Biz Sugar Pop Fashion » Interview

Stephanie Burkhalter

Biz Sugar Pop Fashion — Mon, 26 May 2014 07:10:19 +0000

She is not only entrepreneur, beautiful and talented – she is also working as a model: Stephanie Burkhalter handled turning herself into a label. Born in Geneva she moved to New York City and established Burkhalter Couture with a fantastic collection of expressive shoes and dresses. Sugarpop interviewed the French, Italian and English speaking woman with two passions: fashion and traveling.

Stephanie – you’re Model, Fashion Art Director of your own blog and Owner of your company Burkhalter Couture. Sounds like lots of work. How do you handle all these tasks?

I handle everything with passion. As fashion is my passion, nothing is never enough for me.

Why did you decide to found your own business? Did you have a turning point that made you do this?

I have always been in the fashion industry since I am a child, first as a model (I did my first big commercial when I was 6). At some point, as i’ve always been a very creative person, I decided to study fashion design in Milan, attending the Marangoni Institute. After some working experiences, I started my own brand in order to express myself through the maximum of creativity I carry each day with me.

Your clothes and accessories are legendary. Where do you take your inspirations from?

I get inspired by the connection between people and the space they are related. I trust my instinct and based on this, I start giving life to my emotions. Burkhalter Couture is uniqueness. It is the reflection of the energies I am surrounded, therefore my brand doesn’t have only one direction.

Describe your new collection in three words.

Spring/Summer 2014 is a reflection of Central America. It reveals me a palette of colors that I have never consider before through its fabulous Caribbean’s landscapes. Fresh silks meet floreals prints. Particular high heels ready to rock the Rio’s Carnival.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

In 5 years, I see myself having a solid distribution in the high fashion market. In order to reach this goal, I focus my work to conquer the prestige of the critics and the most important market, the one of New York City.

And your childhood? What influence did your childhood have on your dreams and plans?

I was born and raised in Geneva until the age of 18. Indeed I began travelling at this age as I started my international carrier as a model. I was a very expressive, positive and creative child, living in my own world. As only daughter, I spent a lot of time by myself. Painting and drawing were the tools I used to fulfill the need I had to express and give life to my internal world.

What is one thing you ‘must’ accomplish before you die?

My dream… Traveling worldwide. Discover different cultures. Since there are so many, I don’t think one life could be enough to fulfill my dream

Finally tell us a secret about you

What is secret remains secret

How can people contact you?

Here are some links

Website

E-Mail: stephanieburkhalterdesigns@gmail.com

Facebook

Blog

♘

Liebster Award

Biz Sugar Pop Fashion — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:38:47 +0000

Oh, my! What a wonderful surprise received me this morning: Tania from Inspire My Fancy had nominated me for the Liebster Award! So first I’d like to thank, Tania for this little honor
The Liebster Award is to discover new blogs and to show that there’s even more then we thought

So once you’re nominated, you have to follow these rules:

Thank the blogger, who had nominated you
Answer the eleven questions given to you
Nominate eleven other blogs with less than 500 followers
Post eleven questions for your nominees to answer
Tag your nominees and post a comment on their blog to let them know, you’d nominated them

These were the eleven questions Tania wanted to know:

What made you start blogging? I think it was my taste for fashion and that I wanted to share my style with other people. Beside I wanted to inspire others – maybe it had worked already?
What inspires you the most? Well, lots of my inspirations I take from my wardrobe or pieces I see hanging around in shops. Of course there are lots of other bloggers, who I love but it’s pretty rarely that they inspire me in that way that I could copy it and turn it into my own version.
What is your dream job? Hmm, I guess I’m currently working on it…
Do you like to read blogs, or just look at the pictures? Both. I love humorous texts and great pictures. I think it depends on the time I have. But isn’t this always the sticking point?
What would you love to see more of in the blogging community? Friendship. Lots of blogging girls are really arrogant and don’t even care for other bloggers, they just want to be seen and that’s all.
If you can do anything you wanted for one day, what would it be? Well, I would travel to the Maldives, Japan and USA – here I would go shopping until I couldn’t carry any single bag again.
If you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be? I’d love to meet two persons: I’d like to meet Marc Jacobs, spending a whole day with him and watching him drawing and developing one of his stunning collections. And then I’d love to meet Melissa Joan Heart. As Sabrina Spellman – the Teenage Witch – she was a total role model for me when I was around twelve years old. She was (and still is!!) so beautiful and gorgeous!
What are you happiest doing? I’m really happy when I can spend my time with my beloved ones. My little buns always make me smile (even if they’re soooo cheeky sometimes). And I am happy if everything works, what I organized. That gives me lots of joy.
What are the most inspirational blogs that you follow, and why? Good question. I love lots of blogs, there ain’t a special one. I think it’s all about pictures which impress, in the end because here at the internet we have so much space where we can have a fling!
What do you do when you’re not blogging? Please see About.
Which season do you love the most and why? Summer of course! Firstly because I was born in June and secondly because I love heat, ocean and wind.

