Angelika Taschen (Kunst)

*****
Publisher of Ideas. Berlin

If you’re looking for a guide on how to dress for a trip to Berlin, just ask Angelika Taschen; after all, she just finished writing (and publishing!) a book on it. “After the fall of the wall, Berlin developed its own identity, which you will not find or see anywhere else in the world,” she told us.

When we found ourselves in Berlin during our recent CoveTour De Europe, we knew there was one particular lady we had to track down. Taschen’s love for books rivals that of Matilda: her collection is considerably comparable to that of the New York Public Library or something… okay, not really. But you get the point, right? Taschen, who once lived in the famed Chemosphere House in L.A. (Google it!), is no stranger to interesting interiors. Though her home has a long history and heritage, it’s the narrative inside Taschen’s abode – colorful furniture, bone-chilling art installations and futuristic details – that tell a very different story. We were welcomed with a boiling pot of tea and quickly got to chatting about Taschen’s love for literature.

“I couldn’t pick just one favorite book in 25 years of editing and publishing,” she confessed. “I have worked on books with great artists such as Juergen Teller, Martin Kippenberger, Georg Baselitz and Jeff Koons, among others. There were always the ones that were the most exciting to work on, and where I learned the most. I even did a photo book with Karl Lagerfeld!”

And she’ll school you when it comes to fashion 101. Taschen’s closet reads like an archive of designer’s past; among the pieces are a crisp camel coat from Pheobe Philo’s premier collection for Céline and a pair of ruby red, Lucite wedges - original Margielas, thank you very much. Just like a textbook, Taschen quickly turned into our resident guide for all things food and fashion in Berlin: Where to shop, where to dine, etc. In fact, when Stephanie fell hard for Taschen’s top, – a striped, perforated long-sleeve by Berlin-based designer, Lala – she gave her explicit directions as to where to buy it. And, yes, we totally took a slight detour post-shoot to make said impulsive purchase. Hey, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

http://www.thecoveteur.com/angelika_taschen