grass soup and refreshing Bach flowers, to quench our thirst, waiting for us. Weed soup is not the only oddity on the menu of this farm-come-restaurant at 1.586 yards above sea level: Flower parfait, nettle dumplings and mutton in mountain hay are also available. After lunch we retreat to our hotel rooms for a (digestive) break before jumping into our afternoon adventure.

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4.00 PM Visiting with the busy bees We’re off to see the beekeeper. As a little boy, Konrad Trojer, helped his dad take care of the bees and now it’s him who supplies this area with original East Tyrol honey, typical of the breakfast we have come to love. But Konrad doesn’t just keep bees, he also trains the next generation of apiculturists and teaches classes on the ins and outs of beekeeping. His farm is especially popular with school classes who come to learn all about the animals, their prod-ucts and how the environment benefits from healthy bees.

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8.00 PM Event dinner We have come to Park Hotel Tristachersee to celebrate the last evening of our trip. Famous for both its first class kitchen and exquisitely stocked wine cellar, this establishment lives up to any expectations its two toques, awarded by Gault Millau, might inspire. With its charmingly retro interior and décor reminiscent of Kellerman’s hotel from Dirty

Dancing, it is hands-down one of the best places to eat in all of Austria. We enjoy a marvellous 5-course meal with a positively fiery finish: flambéed right at our table by the chef himself, we are treated to a sumptuous dessert of apricots with vanilla ice cream. What better way to end a truly fabulous weekend?

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End

At this point we would like to thank Tirol Tourismus and all our travelling companions for making this wonderful journey/trip possible. There will be more pictures of this wonderful weekend get-away in our next issue of our ÂťDearsouvenirÂŤ magazine.

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THE INFO FEATURE

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YASMEEN DABU

MILK FIBRE

For many people milk is part of their every day nutrition plan, whether it is the cereal in the morning, cappuccino at 3pm or a sauce made with milk for the pasta evening. And not to forget the loved icecream with a milk basis. However the market is getting more and more diverse. Many milk alternatives like almond or coconut drinks are not only a taste experience but also a viable option for people who are lactose intolerant. In this info feature of sisterMAG NÂ°20, food stylist Claudia GĂśdke put milk and milk alternatives into the spot light. Furthermore we put together quite a bit of information around the white fluid that Cleopatra already used to bathe in!

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Where nutritional matters are concerned there is an almost countless number of different opinions on one question: What’s the ideal diet? And there is also that one common denominator which is the single best source of nutrition. We’ve all had the pleasure of consuming this diet perfectly tailored to our needs at our earliest age: breast milk.

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Breast milk doesn’t just merely feed new babies; it contains all the important nutrients in just the right quality and quantity. It is easily digested by the baby’s system and even adjusts itself to the changing needs of a growing body. This way a new baby cannot be over-nourished. Breast milk is hygienic, available at any time and always provides the perfect mixture of nutrients at the just right temperature. This means that milk is an important staple right from

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the start. Milk and dairy products constitute the 4th of 7 food groups (with grains, oils, vegetables, fruits, meat and liquids making up the six others). Both the Healthy Eating Plate and the Food Pyramid can help choose quality complete nutrition that keeps us healthy, improves our performance and increases our wellbeing. The German Nutrition Society (DGE ) recommends a daily intake of 200 to 250g of low-fat milk or reduced fat dairy products and two slices (50 to 60g) of low-fat cheese as part of a balanced and healthy diet. As young children we learned that milk comes from cows and is “sourced“ from cow mothers’ udders. And, globally speaking, cow’s milk is indeed the most common kind of milk there is.

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milk production

Milk is subject to continuous monitoring because it is as potential breeding ground for bacteria. Depending on the variety, thermal treatment is required. This can vary in terms of temperature.

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This process is also referred to as pasteurization. It kills heat-sensitive microorganisms as well as lactic acid bacteria. This not only increases the milkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shelf life but also decreases its level of microbiological contamination. Milk can also be subjected to ultra-high temperature processing (UHT) by being heated to at least 135Â°C. This process is a method of food preservation and will remove many essential vitamins from the milk (which pasteurization doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t).

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The higher the temperature the longer the milk will keep.

Whether or not you like milk is, of course, a matter of personal taste. Depending on how it has been treated the taste of milk can vary. The final taste is achieved by a treatment called homogenization in which the milk is skimmed and at the same time made more salubrious.

MILK FIBRE

raw milk SHELF LIFE*: ONLY 2-3 DAYS

whole milk

SHELF LIFE*: 2-6 DAYS

low-fat milk SHELF LIFE: 4-6 DAYS

Long-life milk SHELF LIFE unopened 6-8 WEEKS opened & cooled 3-5 DAYS

In order to qualify as raw milk, milk must be filtrated and then chilled immediately after being milked. As this is a completely untreated variety of milk, strict hygienic regulations apply. Raw milk in its untreated form may not be sold via retail outlets but only straight at a producer’s plant. A sub-class, “certified raw milk”, which is filtrated and then specially packed, is sold in shops. Raw milk may have a fat content of between 3% and 4% and will only keep for a short while (2 to 3 days in the refrigerator). By heating it briefly, raw milk is turned into whole milk (also referred to as full-fat milk or regular milk). Whole milk has been microbiologically decontaminated and will therefore stay fresh for longer. Pasteurization and homogenization are employed to achieve this. Depending on its specific variety, the fat content of whole milk may vary between 3.2% and 3.8%. Properly chilled whole milk will stay fresh for between 2 and 6 days. As the name suggests, low-fat milk has a lower fat content. It will usually be somewhere between 1.5% and 1.8%. Skimmed-milk, with a fat content of between 0.3% and 0.5%, is also available. A significantly lowered fat content affects the milk’s flavour and lacto-protein is added to retain a milk-like taste. Low-fat milk is pasteurized and homogenized in the same way as whole milk and will stay fresh for between 4 and 6 days. Long-life milk is a treated variety of whole milk. Its natural – or adjusted – fat content helps make it stay fresh for longer. Low-fat and skimmed varieties of long-life milk are also available. All of them are pasteurized and homogenized in the process of extending their life which makes the added lacto-protein more easily digestible. The fat content of long-life milk varies considerably. It has by far the longest shelf life of all cow’s milk varieties and as long as it remains unopened can be stored for 6 to 8 weeks without refrigeration. Once open it will keep for 3 to 5 days when chilled properly.

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Asians are dairy-intolerant Dairy is an essential part of the Healthy Eating Plate and milk with its numerous ingredients is an important food stuff. Milk contains protein which supports bone, muscle and even hair growth. The soluble nutrients come from fats contained in the milk and its unique combination of calcium, protein, vitamins (A, B1, B2, B12, D, E), minerals, lactose and milk fat makes it crucial for human bodies. Essential amino acids make the precious protein contained in milk particularly healthy. Supporting the transport of iron and antibodies to their desired locations it also supports the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defences. Lactose, due to its carbohydrates, is an excellent energy provider.

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The fact that Asian people are dairyintolerant isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually related to their

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MILK FIBRE

region of origin. Lactose intolerance is the body’s inability to deal with the specific kind of sugar contained in milk. It occurs when a body does not produce sufficient amounts of a certain enzyme: lactase. Lactase is supposed to break down the lactose once it reaches the small intestines so it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. When it is not broken down and absorbed, lactase might make its way to the large intestines where bacteria split and ferment the sugar. This leads to the accumulation of water and bulk in the large intestine - and much discomfort possibly including diarrhoea and nausea. Surfing the net you might come across explanations like this one: “Asians don’t produce lactase.” That’s true, but it is also true for Europeans and anyone else who is lactose intolerant. The explanation is

lactose-free milk

that a large proportion of Asian people are intolerant to lactose because their nutrition focusses more on calciumrich leafy greens and soya products. Depending on the region, intolerance occurs at a rate of between 84% and 100% in Asia. In Europe, about 10% of people are lactose intolerant. Or let’s put it like this: „In 10% of all European people their lactose intolerance is down to an actual medical issue“. The number of intolerant people is rising at a galloping pace. All mammals’ milk contains lactose so for someone who is lactose intolerant switching from cow’s milk to goat’s milk will not solve the problem. There are also horse milk, camel milk and donkey milk. But those are out, too. Here are some actual alternatives:

The lactase enzyme is added to the raw milk and the break-down process the body is unable to perform will be taken care of before the milk is even drunk. Lactose is split down into glucose and galactose when the dairy product is being made.

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Cow Milk

Plant-based alternatives are also available. It has to be made clear though that none of these liquids contain any milk or are an actual replacement for milk. The following examples are dairyfree and have the added level of

OPTIONS GOAT MILK

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Almon Oat Milk

MILK FIBRE ÂťhippnessÂŤ that make them current favourites. The respective ingredients are harvested, chopped and blended with water. The mixture is then boiled and filtered. Additional ingredients like sugar, thickening agents and flour may be added for an enhanced taste.

RICE MILK

Hazelnut Drink

SOY

nd Milk S P E LT MILK

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The following drinks (none of the alternatives are officially called milk because - at least in Germany - the term is reserved for a liquid milked from an animal) are particularly refreshing. So why not opt for coconut milk this summer? Coconut milk is not the same as coconut water. Sticking a straw into a coconut on the beach to drink the liquid hidden inside the fruit does not

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r of the la pu po t os m e th is ilk m Soy milk. It is plant-based alternatives to e vegan th d an s an be y so om fr e mad most al an h it w ilk m ’s w co to t equivalen er advanth O t. n te n co n ei ot pr l ca ti iden wer levels of tages of soy milk are its lo fat and carbohydrates. t

SOY sister-mag.com

give you coconut milk. You‘re sipping coconut water instead. Coconut milk is made from the white flesh inside the shell which is combined with warm water. Coconut milk is a staple in tropical regions and said to lower the risks of cardiovascular diseases because its fats will keep HDL cholesterol levels high.

Grain or oat milk is a group of milk alternatives made from grains or flour. It is lactose free, its levels of vitamins and minerals, however, are comparable to that of cow’s milk. It’s most common variation is rice milk. Other options of this increasingly popular alternative include spelt, oat and rye milk.

OATS

MILK FIBRE

rAlmond milk is a plant-based alte is native similar to soy milk. Since it produced by simply pouring water eover roasted almonds it is compl lla or tely lactose free. Spices like vani nce cinnamon might be added to enha the flavour.

ALMONDS

Hazelnut milk is similar to almond milk and produced by combining hazel nuts and water: The nuts are soaked in water, drained and blended. If desired, sweeteners can be added.

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the dairy

REVOLUTION

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TEXT

Mari Berg sister-mag.com

MILK FIBRE

ccording to legend, ancient Egyptian ruler Cleopatra regularly bathed in milk which may be one reason the dairy product has always been not just a staple but also a common ingredient in cosmetics.

Microbiologist and designer Anke Domaske has discovered a new use for the natural resource: her startup Qmilk is dedicated to making the most out of all of milkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inherent potential. Cosmetics are just one part of its portfolio â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the main growth area is textiles. So, will we all soon be wearing clothes made of milk? SisterMAG took a closer look at this intriguing process.

Foto: Anastasia Bresler

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It all began when Anke Domaske, at the tender age of just 19, founded the international fashion label Madame Chi Chi (MCC for short). Madame Chi Chi became an almost instant success with Hollywood stars and counted Mischa Barton and Ashlee Simpson among its customers. When Anke's father was diagnosed with cancer, she started looking for clothes which werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t treated with chemicals in their production process. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how she discovered milk could be used as a raw material for fabrics. It had actually been used as such as early as the 1930s; back then, however, the processes available required huge amounts of energy and used of chemicals. Domaske aquired all the necessary equipment needed for her first milky experiments from a local supermarket and went to work in her own kitchen. Much time and research went into producing that first Qmilk fiber, but its 100% natural raw materials, its suitability for allergy suffer-ers and antibacterial as well as UV resistance made it worth the

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THE 18 AMINO ACIDS CONTAINED IN THE MILK PROTEIN ARE SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT CELL RENEWAL IN THE SKIN AND SUPPORT ITS TEXTURE AND RESILIENCE, AS WELL AS OPERATING AS ANTI-OXIDANTS WHICH STOP MOISTURE LOSS AND FIGHT BACTERIA. effort. Originally created in Anke’s private kitchen, fiber production has since moved to a 3,300 square foot factory in Hannover. How exactly do you turn milk into a dress? When milk turns sour it curdles into flakes which are then separated from the whey and made into cheese curd. This can then be dried to make the protein powder casein – the basis for Qmilk products.