Here are my nominees:

Annanikabu by Anna
Little Vintage Love Affair by Anja
I dream of Bunnies by Cissy
Mrs. Blue Jeans by Irina
Bezaubernde Nana by Jana
The anarCHIC by Valentina & Eva
The Blonde Lion by Joana
About Fringe and Buttercups by Belinda
Bella Pummarola by Anett
The Fashion Stir Fry by Busola Coutts
Melange Boutique by Noe & Lolita

Here are the questions for my nominees:

Just another blog or what makes you different?
What do you like to wear the most?
Do you have a special style, can you name it or do you try everything?
What is your claim for yourself as a blogger?
Favorite colors which always appear in your closet?
Do you have a pet?
Do you care for nature, environment and animals concerning pollution, animal testing and so on?
The best movie you’ve ever seen was…?
I would kill for…
Who would you like to date (some famous actor, a politician, a director or an artist)?
And last but not least why do you blog?

Thank you so much my dears and I really hope that you answer my questions. Let’s keep in touch and thanks again to Tania who nominated me!

Kisses dolls

xoxo

Sugarpop meets Udo Lindenberg

Biz Sugar Pop Fashion — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 19:28:31 +0000

He’s one of the most famous German singers and songwriters and successful in business since 1973: Udo Lindenberg. For my newspaper I met him in personal on a press conference and made an interview with him. Currently I’m working at the culture department so that my question were referring to his past and the differences between today and then in the DDR.
You can almost call him a German cultural asset: He’s known for his active engagement against National Socialism, his crazy kind of being and his political points of view.
It was fun to talk with him (sometimes I couldn’t really understand him due to his mumbling talk) but I enjoyed it.
After the interview with him I had to rush back to the editorial office because our deadline is always at 8 pm – until everything has to be finished. It was so stressful but I wrote down the article (not the interview!) in half an hour and my boss was not only impressed because of my celerity but also liked my text. There is nothing better if your work gets appreciation.

Er ist einer der berühmtesten deutschen Sänger und Songwriter und seit 1973 dick im Geschäft: Udo Lindenberg. Für meine Zeitung habe ich ihn persönlich auf einer Pressekonferenz getroffen und interviewt. Momentan durchlaufe ich das Kulturressort, weshalb sich meine Fragen hauptsächlich auf seine Vergangenheit und die Unterschiede von heute und damals in der DDR bezogen.
Man könnte ihn fast deutsches Kulturgut nennen: Er ist bekannt für sein aktives Engagement gegen den Nationalsozialismus, seine verrückte Art und politischen Standpunkte.
Es hat viel Spaß gemacht mit ihm zu sprechen (manchmal konnte ich ihn nicht richtig verstehen, weil er so nuschelt), aber ich habe es wahrlich genossen.
Nachdem Interview musste ich in Windeseile zurück in die Redaktion stürzen, da unsere Headline 8 Uhr beträgt – bis dahin muss alles fertig sein. Das war so stressig, aber ich habe den Artikel (nicht das Interview!) in einer halben Stunde runtergeschrieben und mein Chef war nicht nur beeindruckt über meine Schnelligkeit, sondern mochte meinen Text auch noch. Es gibt nichts Besseres als Anerkennung für deine Arbeit.

He suddenly started to sing.
Er hat plötzlich ein kleines Konzert gegeben.

The journalists must not starve
Die Journalisten durften keinesfalls verhungern

There he is!! On the red couch.
Da sitzt er!! Auf dem roten Sofa.

Heavy-armed with my block and my pen to start the interview.
Schwer bewaffnet mit Block und Kugelschreiber für das Interview.

___________________________________________

Here is an excerpt of the interview

Udo – you’re on tour next year. Are you excited already?
Of course I am. I’m on adrenaline, already. It’s gonna be a huge tour.

You’re using Facebook and Twitter. What do you think about these media in times of total control?
Each to their own. Everybody wants a piece of freedom and here it is. But sometimes the people are lost in social media and forget the important things in life.

