Fashion is finally squeezing itself into our little city with a big attitude and we are very happy and proud to be a part of it. It’s coming to us in the form of an award and the name is FRANK! My favorite designer and friend, Albrecht Ollendiek and I will be members of the jury, selecting the finalists that will be announced at the gala event on September 23rd, 2016.
What, or better, who the hell is FRANK? This is the new name given to the Frankfurt Style Award, which takes place every year in our city. This talent contest encourages fashion design students from all over the world to send in their spectacular creations, in order to win the best FRANK award. This year, we had applications from Germany, China, Italy, Ireland, Singapore, Israel, Poland, USA, India, France, Portugal, Spain, Finland, Indonesia, Russia and many more countries! Over the last few years, the Frankfurt Style Award has gained a large popularity, and this year the gala will take place at the beautiful Alte Oper building, in the heart of Frankfurt.
I cannot express how excited I am to be part of the jury for FRANK! I’m always happy when young designers get a chance to show their visions to the world and make a difference in the fashion scene, not to mention get a great opportunity to produce their first collection!
Last week I met with Albrecht Ollendiek and asked him a few questions:
Gali: What was your first fashion inspiration?
Albrecht: Old Vogue Magazines when I was 8
Gali: What do you love about fashion?
Albrecht: Being completely free and independent
Gali: What inspires you now?
Albrecht: The old spirit of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the drag Make Up of Make Up Artist Miss Fame
Gali: What are your future goals?
Albrecht: Keeping on working for and with great people
Gali: How do you feel about being a jury member of FRANK?
Albrecht: Proud
In my opinion, Albrecht is one of the finest couturiers in Germany. His exclusive visions and creations are some of the most unique that I have seen and are definitely an inspiration for me. Albrecht says that his style is characterized by a quiet, deliberately unspectacular luxury. No “In” or “Out”, but rather a continuous and perpetual metamorphosis of his special handwriting. His fashion philosophy is, “It’s not what you wear but how you wear it.”
Aside from Albrecht Ollendiek and myself, there are a few more renowned members of the jury, such as Duncan Liu, fashion designer and expert from China, René Lang, Angelica Kaminsky, CEO und Founder of The Haute Future Fashion Academy in Milan. Last but not least, a guest of honor from France, Dominique Deroche, who served as right hand to Yves Saint Laurent for over 40 years and currently acts as representative of the Foundation Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent.
When asked about the Frankfurt Style Award, Dominique Deroche answered, “Frankfurt Style Award is a fantastic opportunity for international talents at the beginning of their ambitious career path. Having worked closely together with Yves Saint Laurent for more than 40 years, I know that he would appreciate my engagement in this International Talent Contest for Fashion & Design.”
I, as well as the other jury members, am beyond thrilled for this exciting upcoming event. I will wear a fabulous gown designed by Albrecht Ollendiek, and will blog live videos and photos from the event gala for you on my Instagram and Facebook pages. Keep an eye out for my posts at: www.instagram.com/galiabrener & www.facebook.com/galiabrener
Have a lovely weekend,
Your Gali
I am wearing all Albrecht Ollendiek designs in the photos.