Additional ingredients like beeswax, wheat bran and water are added to form a pulp which is then blended, heated and kneaded at the Bremer Faser-institut (the FIBRE research institute in Bremen). The finished mash is then pressed through a special spinning nozzle, a process which creates the unique fibers. Once these have been through a thermal drying process to remove water, the fibers can be spun into regular strings used in fabrics. The fabrics used in Anke Domaskes collection contain 30% milk fibers – with jersey viscose and 3% spandex making up the rest. This works out to an average of 3 liters of milk per dress. Sounds like a waste of food? Not at all! The milk protein casein used in Qmilk fabrics is sourced exclusively from no longer-

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texture 100% manufactured from raw materials

30% 67% 3%

milk protein fibre

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vicsose-Jersey

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milk are used per dress

three litres of

Elasthan

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1,9m tons

milk

of milk per year are being disposed in germany

of the fabric

2 LITERs per kilo used throughout the production of 1 kg cotton

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Kilo

up to 20,000 litres are used for the production of 1 kg cotton

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marketable raw milk which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t qualify as a food according to legal regulations. According to the Qmilk website, 1.9 million metric tons of milk are discarded each year in Germany alone. Recycling a waste product makes the company a major proponent of sustainability. Producing one kilo of fibers requires only two liters of water, making the production a particularly resource-friendly process; especially compared to cotton for which up to 20,000 liters of water are required to produce 1 kilo of fibers. A completely natural substance, milk fiber is also fully biodegrada-ble. Its sustainable nature has won Qmilk several awards including the Green Tec Award

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IN ADDITION TO BEING HIGHLY SUSTAINABLE, MILK FIBRES ARE SUPPOSED TO FEEL EXCEPTIONALLY SMOOTH AGAINST YOUR SKIN, MUCH LIKE SILK

MILK FIBRE

and medical 2015 (in the »Production« category) manufacturing for sustainable environmental engineering. Qmilk is currently technologies. exploring the option of setting up But Domaske and her team aren't stopping there; they want to use all that milk has to offer and its full potential. Qmilk cosmetics, picking up on Cleopatra‘s regime, are available online and at selected outlets. With 18 amino acids contained in milk they can support cell regeneration, act as antioxidants, im-prove skin texture and elasticity and prevent moisture loss and negative effects from bacteria. But biopolymers, i.e. materials produced by living beings – such as milk, have even more potential and might soon be used in industries as diverse as automobile

a logistical support system for the collection of un-utilizable milk. Dairy farmers can already register with the company for this purpose. However far away it may still be, Anke Domaske and her team have their ultimate goal firmly in sight: nothing less than a revolution of the dairy market.

But how likely are we to soon all walk around in clothes made of milk? Some experts, like Professor Hans-Peter Fink from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research in Potsdam, think it’s not very likely at

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all. He doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deny that there is a big potential future market in bio-fibers but in order to really succeed they would have to be either significantly better or significantly cheaper than established alternatives, neither of which casein fibers can currently claim to be. Heike Scheu-er, from the International Association of Natural Textile Industry, on the other hand cites the shortage of natural fibers on the world market as a primary reason in favor of the use of waste materials like casein in relatively low-effort processes to create new fibers.

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For now, we will have to wait and see if indeed a dairy revolution will take place. In the meantime, there is no reason not to go and try on a dress made of milk fibers. And donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry, they do not smell of fermented milk. In addition to being highly sustainable, milk fibers are meant to feel exceptionally smooth against your skin, much like silk.

mcc-style.com qmilk.eu

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FOOD PAIRING Workshops with Alpro

Hamburg Berlin Düsseldorf Frankfurt

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München

Throughout June and

July

the

Food

2015, Blog

Days took place in five German cities. Food-Bloggers were able to participate in workshops of all sorts

Fotos (Berlin)

Zoe Noble

Fotos (Hamburg)

Silke Lentz Video

Lucas Milhomem Texte

the

‘kitchen

parties’. This was a great opportunity to meet the staff of the brands they usually collaborate with.. A well-known partner

and meet the brands

Thea Neubauer Anni Kazymir

with whom we have

behind the production

Illustrationen

worked on delicious

of their most beloved helpers in the kitchen

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gents.be

asparagus

recipes

in sM18 was present,

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too: Alpro. It was a pleasure to accompany Léonie and the rest of the team to their food pairing workshop. sisterMAG friends Sandy (Confiture de Vivre)and Anni (1a kitchen) showed us their secrets about the best food pairings. They also developed five amazing smoothie recipes for you to try out. If you do make one of these at home, be sure to post a picture with the hashtag #Alpronista!

Enjoy the following pages and learn all about Anni’s carefully selected tips about food pairing! In addition you will find smoothie recipes by Anni & Sandy – for you refined with great spices and ingredients!

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R SIO U C

What exactly is

FOODPAIRING? For a few years now, the term foodpairing has been appearing in cookbooks, magazines, restaurant menus and food blogs. Cooks, bartenders and food companies have been creating surprising flavour combinations with the help of databases like »Foodpairing®« or »IBM Chef Watson» – but what is behind all that? Broadly speaking, it is about the secret of good flavour combinations as well as about the knowledge of food and its composition from the scientific perspective. There is more to what we call taste than ingredients; what also plays a big role is aroma, texture, astringency and temperature to only name a few. The knowledge about the principle of foodpairing explains why certain flavour combinations and preparation methods seem to be very good, exciting or harmonious. However, this doesn’t always have to be a new way of seasoning as foodpairing applies what already has been intuitively and traditionally implemented for thousands of years.

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SPICINESS

is not a flavour

In order to better penetrate the possibilities of foodpairing it is necessary to understand how we perceive taste and what makes us perceive it in the first place. We are able to taste the five basic flavours »sweet«, »salty«, »sour«, »bitter« and »umami« which is Japanese for »savoury, spicy« and »good flavour«, and was recognized only a 100 years ago. It is especially frequent in fully ripe tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, meat, broth and even in human breast milk. In recent years, the scientific suspicion has grown that we are able to taste fat. It is also still unclear whether we have receptors on our tongues to taste »watery« and »metallically«. Spiciness is not a real flavour at all, but the fact that a trigeminal nerve reaction is induced which carries the perception of e.g. »cool«, »spicy«, »pungent« or »tingling« to the brain. Pain receptors that are spread throughout the whole body are responsible for sensing

differences in temperature. These receptions are evoked by certain molecules like e.g. piperine in pepper, menthol in peppermint or capsaicin in chili peppers. Cinnamon, ginger, onions and garlic also contain such compounds. The trigeminal nerve also is involved in the feeling of astringency when tAnnins change the viscosity of saliva what makes us have a »rough« or »sandpapery« feeling on the tongue as it is the case when eating unpeeled walnuts, drinking green tea or tAnnic red wines. The Japanese term »kokumi«, meaning mouth filling does not describe textural characteristics but the feeling that a decaying protein chain evokes (due to the long cooking time). Soy sauce, mature cheese and long cooked broths and stews are some examples for food with great mouthfullness.

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AD EXKURS

TASTE is a very complex thing

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20 % of the taste experience actually takes place on the tongue, 80 % of taste are evoked by more or less volatile fragrances. Therefore, it is not surprising at all that we nearly lose our sense of taste during a bad cold. Apart from taste and smell, our sense of touch (texture, temperature), our vision and hearing are also included in the process of tasting. Anyone who hasn’t properly closed an open package crispbread or crisps knows how much texture may influence the taste. Moreover, the specific chewing sound plays a role, too, as proves this scientific study that examined the relation between the noise frequency of potato crisps and its perceived taste as well its anticipated freshness. As a matter of fact, before tasting a meal, our brain checks in a kind of database whether the food is enjoyable and what might expect us. Long before actually

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putting food in our mouth we think about what it will taste like. These expectations have an impact on our sensual perception of food. But this isn’t all – not only physique but also psyche is involved in sensing taste. Our individual mood in the moment plays a role just as important as the personal culinary (and cultural) imprint. The term »soulfoods« exists for a reason – it means food and memories of flavours that are good for our soul and that have very positive and pleasant effect on us when enjoying them. It is similar to a favourite cup or a favourite bowl that always make a drink or meal taste much better.

MILK FIBRE

THE MEANING OF AROMA PROFILES

Finally, external factors influence our taste to the same extent. The architectural and acoustic space (Is it nice and light? Too noisy or hectic?) as well as the time we have to eat impact our culinary interpretation as does the social environment (Do we like the person we eat with?). By now, the gastronomy and hotel industry approach possibilities to increase the sales of expensive wines and meals by means of certain background music. According to recent findings, the impact of the colour, form, material and weight of dishes and cutlery is bigger than expected. Thus, taste really is a very complex and individual thing.

In order to successfully combine aromas for cooking, the first step is to break down food and spices to so called molecular aroma profiles. In order to successfully combine aromas for cooking, the first step is to break down food and spices to so called molecular aroma profiles. Any food can be decomposed to its molecular units. In the culinary context, we talk about seven plus one group whereof seven groups contain odorants and the eighth group induces a trigeminal reaction. Key odorants are the aroma values that determine a major part of a foodstuff’s impression. (A strawberry for example contains over 360 substances relevant for the taste. This explains why artificial flavours (that consist of aroma combinations) are never as complex as a natural aroma bouquet.) However, the intensity of the perceived smell depends on the molecules’ volatility and their perception threshold – so how many molecules are necessary until we perceive the characteristic smell. It also depends on how well these were bound during the cooking process by solvents as water,

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Enhancing and

COMPLEMENTING So far, it has been assumed that food goes well together that shares at least one main aroma. The combination of dill and cucumber is obvious to most of us while the combination of dill and watermelon, strawberry or bananas seems exciting. The principle of foodpairing was in the meantime divided in two different approaches: »foodpairing« means combining food that is similar to one another and that share key flavour components – – a harmonic principle of taste. Whereas it gets more interesting with »food completing« which means combining ingredients that complement their aroma profiles and thus being able to create a depths of taste. In the case of strawberries this would mean to combine it with thyme or real vanilla that complement the aromatic combinations that are missing in the strawberries’ aroma profile. But of course, not everything can be combined to everything else and the proportions are decisive. Some aromas need something like a mediator in order to harmonise.

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And last but not least, personal preferences are decisive as they are for seasoning in general. What may seem interesting for some might already be inedible for others. And last but not least, personal preferences are decisive as they are for seasoning in general. What may seem interesting for some might already be inedible for others. Still, it can be concluded that consciously applying aroma pairing will create an incredible variety of taste modulation. If you then play specifically with texture, temperature, mouthfullness, astringency and pungency you might be able to create a taste sensation that will move you in the broadest sense.

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MILK FIBRE

For further information â&#x20AC;Ś Spice: Layers of Flavour W&N, 2014 The perfect book if you want to use spices more adventurously and thoughtfully.

The Perfect Meal: The Multisensory Science of Food and Dining Wiley-Blackwell, 2014 The Perfect Meal shows you that eating and cooking are overall multisensory experiences.

The Flavour Bible

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Little, Brown and Company, 2008 Guide to pairing the perfect flavours.

The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook Bloomsbury, 2012 Less scientific book with a more hands-onapproach and many recipes carefully selected and sorted by ingredients.

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S A N DY NEUMANN Confiture de Vivre ANNI KAZYMIR 1A Kitchen

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TomatomeetsCinnamon Using their knowledge about food pairings, bloggers Sandy & Anni combined unusual flavours in their smoothies based on the vegan Alpro-Drinks. Go ahead and try them for yourself!