What is different from today and back then in the DDR?
I think they had also lots of stuff to spy the people but today we have an international system. They can hack everything. Thanks to Edward Snowden we know that yet. He should come to Hamburg. In my hotel. I organized a suite at the Atlantic Kempinski already.

Hier ein Auszug des Interviews:

Udo – du bist nächstes Jahr auf Tour. Bist du schon aufgeregt?
Na klar. Ich hab schon Adrenalin!

Du benutzt Facebook und Twitter. Wie stehst du zu diesen Medien im Zeitalter der totalen Kontrolle?
Jedem das Seine, ne? Jeder möchte ein Stück Freiheit und hier ist es. Aber manchmal gehen die Leute im Netz der Social Media regelrecht verloren und vergessen das Wesentliche im Leben.

Was ist denn heute anders als damals in der DDR?
Naja, die hatten damals auch schon gut Zeug, um zu spionieren, aber heute haben sie ein internationales System. Sie können alles hacken. Dank Edward Snowden wissen wir das jetzt auch. Er sollte ruhig nach Hamburg kommen. In mein Hotel. Ich hab ihm da schon eine Suit im Atlantic Kempinski klar gemacht.

Sugarpop meets Sharon Dowsett

Biz Sugar Pop Fashion — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 21:12:00 +0000

As I already told you in my first post of the Make-up Show Europe I met the lovely Sharon Dowsett. After her show I waited for her and sat on a row of chairs with a nice swedish beauty blogger.

When Dowsett arrived I became really nervous. She looked fabulous in her black pencil skirt and her gorgeous Chanel jacket.

After my interview she embraced me and gave me cheek kisses.

Sugarpop (SP): What has changed concerning the day when you worked with Newton and Lindbergh and today?

Sharon Dowsett (SD): Everything’s digital! Everybody is photographing now – if you are on an interview they come up with iPad screens, digicams, cameras and so on and from every side it’s clicking, It’s not spontaneous anymore. Photographing with a film was more intimate. They were more chemistry between the model and the photographer. Today everything’s too controlled. I really miss the spontaneity.

SP: Who was your favorite photographer you worked with?

SD: Definitely Nick Knight! He’s a magician. He is passionate and puts lot of money for experimental pictures. But he also takes lots of pictures with digitals such as iPad and iPhone. You can see him running around with wide screens (laughs). And I made my first story with him. It was in the 1980s and in that story I had to make up women in the age between 50 and 100. Nick said: Just forget that they are older women. Just put on pink lip gloss or anything else you might think it could work!” And it really did work. It was great.

SP: What is you favorite product in your make-up kit?

SD: Mascara! You can do everything with it. You can shape the eye with mascara, use it as eyeliner. I do also have make-up remover with me and my favorite product is the M.A.C. lip conditioner.

SP: What is your personal trend for autumn/winter 2012/13? Do you have a trend?

SD: Oh, yes of course! Everything’s fairytale inspired such as seen in Snow White and the Huntsmen. Kirsten Stewart! Everything was kind of drifted. But my trend is always smokey eyes, color rejecting, metallic glitter.

Last but not least. What is beauty for you?

Confidence. Make-up gives you a lot of confidence. This morning I had no make-up on at the breakfast and then I put it on and was like “Here I am!”. It makes you feel beautiful and otherwise without make-up the world would be boring. If there weren’t clothes there were make-up.

Thank you so much!

Wie ich in meinem ersten Post berichtete, habe ich die wundervolle Sharon Dowsett getroffen. Nach ihrer Show habe ich auf sie gewartet. Ich saß in einer Stuhlreihe mit einer netten schwedischen Beauty-Bloggerin. Als Dowsett dann erschien, war ich wirklich aufgeregt. Sie sah fabelhaft aus in ihrem schwarzen Pencilskirt und der Chanel-Jacke.
Nach meinem Interview umarmte sie mich und gab mir Wangenküsse.

Sugarpop (SP): Was hat sich von damals mit Newton und Lindbergh zu heute geändert?

Sharon Dowsett (SD): Es ist alles digital geworden! Jeder fotografiert heutzutage. Wenn du ein Interview gibst, dann versammeln sich alle um dich und schießen Fotos mit iPads, Digicams oder Kameras und du hörst es von überallher klicken. Es ist nicht mehr spontan. Das Fotografieren mit einem Film war viel intimer. Zwischen dem Fotografen und dem Mode herrschte einfach mehr Chemie. Heute ist alles kontrolliert. Ich vermisse wirklich die Spontanität.

