Interviews |December 1, 2022

From the Seine to the Rhine

Fashion designer Stephanie Hahn has her hands full. In addition to her own collection 22/4_HOMMES_FEMMES, she also runs the multi-label concept store Live Lab Studios in Unterbilk. Hahn offers carefully selected fashion from international labels, as well as selected interior design objects, jewelry and cosmetics, flanked by her own designs. Until five years ago, her brand was based in Paris and she herself commuted between the Rhine and the Seine. Now, however, Stephanie Hahn is once again focusing entirely on Düsseldorf. The Rhinelander explains why in an interview.

Stephanie, what does Düsseldorf mean to you?

For me, Düsseldorf first and foremost stands for home. A large part of my family lives here, I grew up here and went to school here. I really like the size of the city. In Paris or Berlin, you often have to plan 45 minutes for the commute. In Düsseldorf it's 20 minutes at most. And yet I have everything here that makes an international metropolis. Just think of the fashion: Hermès, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany - everything that many tourists travel to Paris for.

"Time is the greatest good for me"

And apart from the Kö and Co. - what else makes Düsseldorf stand out?

The large river in the middle of the city conveys an almost rural idyll. Pack a picnic basket and head to the Niederkassl Rhine meadows. Then you are in the middle of the city, right in the middle of nature. And then there's the high density of art and cultural institutions. In what other city can you experience so many different things in one day? Not to mention the international airport, which is so close to the city center and only fifteen minutes away. Time is the most precious commodity for me and I enjoy the fact that I need so little time to get from A to B here. I am simply much more productive in Düsseldorf.

Are you also attached to Düsseldorf traditions?

Yes, I like the brewery culture in the old town. When we were kids, our parents used to meet up with friends at the brewery at the weekends and we kids would run around the old town. That was great. If you're not from here, you notice it even more: Düsseldorfers go out at the first ray of sunshine and enjoy their lives.

"Kraftwerk was not founded here for nothing"

What has shaped you culturally?

Clearly Düsseldorf's music and art past. Kraftwerk wasn't founded here for nothing. There are and always have been very exciting influences here. Some may remember: In the Mata-Hari-Passage you could get platform shoes up to size 45 back in the 80s, the owner of the café there always walked around with a parrot on his shoulder and the record store was legendary - just like the Salon des Amateurs today, which started out as an art project. Or a place like Bar Olio, which has been around for decades and has managed to retain its charm even though everything around it has changed.

You opened your Live Lab Studios concept store in the coronavirus year 2020. Wouldn't you have found more of an audience for such a specially curated selection of products as the interior design objects by Dirk van der Koij in Paris, where your brand was based until 2017?

It was clear to me from the start that I only wanted to realize Live Lab Studios in Düsseldorf. I sense a new energy and diversity here, I see lots of people who have good ideas and turn these ideas into exciting projects. And there is also a willingness on the part of the city to do something. Establishing something far removed from the mainstream in Düsseldorf, creating a new shopping experience, seemed very appealing to me. Especially as Düsseldorf has a reputation among many for being rather conventional and a concept like mine is more unexpected and positively surprising here than perhaps in cities like Paris or Berlin. In addition, the competition is of course not as fierce as in these cities. If you take an unconventional approach here, you simply stand out more and are often received with enthusiasm.

You also wanted to create a cultural space.

Yes, we are involved in the strike a pose festival, for example, and in recent weeks we have offered a workshop on the topic of how language influences our perception of gender roles. We are also an off-location of the DC Open, the annual gallery tour in Düsseldorf and Cologne, and exhibit students from the art academy. All of this is part of my concept.

Is Düsseldorf a fashion city?

That's not so easy for me to answer. Of course, there is a tradition of large showrooms here, so yes! But I would like to see the avant-garde fashion scene here grow even further and discover and make use of the interesting opportunities that Düsseldorf offers as a location. I sense that consumers are ready for new, independent labels.

What has particularly inspired you in recent months?

The Ando Future Studios. A group of young designers and artists have come together there. A collective that quickly realized that they could achieve more together.

Where do you go when you're not working?

My favorite place to walk with my dog is along the Rhine, between Oberkassel and Heerdt. I love the Langen Foundation, not least for the magnificent architecture by Tadao Ando. I find peace and quiet there. My favorite restaurant is Polis on Dominikanerstraße, which belongs to the cult gyros snack bar Akro, but is a real Greek restaurant with very authentic, fresh cuisine. It's always very lively there and you meet God and the world!