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for 1 sm othie o

200â&#x20AC;&#x2030;ml Alpro Almond Unsweetened 50 g sweet cherry tomatoes 250 g watermelon 1 pinch of cinnamon 1 tsp. ground vanilla pods 2 Medjool dates 1 dash of lemon juice ice cubes

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Put the Alpro Almond Unsweetened into a blender, add the tomatoes, watermelon and a handful of ice cubes. Blend until smooth, sweeten as you like with Medjool dates and season with a pinch of cinnamon and ground vanilla. Depending on the sweetness and acidity of the watermelon, a dash of lemon juice might be necessary to create a tasteful balance. sister-mag.com

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Rendezvous of Tomato

and Cinnamon

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Melon and For 1 smoothie

200 ml Alpro Rice Original 70 g apples 70 g honey melon 1 tsp. peanut butter, unsaltedz 2 cm frischer Ingwer ice cubes

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Put the Alpro Rice Original into a blender, add the apple, honey melon, peanut butter and a handful of ice cubes. Blend until smooth and season as you like with fresh ginger.

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Ginger 219

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Apricot and Dill

For 1 smoothie

lackberry

200â&#x20AC;&#x2030;ml Alpro Coconut Original 55 g apricots 65 g Brombeeren fresh dill ice cubes

Put the Alpro Coconut Original into a blender, add the apricots, blackberries and a handful of ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Season as you like with fresh dill.

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ATES | D

| WALN H C UT A N

| R CEL A E P E

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INT | M

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For 1 smoothie

200 ml Alpro Rice Original 40 g spinach, fresh or frozen 25 g celery stalk 80 g ripe pears 25 g walnuts 2 M edjool dates 1 dash of lemon fresh mint i ce cubes

Put the Alpro Rice Original into a blender, add the spinach, pear, walnuts and a handful of ice cubes and blend until smooth. Sweeten as you like with Medjool dates and season with fresh lemon juice and a handful of mint leaves.

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p Chili, Peach, Pum 224

Put the Alpro Coconut Original into a blender, add the peaches, avocado, pumpkin seeds, juice and zest of an organic orange and a handful of ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Sweeten as you like with Medjool dates and season with Thai basil and fresh chili pepper (without the seeds).

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MILK FIBRE

s d e e s n i k p For 1 smoothie

200â&#x20AC;&#x2030;ml Alpro Coconut Original 4 peaches 1 /2 tbsp. avocado 1 tsp. pumpkin seeds 2 Medjool dates 1 organic orange, juice and zest 15â&#x20AC;&#x2030;g Thai basil fresh chili pepper ice cubes

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MILK FIBRE

Anni Kazymir

& Sandy Neumann

MILK, CHEESE & YOGURT FERMENTATION MADE EASY – WITH OR WITHOUT ANIMAL PRODUCTS

Nowadays supermarkets are full of dairy products in an outstanding quality and variety, that we couldn’t have dreamed of a few years ago. However, there is a certain magic in letting a pristine product like milk transform into a cheese. So for anybody who wants to perform a little magic and get involved in the adventure of manufacturing yoghurt and cream cheese, here is an introduction to the process, along with some recipe ideas.

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A SHORT STORY The production of cheese is one of the oldest processes of making milk non-perishable. It is thought that it goes back to the Stone Age when hunters found agglutinations called »Labquark« (rennet quark) in the stomachs of their prey, which would have come from the mother’s milk the animals had drank before. In the course of the domestication of cattle, goats and sheep it became possible to make cheese from a larger quantity of milk resulting in the emergence of the dairy. Etymologically, the German word KÄSE (as well as the English CHEESE) can be traced back to the Latin word CASEUS. The French call it FROMAGE, the Italians FORMAGGIO which means »shaped clot« and is descended from Latin.

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HOW MILK BECOMES YOGHURT, CREAM CHEESE AND THE LIKE. Yoghurt, kefir and cream cheese are fermented milk products. Fermentation happens with the introduction of bacteria, fungi or enzymes. Yoghurt and kefir are a product of lactic acid fermentation, where pasteurised milk is enriched with starter cultures of lactic acid bacteria. The most important of these bacteria are streptococci and lactobacilli. In cheese production, heating and addition of rennet separate whey and dry mass. This is either obtained from the stomach of ruminants (natural rennet), or is a produced microbial or plant-based product.

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YOGHURT

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Most suitable for yoghurt made with cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk is warmed UHT milk (or boiled fresh milk) which is injected with a yoghurt culture and kept at a temperature of about 42 to 45 degrees for several hours. But be aware that the temperature of the milk must not exceed this when the cultures are inside! Otherwise, the bacteria could die. As an alternative to yoghurt fermentation, the milk can be injected with fresh (or bought) yoghurt after the first process, outlined above. When you take away 3 tablespoons of the fresh yoghurt immediately, this can work up to 4 or 5 times. After a while, the yoghurt that is obtained like this will not be as firm. This is why it is sometimes better to start with new dried cultures. The yoghurt will then be more solid with the addition of skimmed milk powder. There are several ways to keep the yoghurt at a consistent temperature.

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In winter, you can put it on the radiator, in the oven at low temperature, or wrap it in thick towels. If you are a yoghurt enthusiast or want to create safe conditions, you can buy a yoghurt maker. In it, the injected milk can mature in small jars which takes 5 to 9 hours. Afterwards, the yoghurt will be cooled down in the fridge and is then ready for consumption. If you leave the yoghurt in the fridge for one more day it often becomes more solid. You can treat goat and sheep milk the same way. Yoghurt from goat milk takes more maturing time in the yoghurt maker and will stay more liquid than yoghurt from cow milk. Nowadays, goat milk can be purchased in selected supermarkets, health food stores and obviously directly from the farmer. If you use raw milk it is recommended to heat it up to 90 degrees before preparation, in order to kill off any harmful germs.

MILK FIBRE

CREAM CHEESE Cream cheese is the result of adding cheese cultures and rennet. At the beginning you can use lemon juice to produce a kind of ricotta, that is easy and reliable. You heat the milk up until it almost reaches the boiling point and add the lemon juice afterwards. The milk flocculates and can be poured through a sieve with a cheesecloth in it. The draining whey goes through in a pot, while the ricotta is collected in the cheesecloth. Normally, you get about 150 to 200 grams of cream cheese from one liter of milk. For a quark-like cream cheese you can hang Greek yoghurt in cheesecloth while draining. This works as well with goat and sheep cheese. The drained cream cheese can be reused in recipes.

VEGAN If you prefer alternatives to milk and dairy products, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to give up on taste. Vegan cream cheese variations made of nuts and almonds are a tasty and diverse alternative. For the production you need a high-performance mixer, since the nuts have to be broken down and mixed creamier than you can do it with an immersion blender. You can easily produce yoghurt with almonds and nuts by using vegan yoghurt fermentation. When you do so, a yoghurt maker comes in useful â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as an alternative you can leave the jar with the injected nut mass on the radiator overnight, sealed with a gauze cloth and a rubber band. A product made of fermented milk, like kefir, can be manufactured with coconut or grain milk.

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KEFIR

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Kefir is a healthy, probiotic beverage made of fermented milk that strengthens the intestinal flora and contains proteins, vitamins A, D, B and folic acid. It also provides calcium, magnesium, iron and iodine. Unlike other dairy products like yoghurt or buttermilk, traditional kefir contains lactic acid bacteria as well as yeasts and acetic acid bacteria. In the colon these microorganisms support the intestinal flora, eliminate pathogens and strengthen the immune system. The initial preparation of kefir is made with cow, sheep or goat milk but it also works with milk alternatives like grain or coconut milk. The kefir grains used for the preparation of the beverage are a combination of yeasts and bacteria, which cause a fermentation in which lactose is converted into lactic acid, alcohol and carbonic acid. Kefir grains can be purchased in health food stores or in specialist online shops and can be used multiple times. The production of kefir requires some

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preparation and planning, but rewards with a constant supply of delicious kefir. All equipment that touches the grains have to be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed with hot water before the procedure. Detergent residues jeopardize the grain, as well as all equipment made of metal that touches it. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why only equipment made of glass, ceramic and plastic is used for the production of kefir - although there are producers who think that a short contact with metal is possible. Your hands should be clean at all times. For the first kefir fermentation, pour coconut milk at room temperature into a clean amber jar rinsed with hot water. The grains, which look like white uneven pearls, are carefully poured off in a plastic sieve. Usually the kefir cultures are covered in some milk for the transport. The grains are stressed by the transport and should be washed off before use (next time). Put the kefir into the coconut milk and close the jar gently until it starts to thicken. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t close it completely because of

MILK FIBRE

the carbonic acid that emerges and needs to escape. Now put the jar in a safe place at room temperature where it is not exposed to direct sunlight and other elements that could shock it. If you don’t have an amber jar at hand you can cover the jar with a kitchen towel as well. The exact duration of the fermentation depends on the number and size of the grains but normally the coconut kefir is done after 2 days. For a creamier kefir you can vigorously stir the culture after one day with a ceramic or plastic spoon. Alternatively you can thicken the coconut milk with some tapioca starch. After 2 days of fermentation, the kefir is bottled. For that, you vigorously stir the liquid to loosen the tighter components. Then you put it through a plastic sieve and collect the kefirbeverage in a bowl. If necessary, you can clean the kefir grains carefully with cold or lukewarm water – normally it is enough to do this every 3 or 4 times; it is more hygienic to do it more often but this can also stress the cultures. It would be best to

start the cultures again immediately with fresh coconut milk in a clean amber jar rinsed with hot water. If you don’t want to harvest right away you can store the grains covered in coconut milk in the fridge for some time. Afterwards, you don’t close the jar completely and pour away the liquid before the next fermentation. Decant the finalised kefir in a bottle or a screw-cap jar and let it post-mature in the fridge for one more day. Wellcooled, it keeps fresh for at least one week. Beware: Kefir always contains some alcohol! (Between 0,2 and 2% is normal.) If the culture doesn’t grow satisfactorily you can add one level teaspoon of milk sugar per 200 ml of liquid. This supports the growth and lets the kefir grains recover. Normally, the culture doesn’t grow as fast in coconut milk as in animal milk. Therefore it is recommended to let the grains have a »cure« in (boiled) cow’s milk enriched with milk sugar every calendar quarter.

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A LIST OF UTENSILS YOU WILL NEED TO START

Cooking Pot – for heating the milk Thermometer – for measuring the temperature precisely Wooden spoon – for stirring in the starter cultures and for stirring

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Yoghurt starter culture or fermentation – available online in dairy supplies, in the drugstore, pharmacy or health food store Yoghurt jars – for the final product Yoghurt maker – affordable versions are available from 20€ (without electricity as well) Sieve and guaze, also drain forms – for draining (at) the cream cheese preparation Plastic sieve, ceramic or plastic spoon and amber jar – for kefir preparation High-performance mixer or food processor for vegan cream cheese

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MILK FIBRE

Nowadays, lots of introductions into cheese making can be found online. If you want to explore the topic in greater detail you should attend a dairy workshop. Corinna Leidinger who produced cheese for years and conducted workshops operates a successful online shop for dairy equipment. She gladly passes on her knowledge about what she thinks is necessary to produce cheese.

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WWW.KAESE-SELBER.DE

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INTERVIEW WITH SOPHIE PEREZ

TEXT: Sandy Neumann On a research trip to the French department of Vaucluse in Provence a few years back, I met Sophie Perez. Together with her husband Thierry she breeds goats of a special Alpine race. And when I found out her street address starts in »Campagne le...« and that she could tell me anything I might ever want to know about cheese, it sealed the deal for me and I had to go see her. On the farthest outskirts of Paypin d’Aigues, in itself already a positively sleepy village south of Luberon, Sophie and Thierry live with their 40 goats - each of which have a name. Sophie taught herself how to make cheese 15 years ago and has constantly improved her method ever since. Her matured herbal cheese, yoghurts and Brocciu have become favourites at the markets in the area. Having built her business from scratch, Sophie has unique insight on what counts when you first set out, so I asked her to share it with us.

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MILK FIBRE

What are the most important things to consider when making cheese yourself? I think it’s important not to aim too high at the beginning. Practice makes perfect. You have to familiarise yourself with the cheese. Accuracy is as important as good recipes. You don’t really need that much equipment to get started and if you get hooked you can always stock up later.