SP: Mit welchem Fotografen hast du am liebsten zusammengearbeitet?

SD: Definitiv mit Nick Knight. Er ist ein Magier! Er ist so passioniert und investiert auch viel Geld in experimentelle Bilder. Aber er schießt seine Bilder auch mit den digitalen Medien wie iPad und iPhone. Man kann ihn dann immer mit riesigen Bildschirmen rumrennen sehen (lacht). Und ich habe meine erste Story mit ihm gemacht. Damals in den 1980ern shootete er eine Story mit Frauen zwischen 50 und 100 Jahren. Nick sagte: ‘Vergiss einfach, dass es ältere Frauen sind. Trage ihnen pinken Lipgloss auf oder was auch immer du denkst, das es passen könnte.’ Und es hat gepasst. Es war großartig.

SP: Welches Lieblingsprodukt hast du in deiner Make-up Ausrüstung immer dabei?

SD: Mascara! Damit kann man alles machen. Die Augen umranden, sie als Eyeliner verwenden. Ich habe aber auch Make-up Remover dabei und mein Lieblingsprodukt ist der M.A.C. Lip conditioner.

SP: Hast du einen Trend für kommenden Herbst/Winter? Hast du überhaupt einen?

SD: Oh, ja, natürlich! Alles ist Märchen-inspiriert so wie in Snowwhite and the Huntsmen. Kirsten Stewart! Aber mein Trend liegt immer bei Smokey Eyes, Farbreduzierung und Metallic Glitter.

SP: Und zum Schluss: was bedeutet Beauty für dich?

SD: Selbstvertrauen. Make-up verleiht viel Selbstvertrauen. Heute morgen saß ich ungeschminkt beim Frühstück und als ich mein Make-up auflegte, fühlte ich mich wie “Hier bin ich!”. Außerdem lässt es einen schöner fühlen. Ohne Make-up wäre die Welt langweilig. Wenn es keine Kleidung gebe, gebe es eben Make-up.

Vielen Dank!

Sugarpop meets Spob O’Brien & David Horne by Illamasqua

Biz Sugar Pop Fashion — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:05:00 +0000

On the Make-up Europe Show I met Illamasqua’s Head of Professional Development, Spob O’Brien and the Director of the associated School of Make-Up Art, David Horne. As she appeared her lipstick popped up the whole area. Her long hair waves made her look really young and the glasses were more than flashy.

When I came up with my first question she suddenly apologized. “Oh, I am so sorry that I stare at you but your face – you are so beautiful. With your blue eyes, blond hair. What I could do with your face”, she went into rhapsodies.

Her partner David Horne was more reticently. The first thing I noticed was his fantastic necklace. I thought that it had been a McQueen but no – a Tatty Devine.

Sugarpop (SP): What is your beauty trend for autumn/winter 2012/2013?

Spob O’Brien (SOB): Some sense of glamour! Every woman has a different imagination of it but everybody wants to have a little bit glamour in life. We made a research for our customers and noticed that the glamour lied in the 1920s and 40s. First in the 1950s when the movie industry started to become big, the women wanted to have a little bit glamour in their lives, again. At last who doesn’t want to have some glamour in life (laughs)? And for me glamour can be only a piece, a pop of color or if you have lovely nails.

David Horne (DH): I think nails will get an immense attention in the following seasons. They will be colorful, bright, dark – but definitely remarkable.

SP: You already worked for famous movies such as The King’s Speech and Inception. Well, how was it?

SOB: Inception was the most exciting movie where I ever worked. Everything was a secret! The scripts had to be read in one room. Normally everybody gets a script and they can read it everywhere they want to, but here they had to stay in the room so that no media could ever reach only a single word or any idea of that movie. And for me it was a physically challenge because the actors were hanging upside down and I often had to climb up to refresh their make-ups. We made the movie in Canada, in the UK and in Paris. In Paris they had to block the whole street. That was so amazing!

SP: You are here now in Berlin. What do you think about the capital and what are the most differences between germans and other customers of yours?

DH: Well, I love Berlin because I lived here when I was 19. I lived near the Hermannplatz and there I decided to become a make-up artist! That’s why I left Berlin and moved back to London. But I really enjoyed living here because the people here are open-minded, very cosmopolitan. I also visited other cities in Germany. I had been to Munich, Hamburg, Cologne and so on but no city was like Berlin. I always say it’s the spaceship of Germany because they are not so much conservative like the other germans (laughs).

