Studio183: Adieu monotony!
Katrina Ryback and Mark Hunt are two of those expats who contribute to the exciting mix that Berlin is renowned for all over the world. They both fell in love with the German capital, made it their home and, in return for welcoming them, decided to give it a shopping experience with a twist: Studio183 at Bikini Berlin.
If you try to picture Berlin’s creative class, an image of these two might just pop up in your mind’s eye. Katrina is half-Dutch, half-American, grew up in Salzburg and studied liberal arts and social sciences before turning her attention to fashion. Mark was born in London, came to Berlin in 2008 and shot image videos for the EU and various fashion labels as a photographer and filmmaker, which is how he discovered his love of fashion. Together they established the Studio183 store concept in 2014.
The creative energy between Katrina and Mark, instantly obvious during my visit to their store at Bikini Berlin, is infectious. And they have a clearly defined mission: “We pay close attention to the concept of the labels and only choose those that combine fashion, design and art,” says Katrina. “As we know and get on with our designers so well, we can give our customers a good overview and explain the prices. The customers are delighted to take away special items from Berlin which they know the story behind.”
And because there’s so much to discover inside Studio183, the store’s interior design is left understated: a few simple clothing rails on which the fashions can speak for themselves, white display blocks for the jewellery, a shelf for the interior items. The walls are adorned with art posters, which can be purchased, and there are a few minimal-looking plants positioned around the space. Otherwise the store is open and bright and gives customers plenty of room to look around at their leisure.
The labels you’ll find at Studio 183 include first collections by young designers, as well as established names: Steinrohner, Marcell von Berlin, Temper Berlin, Studio Gampe and Assembled Half, whose creations always fly off the shelves.
Basically, it’s always worth your while paying a visit to Katrina and Mark. But you should make sure you bring a little time and plenty of openness to new ideas – because what you’ll find here goes beyond the realm of ‘off-the-peg’ fashion.