What would be a good »beginner’s cheese« and why? Cream cheese or a semi-soft cheese is a good beginner’s challenge. You should leave matured cheeses like St. Marcellin for later. Once you have mastered that and still want more you might think about blue cheeses. But you could also try your hand at yoghurt first, or a goat milk Brocciu like the one we make here. Brocciu is not too well known in Germany but it’s a great cheese for beginners.

What conditions does my ordinary home kitchen have to fulfil so I can make cheese there? Is that feasible at all? Yes, I think that anyone can take their first cheese making steps in their home kitchen. Accuracy is the key! You need spotlessly clean equipment and hands to avoid impurities which will spoil the fun. Matured cheeses are more difficult to make at home because you have to keep them at very exact temperatures and ensure proper ventilation. But it’s still possible. The most important thing, however, is a passion for cheese. You won’t succeed without it. Once you really want to get into cheese making, where can one find helpful information, workshops and literature? The best idea would be to consult a professional. Here in France you’ll find a large number of small manufacturers who are only too happy to share their knowledge and will even let you help so you can »learn on the job«. I’m sure you have these in Germany, too.

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There is a ton of information on the internet, of course, but be careful and check if the sources are reliable. Only very few books are actually helpful, if you read French, however, a search for the keywords »fromages fait maison« will yield rewarding results. Sophie & Thierry Perez Campagne le Maupas 84240 PEYPIN D AIGUES campagne-le-maupas@wanadoo.fr Tel mobil: +33 (0)6 73 56 25 01

What’s your favourite cheese and why? Alors, I love my small matured cheese with lavender…typically Provence, I know. The goats here like to snack on the herbs of the Maquis shrubland (common in most Mediterranean countries) like rosemary, wild thyme, sage and of course lavender; they make for an unparalleled flavour. I roll the cheese in lavender flowers before it matures. You should come visit me and try it.

If you are searching for culinary travel tips for the Provence, you'll definitely find them in these mini guide

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Helpful books for cheese makers Yaourts & Fromages frais Maison

Le petit traité rustica des Fromages Maison

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RECIPES 239

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Preparation

Ingredients

1. Simmer the closed can of sweetened condensed milk for about 2 and a half hours in a bain-marie. Alternatively, you simmer it in a pressure cooker for about 35 minutes. 2. Afterwards you take the can out of the water and let it cool off. Then you carefully open it with a can opener, remove the Confiture de Lait with a spoon and put it in a pot. Optionally, you can add Fleur de Sel and stir it well. Afterwards you fill it in a jar. Well cooled, it is good for several weeks. 3. Warm the milk up to 45 degrees. Stir in the yoghurt starter culture with a wooden spoon. Put one teaspoon of Confiture de Lait in every jar and fill it up with milk. Put the jars in the yoghurt maker and let it mature for 5 to 9 hours â&#x20AC;&#x201C; depending on the desired density. Afterwards cool it in the fridge until consumption. The yoghurt should be consumed within 3 to 4 days.

for the Confiture de Lait:

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1 can of sweetened condensed milk Fleur de Sel for the yoghurt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; makes 6 jars with about 80g each: raw milk that has to be heated to 90 degrees before 1 pack of yoghurt starter culture/ferment

MILK FIBRE

FROM THE COW

YOGHURT WITH CONFITURE DE LAIT

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ADVICE:

If you like the yoghurt particularly creamy you can add 2 to 3 tablespoons of skimmed milk powder. You can purchase it in a health food store or well-stored supermarkets.

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Ingredients 400 g of Greek yoghurt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; makes about 350g Sea salt Nut oil, for example walnut oil 50 g of dried berries, for example physalis, mulberries, Goji berries 50 g of nuts, for example wild pecan nuts, macadamia nuts, cashew nuts 242

Preparation Fill the Greek yoghurt in a cheesecloth or cotton cloth and hang it over a bowl for draining overnight. The next day, you put the drained cream cheese in a bowl. Add the dried berries and the roughly chopped nuts. Season it with nut oil and some salt. Fill it in a closable jar and store it in the fridge. Consume it within a few days.

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MILK FIBRE

FROM THE COW

CREAM CHEESE WITH DRIED BERRIES AND NUTS

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ADVICE:

For aperitif, you can serve the cream cheese on crunchy crisp bread and with a glass of cooled Chablis.

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FROM THE GOAT

GOAT YOGHURT WITH ROSEMARY CHERRIES

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MILK FIBRE

Preparation

Ingredients for the rosemary cherries: 500g of cherries 100 ml of balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons of honey 3-4 sprigs of rosemary

for the yoghurt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; makes 6 jars with about 80g each: 1 litre of goat milk or raw milk that has to be heated to 90 degrees before

1. Prepare the goat yoghurt like the yoghurt from cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk. The maturing time is about 8 hours. In the meantime, prepare the rosemary cherries. 2. The maturing time is about 8 hours. In the meantime you prepare the rosemary cherries. For that, you preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Wash and pit the cherries and fill them in an ovenproof dish. Spread balsamic vinegar, honey and rosemary sprigs on it and bake for 30 minutes. Take the dish out of the oven and let it cool down. Serve the yoghurt with the cherries and put the rest of the cherries in a jar that you store in the fridge.

ADVICE:

THE CHERRIES ALSO TASTE GOOD WHEN SERVED WITH SOURDOUGH BREAD WITH BLUE CHEESE.

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FROM THE GOAT

FROZEN GOAT YOGHURT POPSICLE WITH HONEY THYME APRICOT

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ADVICE:

The ice cream gets a special touch when you serve it with a glass of sparkling Crémant with a sprig of lemon thyme.

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MILK FIBRE

Ingredients for the frozen goat yoghurt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; makes 10 portions: for the yoghurt: 1 litre of goat milk raw milk that has to be heated to 90 degrees before1 pack of yoghurt starter culture/ferment for the ice-cream 200 ml of extra cream for the honey thyme apricots: 5 apricots

Preparation 1. Prepare the goat yoghurt like the yoghurt from cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk. The maturing time is about 8 hours. 2. In the meantime you prepare the honey thyme apricots. For that, you preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Wash the apricots, cut them in halves and pit them. Fill them in a in an ovenproof dish and spread the honey on it. Put the thyme sprigs on the apricots and bake it for 25 minutes. 3. Take the dish out of the oven and let it cool down. Remove the thyme sprigs and puree the rest with an immersion blender. 4. Whip the cream and mix it with the goat yoghurt. Sweeten if required. Fill small ice moulds rotational with apricot puree and the yoghurt cream mix and put a wooden handle or a teaspoon in it. Let it freeze in the freezer compartment for at least 1 hour.

1 tablespoon of honey 3 sprigs of thyme

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Ingredients for 15 portions Preparation

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1. For the feta you squeeze the lemon (put aside the zest first) and fill the juice, 500 g of yoghurt and one teaspoon of salt in a bowl and stir it. Cover a sieve with a cheesecloth and hang it over a bowl. Fill in the yoghurt, close the cloth and let it drain over the bowl in the fridge for 48 hours. 2. Now fill the remaining yoghurt and the feta in a bowl. Wash the cucumber and cut it into small cubes. Puree the basil with olive oil and add it to yoghurt and feta. Stir it well and season it with salt, pepper and the lemon zest. If the mixture is too firm you add some more olive oil . 3. Slice the baguette and roast it in a pan for a short time. Spread the yoghurt feta topping on the baguette slices and decorate it with plucked anise hyssop.

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1 Baguette for the yoghurt feta topping: 1 kg of sheepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yoghurt 1 organic lemon Seal salt Olive oil 1/2 cucumber A handful of basil leaves Ground pepper Anise hyssop, alternatively sage or majoram, for instance

ADVICE:

Fits well with a fresh infusion of peppermint. Infuse fresh mint with boiling water and leave it to brew for 5 to 6 minutes. Decant it afterwards and let it either cool down or serve it instantly with a squeeze of lemon juice in a glass with many ice cubes. Sweeten it with some maple syrup or raw cane sugar if required.

MILK FIBRE

FROM THE SHEEP

GREEN TARTINES

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Ingredients for 4 portions for the panna cotta: 200 ml of cream 100 ml of sheep’s yoghurt 1 teaspoon of agar-agar Seal salt ground white pepper for the wild herbs condiment: a bunch of wild herbs based on individual taste – like charlock, 250

shepard’s purse, salad burnet, bedstraw and garlic mustard 6 tablespoons of grape seed oil or another mild oil

Preparation 1. Make the cream simmer with some salt and pepper. Take it off the cooker and stir in the agaragar until it is dissolved completely. Put it aside for 5 minutes. Mix the yoghurt with the cream in a bowl. Fill 4 moulds or small cups with it and let it cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours. 2. Fill 4 moulds or small cups with it and let it cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours. For the condiment, you sort the wild herbs. Don’t wash it. Chop them finely and puree them with the grape seed oil. 3. For serving you turn the moulds and beat on it lightly. Carefully remove the panna cotta from the moulds with a knife. Serve them on a plate with the wild herbs condiment.

ADVICE:

At this time of year, you find a wide variation of fresh wild herbs like ground ivy, sheperd’s purse or nettle at markets.

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MILK FIBRE

FROM THE SHEEP

WELL-SEASONED PANNA COTTA WITH WILD HERBS CONDIMENT

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VEGAN

COCONUT KEFIR WITH BUCKWHEAT GRANOLA AND BLUEBERRIES

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MILK FIBRE

Preparation

I n g r e d i e nt s

Kefir

r as Prepare the coconut kefi described before.

elt the m u o y la o n ra g e th r 1. Fo nd add a t a e h w lo n o il o t coconu ll as e w s a la il n a v d n a n cinnamo hile w n a e M l. a n o ti p o sweeteners degrees 0 7 1 t a p u n e v o e th heat the dry ix M . 2 . ir a n o ti la u c on cir lmond a e th t p e c x e ts n ingredie owl, b a in th n ra a m a e th flakes and oil and stir t u n o c o c d e lt e m e th add on. Add o p s n e d o o w a h it w it well ixture m e th l ti n u y ll a u d ra water g nola ra g e th t u P . d e n is moiste ay covered tr g in k a b a n o re tu mix t it bake le d n a r, e p a p g in k a b with ranola g e th l ti n u r o s te u in for 30 m 10 to ry e v e r ti S . n w ro b y tl turns ligh you add the d n e e th t A . s te u in m 15 maranth a e th d n a s e k a fl d n almo er 10 th o n a r fo e k a b it t and le the d d a , n w o d l o o c it t e L minutes. to 3 2 to in it ll fi d n a s goji berrie screw-cap jars.

list ia c e p s m o fr s in ra g r 1 portion of kefi oon) p s le b ta 1 t u o b (a s p o sh 60% of a h it w k il m t u n o c o c 500ml of coconut a starch c io p ta f o s n o o p s a te optional: 2 Additionally taining n o c p a c w re c s h it w r 1 amber ja at least 500ml 1 plastic sieve 1 plastic spoon

glass for a r o le tt o b s s la g d te s 1 fro storage in the fridge

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Ingredients granola al 200g of coarse oatme 100g of buckwheat seed n li d n u s d e e s in k p m 50g of each pu nut oil 3 tablespoons of coco up, r y s le p a m f o s n o o p s 3 table e syrup ic r r o p u r y s te a d ly e v alternati on and m a n in c d n u ro g f o n o o 1 teasp vanilla powder a pinch of sea salt some water 100g of almond flakes th 50g of popped amaran

50g of goji berries Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

VEGAN

VEGAN CASHEW CREAM CHEESE WITH PEPPER AND CHILI

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MILK FIBRE

Ingredients 200g of cashew nuts about 100-150ml bread mixture ½ red pepper fresh chili pepper Sea salt

Preparation

1. For the cream cheese you soak the cashew nuts in water for 5 to 8 hours. Pour it off and puree it finely with the half pepper in a highperformance blender. Gradually add the bread mixture until the consistency is pleasantly creamy, while you continually push down the mixture with a plunger. Season it with fresh chili and some sea salt. 2. Let the homogenous mixture in a flat bowl ferment in the yoghurt maker for 5 to 8 hours, or until the taste is pleasant. If you don’t have a yoghurt maker you can let the cashew cheese mixture that is put into a closed cheesecloth or a nut milk bag ferment in a warm place.