SP: And last but not least, what is beauty for you?

SOB: Confidence. It comes from the inner. How my granny used to say: Walk tall, smile and everybody will smile back to you.

DH: Feeling comfortable. If you like wearing something – fashion or make-up – you show it. If you love it it feels great and gives you so much energy.

Thank you very much for your time!

Auf der Make-up Europe Show habe ich also Head of Professional Development, Spob O’Brien und David Horne, den Director der zugehörigen School of Make-Up Art getroffen. Als sie auftauchte, fiel mir sofort ihre markant geschminkten Lippen ins Auge, die das gesamte Areal zu durchfluten schienen. Ihre lange Walle-Mähne machte sie deutlich jünger und ihre Brille war wirklich mehr als auffällig.
Als ich mit der ersten Frage begann, entschuldigte sie sich plötzlich. “Tut mir wirklich leid, wenn ich dich so anstarre, aber du bist so schön mit deinen blauen Augen, deinen blonden Haaren! Was würde ich alles mit deinem Gesicht machen!”. Sie kam regelrecht ins Schwärmen.
Ihr Partner David Horne war etwas zurückhaltender. Als erstes bemerkte ich seine fantastische Kette. Anfangs hielt ich sie für eine Schöpfung McQueens, aber in Wahrheit war sie von Tatty Devine.

Sugarpop: Was ist euch im Bereich Beauty wichtig für Herbst/Winter 2012/13?

Sbop O’Brien (SOB): Ein gewisses Maß an Glamour! Trotz unterschiedlicher Vorstellungen möchte jede Frau in ihrem Leben etwas Glamour. Bei unseren Produktforschungen habe ich festgestellt, dass die Hauptzeit des Glamours zwischen den 1920ern und 40ern lag. Erst in den 1950/60ern mit Aufkommen der Filmindustrie kam auch der Glamour zurück. Wer möchte kein Filmstar sein (lacht)? Glamour kann auch nur ein einziger Farbtupfer sein, wie entzückende Nägel.
David Horne (DH): Nägel werden auf jeden Fall an immenser Aufmerksamkeit in den kommenden Saisons gewinnen. Bunt, dunkel, grell – auf jeden Fall auffallend.

SP: Du hast schon für berühmte Filme wie “The King’s Speech” und “Inception” gearbeitet. Also, wie war es?
SOB: Inception war der aufregendste Film, an dem ich jemals mitgewirkt habe. Alles war ein riesiges Geheimnis. Zum Beispiel musste das Skript von den Schauspielern in einem Raum gelesen werden. Eigentlich können die Schauspieler ihre Skripte überall lesen, aber hier mussten sie in dem Raum bleiben, damit auch kein einziger Ton nach außen zu den Medien dringt. Für mich war es außerdem eine physische Herausforderung. Wenn die Schauspieler an den Sets herunter hingen, musste ich immer hochklettern, um ihr Make-up zu erneuern. Wir drehten in Kanada, Großbritannien und Paris. In Paris mussten sie sogar eine ganze Straße für den Dreh absperren. Das war so aufregend!

SP: Ihr seid hier in Berlin. Wie gefällt euch die Hauptstadt und was sind die größten Unterschiede zwischen euren deutschen und andern Kunden?

DH: Also, ich liebe Berlin, weil ich ja hier auch lebte als ich 19 war. Ich habe in der Nähe des Hermannplatzes gewohnt und auch dort habe ich auch entschieden ein Make-up Artist zu werden. Darum bin ich wieder zurück nach London gezogen. Aber ich habe es wirklich genossen hier zu wohnen. Die Leute sind offen, kosmopolitisch. Ich war natürlich auch in anderen deutschen Städten wie München, Hamburg, Köln und mehr aber keine war so wie Berlin. Ich sage ja immer, Berlin ist das Raumschiff Deutschlands, weil die Einwohner auch nicht so konservativ sind, wie die anderen Deutschen (lacht).

SP: Und nicht zuletzt: Was ist Beauty für euch?
DH: Wohlfühlen. Wenn du etwas gerne trägst (egal ob Mode oder Make-up), strahlst du es auch aus. Wenn du etwas liebst, fühlt es sich gut an und versorgt dich mit positiver Energie.
SOB: Selbstbewusstsein, das vom Inneren kommt. Mein Oma pflegte immer zu sagen: Geh gerade, Lächle und jeder wird zurück lächeln.

Vielen Dank für eure Zeit.