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Well-cooled it is good for a week – but beware: It can become addictive!

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C A S H M E R E

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Infofeature With age comes softness. This is true for an investment that pays off and that is a constant companion. We are talking, of course, about cashmere pieces. The older e.g. a favourite sweater gets the softer it becomes over the years. But what makes cashmere fibre so special and where does cashmere come from?

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CASHMERE

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The fine fibre comes from the Cashmere goat (Capra hircus) from Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high mountains. The wool is made from the fine undercoat of goats. As early as in the 16th century, weavers from the Kashmir region started weaving clothes from the wild goatsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fluff.

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CASHMERE

Tradesmen then transported the clothes to the legendary Silk Road where these precious products became very popular. Even today, cashmere is in great demand and is shipped around the whole world. The most important production regions are China, Mongolia, Iran and the Central Asian Pamir Mountains. The reason for cashmereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popularity is the fibre being similar to human hair, it is soft and light. The cashmere fibre keeps you warm during winter and cool in summer. Cashmere wool belongs to the precious wools due to its fine fibres and their good heat retention.

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The Cashmere goat lives in the plateaus of Tibet, Mongolia and North China where it gets freezing cold. Therefore, the goats produce a fine fluff under their long guard hair which is also called lanugo hair. The fluff is extracted by combing during the change from their summer to winter coat. Only this fine undercoat is processed; its diameter at 15 – 19 micrometres. The fluff is then gathered and carefully combed out.

»LANUGO«THE FINE FLUFF UNDER THE GUARD HAIR

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CASHMERE

The coarse hair is sorted out. As a result, only a small part remains. One goat only produces 50 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 150 grams of fine lanugo hair per year. In order to make one pullover, the yearly output

of four goats is needed. This is the reason why the fibre is quite pricey. Cashmere is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most precious and most expensive natural fibres. The selling price also reflects the quality. The hair should be as thin, long, curled and bright as possible.

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THESE QUALITY REQUIREMENTS DETERMINE THE QUALITY OF THE CASHMERE FIBRE:

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The fibre’s length:

Thin goat hair is better :

The finer and longer the undercoat, the thinner the fibre can be spun. This is what also makes the fibre more precious. High quality products are often made of a fibre with a length of 35 – 50 mm. The longer the single fibres are the more expensive the raw material becomes.

The goat’s finest bottom hair is called pure »Pashmina« cashmere. As raw material, only hair between 14 and 16 micrometre is good enough for the best cashmere quality. These raw materials are only made from goats found in China and Mongolia.

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CASHMERE

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Two are better than one:

The tone:

By means of a long and complicated process, the fluff is finally made to yarn. The goat fluff is then cleaned, lanolin and sand are removed. A lot of cashmere producers only use one thread. However, good quality can be recognised by the more expensive two-thread yarn. Two even and thin threads are twisted to twine.

Most goats have middle to dark brown hair. White goat hair is rare and thus more expensive.

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If the fibre’s quality is alright and you finally have decided on a colour the only thing left to do is to purchase. To invest in cashmere clothing means being aware of how to take care properly. A garment shall be washed with lukewarm water (30°C/86 F) or by hand. You should use a lipid replenishing wool detergent. Then it is best to carefully roll it in a towel and squeeze it gently. After that, it shall be carefully pulled into shape and placed on a dry towel until it fully dries at room temperature. 266

Cashmere clothes shall never be wrung out nor twisted. A cashmere sweater shouldn’t be stored hanging as it will lose its shape. These pieces should be stored lying in a bag if possible.

S F S S

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UITABLE OR ENSITIVE KIN

CASHMERE

Although a cashmere piece has to be treated with great care, it is a pleasure for many years. Besides its cosiness, cashmereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advantages are timelessness, softness and temperature adjustment. Cashmere is especially suitable for sensitive skin. A high price and low choice of colours are the compromise to make when buying a cashmere piece. Cashmere also tends to form little knots due to the so called pilling-effect. They can be carefully pulled by hand. If something goes wrong in spite of all precautions the Cashmere Doc might be able to help. Much more information about the German startup you can find here in our issue. MEHR INFOS Ă&#x153;BER CASHMERE :

Cashmere House www.cashmere-house.de Cashmere www.cashmere.org Cashmere Production www.cashmere.org/cm/production.php Barbara Lohmann www.barbaralohmann.de/cashmere-de

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CA S H M E R E M AT T E S Our Fashion Shooting for essie Cashmere Mattes

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CASHMERE

Photos: ANNY CK Video: CLAUS KUHLMANN Styling MUH: LENA SCHLEWEIS Model: JIL (Pearl Management) Production sisterMAG: SANDRA ROTHFELD, YASMEEN DABU & KATJA SABANDO

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With friendly support from ANTONIA ZANDER and HEAD & HEART COMMUNICATIONS

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C A S H M E R E M AT T E S

Six cozy shades awake your desire for luxurious knits and snug cashmere in August&September. Adorning the nails of those quick enough to grab a bottle from this special collection, these lavish colours are sure to make your autumn worthwile. It is our pleasure to announce a competition where you can win two colours from the new range along with a unique sisterMAG surprise.

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what you have to do

To enter, you only have to post a picture with your perfect essie colour for a cashmere knit to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #sisterMAGlovesESSIE or send an eMail to gewinnen@sister-mag.com

# s i s t e r M AG l o v e s E S S I E

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CASHMERE

COZY IN CASHMERE WRAP ME UP JUST STITCHED ALL EYES ON NUDES C O AT C O U T U R E SPUN IN LUXE 271

Runs until: 20.09.2015 Eligibility requirements

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Jeans : TUTORIAL HERE

| blouse : SISTERMAG8

Cashmere scarf: ANTONIA ZANDER

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cozy in cashmere

velvety note of Mauve

CASHMERE

colour

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Cashmere Sweater: ANTONIA ZANDER

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skirt : SISTERMAG10

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Colour

wrap me up

creamy, opaque & soft

CASHMERE

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Watch : AMERICAN APPAREL

Coat : ZUKKER

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| Necklace : 1.2.3

| Pants : NEU4BAUER

CASHMERE Glasses : ZARA

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just stitched Colour

warm, pearly Rose

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all eyes on nudes

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Colour

camel-coloured, creamy & matt

| Beige pants : ZARA

CASHMERE

Blouse : AMERICAN APPAREL

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Cashmere Sweater with puff sleeves : EDELZIEGE

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Leather pants: H&M | Ring: STADTELSTER

Cashmere Cardigan: ANTONIA ZANDER

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CASHMERE

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coat couture Colour

creamy opaque Grey

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matte blackish blue

spun in luxe Colour

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Necklace : H&M

Cashmere Cape : ANTONIA ZANDER

CASHMERE

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INTERVIEW & PHOTOS: Annalena Huppert 284

A STARTUP RESCUING CASHMERE Katharina Malley is not only a good friend and supporter of the sisterMAG-team – but also decided to start her own business in 2013. The »throw-away-society« nowadays makes it more difficult to keep and maintain an item for years. Only one hole and the pieces have to end up in the garbage. That's not neccessary anymore, because you can now send your jumper or scarf to a real treatment. Cashmere Doc rescues all favourite peices. With On Katharinas website, you can choose from many alternatives of therapies. Annalena Huppert talked to the munich business woman for sisterMAG.

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CASHMERE

Katharina Malley

cashmere doc Since when does Cashmere Doc exist and where did you get the business idea?

The idea of Cashmere Doc came to my mind spontaneously. During my studies and in my professional life I had a lot to do with luxurious materials and I often was confronted with the consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; problems when they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know whom to ask in case of a damaged product.

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While drinking coffee with my best friend Antonia Zander who owns herself a cashmere company I got the idea of offering the customers who love and buy this high quality material a repair service. So that they would now, after buying their favourite piece, where to take it if it has to be repaired and taken care of. In the summer of 2013, I finally decided to implement the idea of Cashmere Doc. I was just curious about whether it would work or whether I was wrong. In November, only days after I had went online

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I received the first 30 packages of »patients« lying at my front door. That really was surprising, I hadn’t expected this so quickly. Apparently, I had met the needs of cashmere consumers. What fascinates you about cashmere? 286

Cashmere is a natural product - it actually comes from a living thing what makes me think of it as an especially precious fabric of high quality. I want to keep this precious material in high regard. The manufacturing process of a pullover of cashmere wool is extremely lavish and lengthy – that fascinates me. Cashmere sweaters have their own »personality« as they adjust to their wearers which is probably the reason why some owners feel a personal connection. The customer choses the »therapy« on his own. So, how can I be sure that the right therapy has been chosen

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and what happens if the customer makes a wrong diagnosis?

Every »patient« that arrives undergoes an expert assessment. Has the customer really spotted all holes? Are there any loose seams in addition to the holes? Pilling? We examine everything multiple times in a precise manner and only after consulting the customer we decide on the best therapy. It is decisive that every customer gets feedback when sending a patient. This way, everybody knows where their favourite piece is and what exactly is done with it. We have a lot of customers who

CASHMERE

are not sure what can be done with their cashmere pullover or jacket and what has to be done. In this case, we recommend a »surgery proposal« and the customer can decide on the therapy for the favourite piece.

However, many customers send

How can you be sure that the fibres’

the thread. Often, we are lucky and

the small bags with spare threads that you often receive along with high quality cashmere pieces – this is of course great for us. In case of patients who need a very extensive treatment we ask the producer for

quality is uphold and that you don’t

get the original thread delivered.

use a cheaper variation of a thread

Every

when it comes to mending holes?

many small and bigger treatment

Whenever possible our employees for invisible mending use the original thread. How, this remains our secret!

patient

undergoes

very

steps: When arrived, it undergoes a

preliminary

inspection.

The

customer then is informed about the patient’s arrival and possible 287

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therapies. Once we receive an »ok« by the customer our team starts with the treatment. We are always directly exchanging with the customer. Has there been any extraordinary case that you still remember well?

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Right before Christmas in 2014, we received a favourite jacket. A female customer had sent her husband’s cardigan in – she wanted to give him this piece for Christmas. The jacket surely had 30 holes, wornthrough elbows and loose seams. Really, the complete programme. I remember very well as it was a big challenge for our team. But even under time pressure, we worked quickly and produced excellent quality: the customer could give the cardigan as a Christmas present and her husband was incredibly happy about his new old jacket under the Christmas tree. Is it really always worth it to send a cashmere piece to the Cashmere Doc or do you also receive one or another hopeless patient where you recommend to invest in a new one?

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To us, me and my team, sustainability plays a major role nowadays. We want to encourage our customers to keep the good things and to throw away less. We want to preserve the beautiful pieces that we receive from our customers. And by the way, we don’t only receive expensive cashmere pullovers and/or jackets but first and foremost favourite pieces. This might also be a reasonable black polo-neck sweater by ZARA or Massimo Dutti – if the customer wears this pullover regularly and if it is precious to her, we try to save

THE JACKET HAD ABOUT 30 HOLES …

CASHMERE

it and mend the holes, close loose seams or simply make it suitable for daily life again by giving it a loving hand wash.

there is just one employee taking care of it. We avoid additional transportation and make the treatment efficient.

Of course we inform the customer

Has the demand for the Cashmere Doc

in cases we think the treatment

been high right from the beginning?

will be very extensive and if the

Especially when it comes to favourite

customer would have to invest a

pieces there might be doubts. Did

lot of money. Most of them still

your customers show mistrust?

want it to be repaired – as it is about their favourite pieces. Apart from repairs, we also receive many pieces to be simply cleaned, pressed with a steam iron or removed from pilling. How many team members does a surgical team consist of for one Cashmere Doc patient? How many experts take care of one single pullover?

Cashmere Doc has a large pool of professionals all over Germany. Every employee has their own

Actually, we earned nothing but positive feedback from the first day on. Everyone I spoke to likes the idea and their implementation very much. With my idea, I just had the finger on the pulse of times. Besides, there hasn’t been any mistrust at all: the customers have nothing to lose. They can’t wear a damaged piece anyway. At best, they receive their favourite pieces as new. Of course, there are some customers who are slightly insecure the first time or who are

special expert field. Many of them work in this job for more than 25 years and thus, of course, they bring a lot of expertise. This way, we want to strengthen crafts and Germany’s role as a business location. Every patient that is sent to us will be treated professionally in Germany only. Per patient,

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not sure about the repair quality. But mostly, we convince them after the first time. Most of all, we grow by customer recommendations. How would you analyse the prospect of a cashmere trend? Cashmere is a kind of investment to many people. What is more likely, will more or less people buy cashmere?

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I am sure that the demand of cashmere material will keep on growing. We are slowly moving away from the consume trend. More and more people think about sustainability and prefer to invest slightly more money in single garments than buying a lot of cheap pieces of low quality.

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Cashmere is high quality and longlasting material â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the investment in a timeless pullover or cardigan will pay off in any case. Are you planning to specialize these services for other materials like e.g. silk or other?

We are already accepting not only cashmere patients but every kind of knitwear. We take care of every patient that can be healed with the help of invisible mending in any way whether it is cotton, silk or other material. Apart from that we are very lucky as fashion retailers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are thrilled by our service. As of this summer, we therefore offer

CASHMERE

a special line of detergents for particularly sensitive materials such as silk, cashmere and leather. We developed detergents that are a 100 percent organic and vegan and that do not need animal experiments. Our line includes a shampoo for cashmere/wool and silk, a very mild detergent for babies and persons suffering from an allergy, stain remover spray for silk and cashmere as well as very special leather care products that make leather smooth again after contact with water. By now, we work with leading fashion boutiques from Germany, Austria and Switzerland inter alia APROPOS, LODENFREY, THERESA, BREUNINGER, ENGELORN, TROIS POMMES, SAGMEISTER. We are continuously expanding the network as well as our range of products and services.

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You can book the service at cashmeredoc.de .

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Antonia Zander works for her Label »Antonia Zander« with the fluffy fabric. That's why the munich designer was the perfect match for a good talk for our cashmere-section. She tells us, what makes the material so special for her as a designer and if cashmere is also wearable on summer days

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CASHMERE DESIGNER INTERVIEW INTERVIEW: Yasmeen Dabu FOTOS: Rosa Merk

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ANTO

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ONIA ZANDER Antonia Zander CASHMERE – What makes cashmere as a material special for you?

Cashmere used to be reserved for kings because one cashmere goat will only give you about 200 grams of wool (only the undercoat is used) per year, less than is needed for one sweater. It wasn’t even uncommon to go around and collect the hairs tangled up in bushes and left on rocks by animals trying to shed their old fur. Cashmere still affords those animals the highest regard because the level of care given translates directly to the quality of the resulting cashmere yarn. Cashmere quality is assessed by the length of the fibres as well as their delicacy. Although much more cashmere is available worldwide nowadays it is still no mass product! What is your label’s, Antonio Zander, unique selling point compared to other brands?

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I tailor to a niche and have put a premium on quality and origin of the raw materials from the start. The same goes for my production partners in Italy. My customers know that I won’t be able to produce bargain products but they can rely on them to be of the best possible quality. I don’t want my profit to have a negative effect

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

on neither nature or animals nor someone else’s job. How and where do you find inspiration for your lines? Is there always a common thread or leitmotif?

Anytime and anywhere! It comes

Photos: Rosa Merk

from other people, magazines, films, exhibitions…there is always

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Spring/Summer 16 some little detail, be it a colour, a pattern, e texture, from which I develop a new line.This process can take months though and only at the end of it – often too late, really – I start putting pen to paper; but yes, I try to find a common thread!

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CASHMERE

Your mother named the label for

else and seeing a woman wearing

you when you were four years old.

one of my pieces walking by! That’s

Did that put any pressure on you

really exciting!!!

to take over the business which led you into the world of fashionor have you always has a natural passion for it?

When you spend your childhood surrounded by buttons and spools of thread and later sew shoulder pads as a summer job and are privy to every aspect of this world youjust can’t help develop a passion for fashion. Thanks to my mother my view of the fashion world is fairly relaxed but quite pure and unadulterated at the same time. I started drawing at an early age and never really wanted to do anything else. She must have influenced my sisters in a similar way as they, too, chose creative professions.

What would you say are the best reasons to invest in cashmere and which items of clothing would you suggest choosing?

It’s not about whether to buy cashmere or not. You should be guided by quality and your expectations with regards to a new item of clothing. We live in the age of H&M and Zara and most people have no idea how much work goes into a sophisticated high-quality dress, jacket or coat! There is the pattern to get right, the ideal material to source and the actual item to sew. A high-quality piece will make you happy for many years and not lose its shape or colour.

Tailoring

and

knitting

should be re-evaluated and again

What was or is the best experience

be considered proper forms of art.

you have yet had with your label

Mass produced products are no

Antonia Zander?

solution!

Every step of the way is: your first

What’s

tradefair, your first commission,

incorporating one of your cashmere

your first spread in an exciting

pieces?

your

favourite

outfit

publication!

Oh I couldn’t say. It depends on

My favourite thing is sitting at an

everybody’s individual type and

airport in Milan, Paris or anywhere

is subject to constant change.

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A/W 15/16

But every well-stocked wardrobe should contain a well-tailored, cosy turtleneck cashmere sweater - this goes for women and men, by the way! Can you wear cashmere in summer, too?

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Definitely! I am currently in Tuscany, it’s the middle of August and I still take one of my fringe scarves with me when I go out at night. Some of my customers even take their pieces to Bangkok – in this fully air-conditioned world it’s always a good idea to have something to wrap up in. You are well-travelled. What are some areas in which Germany can learn from other places with regards to fashion? Where would you say the most fashionable people live?

I think Germany as a whole could do with some remedial fashion lessons! Whoever invented trekking sandals, cropped cargo

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pants and functional sports jackets has definitely made a bigger mark on German fashion mentality than any individual designer ever could. But there will always be those looking to stand out by creating their individual style – in Germany and anywhere else! The

internet

has

definitely

brought more transparency but not necessarily more awareness for fashion. Many bloggers are so »desperate« to have their photos taken they dress purely to stand out. I think this has a detrimental effect on their sense of style as

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All lookbooks and more information on: well as their personality. I don’t think the point of fashion is to get noticed at all costs.Your clothes should instead support and enhance your personality!

antoniazander.de

It’s an art – or at least it should be!

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antoniazander.de

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CASHMERE BLOGGER INTERVIEWS sister-mag.com

Photo: Anna Heuberger

Cashmere. A material, which is fascination for many people. That's why we did not only interview designer Anotnia Zander and Startup-business woman Katharina Malley, but also fashion bloggers. We asked what they think about the knitted materials made of goat fibre. We want to thank all of the interviewed people for their lovely answers.

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viennawedekind CAROLA

What makes Cashmere special compared to other materials?

It feels so incredibly soft against your skin you could almost forget your wearing clothes at all. How would you convince others to invest in a cashmere piece of clothing – what’s its one unique selling point?

That’s easy: There is nothing more comfortable to wear of such unparalleled quality. And it’s a material you will be able to enjoy for a long time. How carefully do you handle your cashmere items? Does your favorite piece go through a special care routine?

I air my cashmere sweater out after I have worn it. After a hand wash I also make sure to let it dry spread out flat instead of on a hanger. This way it keeps both its shape and smoothness. How do you combine your favorite piece with other items of clothing?

Preferably with a pair of leather pants.

If you had the choice between one cashmere sweater in a color of your choice or 4 new items of clothing of the same value made from blended fibers, which would you choose?

That depends on what I am looking to buy at any given moment. Generally speaking though I prefer to buy slightly more expensive pieces of superior quality rather than go for only moderate quality items. essie is launching a new nail polish line called »Cashmere Coats« – which of it featured shades would make it straight into your personal collection and why?

I like nude shades – they go with everything.

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What makes Cashmere special compared to other materials?

It’s got a great cuddliness factor and the material is absolutely timeless.

Sanzibell SARAH

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I even caught myself wearing my cashmere sweater this summer. Admittedly, I did feel a little weird at first but cashmere works with any season. In winter the delicate goat hairs keep you warm and in the summer they actually have a cooling effect. How would you convince others to invest in a cashmere piece of clothing – what’s its one unique selling point?

Again the cuddliness factor - it

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is my number one reason for buying a cashmere sweater. It’s a completely different experience to wearing a wool blend - the itching and scratching and the sheer weight. I have so many sweaters in my wardrobe which I don’t wear

CASHMERE for fear of buckling under their weight. Sometimes I won’t buy a sweater I like because it is too heavy. Cashmere on the other hand envelops you in softness and comfort and gives you a warm feeling of coziness and security. How carefully do you handle your cashmere items? Does your favorite piece go through a special care routine?

Very carefully! This sweater is my first item of clothing made of cashmere and I haven’t dared wash it yet so I don’t have a routine yet either. But I read that cashmere isn’t actually as complicated to handle as is popularly believed. The fibers love water and treated with a suitable cashmere or baby care shampoo they will actually become even softer. They are best spread out to dry on a towel. You should never iron cashmere while still wet, neither should you use a blow dryer on it.

causal cashmere look perfectly. essie is launching a new nail polish line called »Cashmere Coats« – which of it featured shades would make it straight into your personal collection and why?

I am completely in love with the beautiful pastel shades. But the »all eyes on nudes« shade would probably beat all the other ones in the race to join my collection. It’s a great multi-purpose shade that just effortlessly goes with everything.

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How do you combine your favorite piece with other items of clothing?

My favorite piece is the blue oversized sweater which I like to wear with denim. A denim shirt or pants – or even both – complete my sanzibell.de

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What

makes

Cashmere

special

compared to other materials?

No other material feels as smooth and comfortable against your skin while at the same time keeping you nice and warm as cashmere. How would you convince others to invest in a cashmere piece of clothing – what’s its one unique selling point?

Cashmere is timeless. Well cared for and looked after you’ll be able

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to enjoy a cashmere piece for a long time to come. A cashmere favorite is always a special kind of favorite – at least it is to me. How carefully do you handle your cashmere items? Does your favorite piece go through a special care routine?

I always wash my cashmere clothes by hand using a special care product and let them dry spread out on a towel.

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masha sedgwick How do you combine your

favorite piece with other items of clothing?

I’m rather unpretentious that way - just a pair of jeans and a leather jacket. If you had the choice between one cashmere sweater in a color of your choice or 4 new items of clothing of the same value made from blended fibers, which would you choose?

Well, it depends on the pieces in question, of course, but generally speaking I would rather go for one top-quality item than 4 bargain ones.

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essie is launching a new nail polish line called »Cashmere Coats« – which of it featured shades

would

make

straight into your personal collection and why?

I love the first one from the right. It’s a beautiful nude shade that doesn’t look boring and would go perfectly with my outfits.

masha sedgwick.de

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Interview with

Anette from LEBENSLUSTIGER.COM

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PHOTOS: ANETTE WETZEL-GROLLE LAYOUT: HELENA MELIKOV

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Blogger, product designer, goldsmith and photographer

Tell us a little bit about yourself: What do you do for a living, what’s your blog called and how did you come up with the idea for it? I studied product design and I am also a goldsmith by trade. I have online shops on several platforms including DaWanda and ETSY and also work as a freelance photographer and set stylist. I am married with two teenage children and three cats that keep me busy. My blog lebenslustiger.com has been live since 2011. It shares pictures, DIY ideas and all sorts of other content inspired by my private and professional life. In 2011 we had just returned from 10 adventurous years in America and a friend took me to a DaWanda seminar which, amongst other things, dealt with blogs. Both were new to me: Neither had I heard of DaWanda before, nor did I read any blogs. Anything »online« just wasn’t my thing back then. But it is now! On the train back home after the seminar I couldn’t help but think that a blog might just be just the thing for me. It sounded fun. And that’s how I came up with the name, too. Lebenslustig is

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a German word describing a cheerful person who just loves life. I chose the comparative form »lebenslustiger« because it’s such a nice pun on »tiger«, so I had Berlin-based illustrator Karin Baetz design a tiger for my logo which reflects just that.

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How do you source your content where do you find inspiration for your blog posts? I blog whenever I can find the time. I like to show jewelry from my shops, but also share DIY ideas such as leather-wrap-bracelets , delicate wire rings but also knitting and crochet patterns. I also like to share interior design ideas including pictures of our apartment as well as those taken on my travels. I discovered my passion for photography through blogging and hope to be able to present an art print collection of some of my pictures soon.

I follow my personal aesthetical vision in everything I do and I have come to rely on it. Much like Pipi Longstocking I’d like to think that »my world is fun and my make believe may stun«‚, i.e. I only post pictures, blog posts, DIY ideas, jewelry, styles and pins I genuinely like myself. In terms of products and DIY this usually means that something I would actually like to have. Due to my love of certain soft colours and fabrics, projects and collections almost tend to create themselves. I love natural materials like solid wood, non-ferrous metals, rocks, leather, fur, linen and especially pure wool.

Some of your DIY ideas call for BIG LOOP YARN – how did you discover this material and what’s special about it (and which materials do you use generally and why?) I have created things with my hands for as long as I can remember. My How would you describe your mother, my grandmother, my aunt – personal taste and how do you stay they were always either knitting or true to your style in your posts? sewing things. I’m sure that’s why I

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CASHMERE

chose a creative profession. My love for wool and yarn was also born in my childhood. I started knitting in my first year of elementary school, beginning with simple chains but soon upgrading to sweaters. At some point everybody, but the extremely environmentally conscious, had giving up knitting and crochet work and eventually they seemed to be gone and completely forgotten. And I forgot about them, too. Some years later, however, and equally as suddenly, new shops specialising in beautiful yarns and wool started sprouting and I was immediately rehooked. I began buying individual balls of wool and was soon the proud owner of a significant collection. I started many projects at that time but finished few. I am naturally impatient and easily distracted by new ideas, so the bigger the knitting project the bigger the chance I wouldn’t finish it. This is when I fell in love with thick pure wool. It’s amazing how fast you can create large pieces using this kind of yarn, and the wool’s temperature-

regulating properties are just amazing. Pure wool is an ingenious and sustainable natural material and its temperature-regulating properties aren’t restricted to clothes; they have a great potential for interior design applications. Wool reduces and neutralizes pollutants in the air and, in times of high humidity, can absorb moisture and even re-emit it back into the environment creating a healthy room climate. It is also sound-absorbing and, thanks to its natural content of lanolin, resistant to dirt. On the hunt for thicker and thicker types of yarn I discovered the Big Loop yarns sold by Loopy Mango from New York. 100% hand-made yarn from pure merino wool in stunningly beautiful colors – I was in heaven! The yarn is super soft and extra thick for size 50 needles. This is actual pure, precious wool and nothing but wool, unlike your average carpet fabric which might have a wool coating but consists, mostly

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of jute backing. Knitting a super soft blanket, scarf or hat from Loopy Mango Big Loop yarn is such a treat â&#x20AC;&#x201C; topped only by snuggling up in the finished piece afterwards. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really proud that my knitted hat, with the signature loopy

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my collection. I am especially excited by its cross-generational appeal. I have knitted those hats for babies and my oldest customer is 78. She wears her dirty pink pompom hat when out and about. In Australia I once found a pair of knitting needles that were 1m long and 55mm thick (1.1yds/2"), use those with 100% pure, felted Merino wool and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to create the most light and airy fabrics and pieces of art. They are an aesthetic feast. I especially like duvets and wall decorations made this way. There is more information about these yarns on my blog: lebenslustiger.com . Many of the materials you use look unusual in the most positive sense. Where can someone interested in giving your creations a go get them? I usually give detailed information about my sources and suppliers in my blog posts, or I will make sure to pompom, has achieved a modest level describe in specific detail the materials of fame. It is one of my favorite pieces and colors used. Loopy Mango Big and will always have a special place in Loop yarn, Little Dandelion felted

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Merino yarn and the giant knitting needles (1.1yds/2«) are available via my DaWanda shop . It also offers finished hats and blankets in case you prefer not to knit yourself. Which pieces are your favorite ones to make? Oh, that changes fairly regularly – everybody needs a change sometimes. Once summer is over, I always feel an urge to make hats and blankets. This year we’re premiering super over-sized knitted cardigans as a special end-of-summer treat. The first few are available now! Most people knit or do crochet work to relax. Is that true for you, too, or do your readers’ expectations for constantly new ideas put such pressure on you that you aren’t always able to enjoy your craft? Thankfully I do not feel pressured to constantly produce new ideas, and working with wool is always sheer bliss and enjoyable. I feel I need it as

a counterpart to the work I do with metal. My blog readers know that there will be new DIY ideas whenever I find the time, and my own urge to see the result has grown big enough. As mentioned before, I wouldn’t create a DIY idea unless I really wanted the finished product myself. Churning out one DIY after the other would indeed be stressful. Creating a proper DIY with a concise description (in the case of my blog in English and German) and photographs takes a lot of time and effort. But the great thing about DIY posts is their sustainability. Thanks to Pinterest my tutorials are constantly spreading around the globe and hence retain their currency. This also means that the content is copied and stolen equally as constantly, but I guess that’s just a part of life in the digital world. Is there something you would like to make but you feel might be (too much of) a big challenge? I am

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currently in the process of creating big, textured wall installations. Sourcing the materials to fulfill my vision in terms of the specific texture is indeed a huge challenge. And that’s before I have even started the actual production process – phew – well, it’s a journey... and there are already some samples to be reviewed. What future projects can we look forward to on lebenslustiger.com? There is my first e-book, in which I share how to quickly and easily produce meters and meters of thick felted string. And more content and pictures detailing the wealth of inspiration from the world in which I live and work – and there are going to be many new DIY ideas.

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how to make

a round knitted cushion made of Big Loop Wool

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lebenslustiger Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

the finished cushion will have a diameter of 60cm (23.5") and is knit in short rows.

materials:

1 big ball of Loopy Mango Big Loop yarn made of 100% hand-spun Merino wool 314 Circular knitting needles 20mm/size 35 70cm/27.5" long

A second pair of circular knitting needles as support of either the same size and length or thicker or thinner.

Ticking, circular, 60cm/23.5"

Scissors

Felting needle

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Cast on 18 stitches

1st row Knit 15, bring thread to front and slip next stitch. Turn part over.

2nd row

Pick up first stitch with right needle (with the thread then running along that stitch) 315

3rd row Pick up first stitch with right needle (again with the thread then running along that stitch) , knit 8, bring thread to the front and slip next stitch. Turn part over.

4th row Pick up first stitch with right needle (again with the thread then running along that stitch) , knit 4, bring thread to the front and slip next stitch. Turn part over.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

5th row

Pick up first stitch with right needle (again with the thread then running along that stitch) , knit 11 with wrap & turn stitches (S5 and S9) stitched as follows:

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6th row Knit 18 knitting warp & turn stitches (S12 and S16) as detailed above. This completes the first pattern repeat. (photo step 9) .

Depending on whether you prefer a tighter or looser finish, repeat the pattern around 17 times.

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CASHMERE

Insert ticking. pull Lead a thread around the inner circle, side. tight and tie ends in knots. Pull ends in le to Sew up by hand and use a felting need obscure thread ends in knitted fabric.

Using the second set of needles as support, cast on 18 stitches.

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Sew up both ends using invisible stitch.

Done! Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

LADEKABEL

I show you the world 320

.. . a n d t h e 8 hours live. The Vodafone-Team is currently travelling through Europe, visiting different cities every weekend and sisterMAG off ic

hosting Live-Streams for 8 hours with blogger Mia Bühler (Uberding ). Even though these Live Events hardly need cables to function, we have summarized the experience of their visit to our office in our section ‘charging cable’. Chargers for our phones are essentials when it comes to events like the #IZDDW (German hashtag for the Vodafone project: »I Show You The World«). The crew visited our offices on the 1st of August and since this was our first day at the new space, we all gathered around a big table in an empty room. Of course, we had prepared several sisterMAG-surprises like flowers from our friend Hürriyet Bulan (Botanic Art ) and an amazing cake from food photographer Claudia Gödke . Here are some pictures and the recipe from this lovely summer day!

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Live Stream (8h) from Berlin Highlight Video Berlin Map Berlin

CHARGING CABLE

cake vanilla cake 6 250g 250 g 1 packet 125 ml 250 ml

eggs icing sugar seeds of one vanille bean flour of baking powder vegetable oil egg liqueur/advocaat

1. Preheat the oven to 180Â°C. Butter and flour two round baking pans (ĂĄ 18cm), set aside.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer combine icing sugar, eggs and the vanilla seeds. 321

Beat for about 10 minutes until the sugar-egg-mixture is pale yellow and very fluffy.

3. In a medium sized bowl combine flour and baking powder and mix well.

4. Gradually and carefully add the flour, oil and egg liqueur to the sugar-egg-mix and mix to combine.

5. Equally divide the batter into the baking pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

6. Remove cakes from oven and let cool completely.

7. The cakes can be baked a day in advance. Covered in clingfilm and stored in the refrigerator.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

f illing peach-prosecco-jam

1. Cut the peaches in half, re500 g peaches move the pit and cut them 250 g jam sugar/gelling into small cubes. sugar 2. In a pot combine peaches, 200 ml prosecco prosecco, lemon juice and juice and zest of a zest and the jam sugar. lemon

Stir to combine and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes

3. Bring the mixture to a boil and let cook for more than 3 minutes.

4. Transfer the jam to a biwl and let cool completely.

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f illing mascarpone creme 100 g mascarpone 50 g rock popchocolate (such as ,raspberry rock popâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; by confiserie gmeiner)

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with rock pop chocolate

Finely chop the chocolate, put it in a small bowl, add the mascarpone and stir to combine. Set aside.

CHARGING CABLE

Frosting pineapple & passion fruit

1. Cut the passion fruits in half and re 350 ml pineapple juice move the pulp with a spoon. Press it 4 ripe passion fruits through a sieve to remove the seeds. 4 tbsp sugar 1 packet/envelope vanilla 2. Combine the passion fruit juice, su gar and 300 ml pineapple juice in a pudding powder pot and bring to a boil. 250 g butter, room tempera3. Meanwhile whisk together 50 ml ture pineapple juice and the vanilla pudding powder and add it to the boiling passion fruit mix. Let cook for at least a minute, stirring constantly.

4. Transfer the pudding to a bol and let cool completely.

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5. In the bowl of your electric mixer beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the pudding and mix very well after each addition. Beat the frosting for further 5 minutes until everything is well combined and fluffy.

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

Cake assembly 1. Cut both cakes horizontally with a long, serrated knife. Place one of the cake layers on a plate or cake board. Spread a few tablespoons peach-proseccojam on top of the first layer and cover it with a second layer of cake.

2. Fill the second layer of cake with the mascarpone and place the third cake layer on top. Again, spread a genorous amount of peach jam on top and place the final cake layer on top. 324

3. Chill the cake for 30 minutes. 4. Cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting to ,seal inâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; all the crumbs. Chill the cake for another 30 minutes.

5. Cover the cake in a thick and smooth layer of frosting. Decorate the top with fresh berries, edible flowers, sprinkles and/or chocolate.

6. Chill the cake and remove about 30 minutes from the fridge before serving.

Claudia gĂśdke sister-mag.com

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E v e ry thing is c o n n ec ted

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text Alexander Ko r d s

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i l l u s t r at i o n M at h i l d e Schliebe

CHARGING CABLE

he internet is all around us, anytime and anywhere. Whether we’re using our laptop at home or a smart phone on the go it’s hard, make that »near impossible«, to imagine our daily lives without the World Wide Web. And even though 19 out of 20 people under the age of 40 use the internet it is by no means just the younger generation surfing the web. The vast majority of 50 to 59-year olds – a whopping 80% percent of them in fact – use the internet and even among the over 60s there are still more than 40 percent enjoying a bit of »silver surfing«. Furthermore, the spread is roughly the same in other developed and emerging countries as well as in the developing world. This massive online presence transcending age and country lines finds its base in a variety of factors, not least among them the emergence of the mobile internet. Smart phones have exceeded the popularity of the beloved old mobile in Germany, where it was famously and affectionately referred to as »handy«, thanks to

327

the obvious advantage of providing access to the internet wherever you are. Checking out reviews and comparing prices when trying to make a decision about buying something while out shopping is one popular application. But more often than not the actual act of shopping is also done by smart phone. Thanks to the so-called Near Filed Communication technology (NFC) paying by phone has never been easier. This comparatively slow way of short-distance data transmission is still per-

Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

fectly suited for cash desks, since the information about how much the item being paid for actually costs is processed – again – via the internet. Leading German grocer Aldi Nord recently upgraded every single till in all of its 2,400 shops to NFC. But contactless, or more colloquially »touchless«. Payment is still nowhere near as common or popular in Germany as it is in Scandinavia where a number of stores will now accept cash payment only from tourists. The launch of Apple Pay, the proprietary payment system of the world’s biggest smart phone manufacturer, is thought to give the trend another boost though. The service allows users of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to pay all the bills on their devices. Currently only available in the US, the company are planning to roll the service out to other countries as well as the Apple Watch.

328

Another important aspect of the mobile internet is constant availability which also entails the ability to make yourself heard in any situation. No sooner have we thought of something witty, funny or simply worth sharing than we tell the world about it in a tweet. We take snapshots of our dinner to show to our friends via Instagram, we share videos on Facebook, links on Google+ and pictures on Pinterest. And since most of the people we know tend to do the same

sister-mag.com

CHARGING CABLE

we are subjected to an enormous

ague we often feel the need to reply

amount of information competing

as fast as humanly possible, even if

for our attention in real time. Gene-

we have left the office for the day or

rally speaking, this isn’t necessari-

are in fact on vacation. The only vi-

ly a bad thing since it keeps us in

able solutions would be to comple-

the loop on important and not-qui-

tely cut out anything »online« for

te-so important goings-on. We just

a period of time – but that would

have to find a way to filter the infor-

also mean missing all the news

mation pouring in so we can mana-

on Twitter, Instagram and the like.

ge the flood. It all starts to get tri-

A globally connected world also fa-

cky, however, when we feel that our constant availability compels us to an immediate response. If we see an email from our boss or a colle-

cilitates collaboration on projects one single person could never have mounted - Wikipedia being the best brightest (and biggest) example. With roughly 35 million entries the most comprehensive online encyclopedia is a collaboration of two million volunteers – and still growing. The basic system – anyone who wants to join can add information – has sparked countless other wikis throughout the web. One German example is called GutenPlag. Its contributors have made it their mission to list and confirm all citations former German federal minister of Defence, Karl-Theodor zu Gutten-

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329

berg, has neglected to mark as such

outside users to the Foldit pro-

in his doctoral dissertation. A scan-

ject is that it is set up like a game

dal referred to as »Casuse Gutten-

and contributing to the common

berg«, which led to his resignati-

goal does not feel like work at all.

on from all political offices in 2011.

There are many more ways in which

But crowdsourcing, as soliciting

the internet is bringing people to-

contributions from a large group of

gether - crowdfunding being one of

people (online) is known, can even

them. This system offers a platform

save lives. Project Foldit, which

for people with a great idea, but no

was developed at the University of

money, to present an idea and then

Washington in 2008 enlists

seek funding for it. Again, there is

internet users from all over

strength in numbers and a project

the globe to »fold« prote-

insurmountable for a small team

ins, i.e. bring them to

can be easily funded through a lar-

the native structural

ge number of small individual con-

state in which they

tributions. Patreon, a support plat-

consume the least

form for artists, is a great example

amount of energy.

as it lets users choose between a

This can be done

regular monetary contribution and

without any prior

a one-off payment for an individual

knowledge

and

work of art. Singer Amanda Palmer

the results still

has been a pioneer of the crowd-

yield

important

funding, movement in general as

information about

well as the specific platform Pat-

the progression of

reon. Having cut ties with her re-

certain

illnesses

cord label in 2010 she collected

for the researchers.

the total sum of €1.1 million from

The computer programs

just shy of 25,000 fans via Kickstar-

used to create folded prote-

ter to fund her new album »Theat-

ins before were nowhere near as

re is Evil«. Since 2015 she has used

efficient as the combined ability of

Patreon and established a support

the online community. What draws

community of over 5,000 people,

330

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currently collecting around €30,000

connected to the internet. This will

for each new piece of art she issu-

only increase the already staggering

es – be it a song, a poem or a video.

amounts of data produced each time

The World Wide Web does not just

we do something online – a veritable

connect people, artists and scientists, it also extends to devices, some of them more (un-)likely than others: Lights and heating in our apartment can be controlled remotely, our washing machine goes online to check when electricity is cheapest and schedules the next cycle. And the oven sends us a message via WiFi when the roast is done. The term »Internet of Things« has been buzzing about for quite a while now and is supposed to make human in-

feast for advertisers and marketers but also scientists and researchers. The idea is that this data will help to predict just about everything, from a looming flu epidemic to the results of the next election, and what’s going to happen to the markets. It’s probably safe to say that we haven’t got the least idea yet, what the Internet of Things, will be able to accomplish

the future.

teraction obsolete in the communication of machines with each other. In this brave new world, your heating system could check the weather forecast, and if it’s going to be chilly make sure to switch on extra early in the morning. Likewise your fridge will know when you’re low on milk and take it upon itself to order more supplies. The latter seems to be everybody’s favorite example of the wonderful world of the »Internet of Things«. Analysts suggest that five years from now each of us will use at least six devices which are

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PHotos: Zoe Noble Video: Cristopher Santos Text: Thea Neubauer

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fuel consumption [according to VO (EG) 715/2007 and VO (EG) 692/2008]: 7,9–5,0 l/100 km, CO2-emissions: 180–129 g/km

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Issue 20 | August/Sept. 2015

AD Watch the video of our experience with the Ford Galaxy

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When I think about my childhood holiday trips I remember the feeling of being woken up in the middle of the night and tottering drowsily in our fully loaded car. My sister always took her green cuddly hippo and I spent long holiday trips to Italy or France cutting out paper teeth in order to implant them in the mouth of hippo Knuffo. It – and my sister – were not amused. Still, to me holiday trips in the car are the greatest. So many childhood memories are linked to that: These days were the unusual ones, my mother had a basket full of sweets with her – cookies for the service station or gummy bears for the road. We could listen to Bibi

sister-mag.com

Blocksberg (until my father had enough of it) and landscapes rushed past the window panes. What makes it even better today is the wonderful feeling of freedom and flexibility when, unlike then, driving in your own car south, east or north. I especially enjoy the fact that there is no departure date that I could miss. If I decide halfway to visit one more city or to make a short break this is all possible without any problem. Even packing bags is easier – especially if you have as much storage space as in the Ford Galaxy, which the sisterMAG team was allowed to test drive for one week.

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However,

for

our

latest

#sisterMAGfährt-Ford-Tour – already the fourth one – we wanted support.

Baltic Sea was already planned by the family as a present for Paul who will start going to school shortly.

We searched for a family on Facebook in mid-August that would test the Ford Galaxy with us. Only shortly after,

received

incredibly

lovely painted application by Nicole, a freelance designer for print and non-print

media

from

Dresden

(www.nicole-hey.de). Of course, we couldn’t ignore an application like this, so we met the little family of Patrick, Paul (7) and Jona (2) in Stralsund, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,

only

few days later. The short trip to the

With the four of them, we experienced a really nice summer day at the sea testing the Ford Galaxy – including a drive with seven people! Because on my side, there was the photographer Zoe and videographer Cris who did not only romp with Paul in the sea, but also captured some really nice moments of our adventure (view the video on the left). Join us on a discovery journey through northern Germany!

#sisterMAgfamily We received a hand painted application by Nicole – a media designer for print and non-print who has been a sisterMAG reader from the very beginning – she really was familiar with the content of our now 20 issues! Patrick – scientist at the TU Dresden in the field of photogrammetry – Paul (seven years old) and Jona (only two!) belong to Nicole.

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Before every sisterMAG trip, I receive a message from our photographers or stylists asking if there is »enough space« in the car for their equipment. And it may be the first time in my life that I have responded with a smiling face only and tell Zoe that she is welcome to take her whole studio equipment if she will need it.

Loaded with several big black cases and camera bags we test one of the car’s equipment features: the sensor controlled tailgate. Thanks to the Ford Key Free-System we can open the tailgate by simply moving our feet below the rear bumper. You only need to carry the key with you*.

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| Thea loading in the bags comfortable padding

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I load all bags in the trunk and it is not even half full! What I believe is really comfortable: due to the Fold Flat System the seats can be folded down easily and individually (by pushing a button) – no need to laboriously remove seats ever again, we get an even loading space by simple folding. The sisterMAG trip starts in Berlin where we unfortunately have to wait in long congestion. Two hours later, Zoe, Cris and I are only 15 km (!) away from the starting point. So, we connect our smartphone via Bluetooth and Ford SYNC (more information in s isterMAG XMAS ) with the car and listen to loud music. Already in these first hours we can’t help but notice the comfortable seats. These new multi-contour seats with premium leather, upholstering. The massage function for the driver and co-driver are individually adjustable and offer much comfort. The seats also have a multi-stage cooling (we need it) and heating function (thanks to

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: Cr is wi th sw ee ts fr om hi s ch ild ho od wa fe r ro lls in »u be « fla vo ur

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summer weather we don’t need it) for your personal comfort climate. Outward bound and we feel like a large American family. Cris is sitting in the car wearing a sleevless shirt, baseball cap and big sunglasses, we are listening to American country music and stop – to make it all look very authentic – at the McDonald’s Drive In. Zoe, in the backseat, tests the useful small folding tables with a hole for drinks and I remind them repeatedly to please keep the car clean – it is the perfect family trip. The Ford Galaxy has numerous storage facilities in the cargo space (Cargo Management System) and offers more space for elbows and shoulders by keeping the traditional swing doors (instead of sliding doors). Even the traffic calms down and we roll undisturbed and happy to our first direction: Stralsund!

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Â Kirche St. N

Â Alter Markt in Stralsund sister-mag.com

Unser Ford am Stralsunder Hafen }

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Stralsund is located in the southern region of the Baltic Sea and is also called the »Gateway to the Island of Rugia«. Once, the small town of 57,300 inhabitants used to be the second most important member of the Hanseatic League and is definitely worth visiting. Especially the square gables, gothic turrets and ornamented portals as well as the vaults with many examples of Gothic architecture are worth a look in the northern German region. We find a small parking lot in the city centre. Now we can again profit from the automatic parking assistant Active Park Assist (already discussed in detail in sisterMAG N°16 ). When the parking lot is found, we just let go of the steering-wheel and do nothing but accelerate or brake. Zoe who wasn’t involved in the last feature about the parking assistant squeaks delighted from the backseat and Nikolai murmurs something like »magic«.

market is the Wulflam House which was built in 14th century. Its complex façade design is similar to the town hall opposite to it. The St. Nicholas church is also worth visiting. The northern tower, one of two, belongs to the gothic style and the southern tower was built in the time of baroque. In the middle of the market, little children play again and again with the exploding water fountain and we look for our travel companions. Nicole spots us immediately, we introduce ourselves to Jona and Paul, discuss the next day and agree to meet after breakfast.

We meet our #sisterMAGfamily for the first time on the Old Market. It is the centre of the historic Old Town that belongs to UNESCO World Heritage since 2002. One house that still shows the former appearance of the

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2 13

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travel tips Stralsund To walk by while eating icecream

Cafés Junge – Die Bäckerei

1 Church St. Marien

Café Gumpfer am Ozeaneum

2 Kütertor

Café Kelm

3 Mühlenstraße

Kaffee Monopol

4 Stadtmauer 5 Kniepertor 6 Rathaus 7 Church St. Nikolai 8 Wulflamhaus 9 Commandantenhus 10 Kloster St. Johannis

Definitely don't miss! 11 OZEANEUM 12 Hafeninsel – Gorch Fock I / Sea Stage / Baltic Sea Festival 13 Meeresmuseum – Cultural Historical Museum of Stralsund

sisterMAG Issue 20

Articles inside

East Tyrol

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