The Danettes: Places to go

When I first visited the Blush Dessous store in Berlin a couple of years ago I fell in love completely!

The shop is almost overwhelming: black curtains, thick silk, baby doll dresses, a huge bed in the middle, a black panther and lots of gorgeous underwear and dessous - clothes you want to wear to bed which make you look like Krystle from Dynasty or a movie star from the past.

The atmosphere made me feel right at home. I wanted to wear everything in the store, lie on the bed eating chocolate and never leave again!

In the years since my first visit I´ve been collecting stuff from this - my all time favorite shop in Berlin - including fantastic underwear, my purple silk wedding dress, a black catsuit, a blue gown I got from my husband, silk sleeping masks, a soft pyjamas and a see through black flanel blouse that I can´t wait to wear again when the weather is getting better. My love for these designs know no boundaries, and I will buy more and more and more of them whenever fate and finances allow it.

Today I met Claudia Kleinert the owner of Blush Dessous and designer of Blush for a talk about the shop and all the stuff that makes a woman´s world so gorgeous!

Take a look at the pictures and read the interview below!

1) When did the shop open?

CK: It opened in 2001 the day before 9/11 (!) First I had a smaller shop at Alte Schönhauser Strasse before it was a known shopping street as it is now! Then I moved to Rosa-Luxemburg Str. 22 where the shop is now.

2) How did you get the idea for the shop?

CK: I had spent eight years in the fashion industry designing sportswear among other things. After having my two first children and moving from Frankfurt to Berlin, I realized it was time for a change, and I decided to open the shop. A lot of people thought I was crazy because of the location of the shop and it´s unconventional, non conservative style, which was totally unheard of in Germany in those days. Some people almost treated me as if I had started a punk rock band instead of going to work, but I was certain that the designs I had in mind would answer many a woman´s prayer and sure enough women responded positively almost immediately.

I´ve always loved the movie The Women by George Cukor starring Joan Crawford and seven other extremely well dressed women. It is a romantic comedy and I loved the way they dressed, went to the hairdresser and had their manicure done. The movie creates a very feminine and inspiring image of a woman´s life, and to this day it is still a great inspiration.

Then I noticed things like how my girlfriends were using T-shirts as night gowns and it made me want to create something that looked sexy, old fashioned and movie star-esque and was comfortable at the same time. Something you could wear before going to bed - and in bed!

3) What is the shop´s philosophy?

CK: I wanted to create a feminine and sexy world for women created by women instead of men. I wanted to dress women as sex subjects instead of sex objects!

4) How would you describe the shop´s universe in three words?

CK: Gold, purple & sexy!

5) Tell me about your own designs?

CK: I always try to design clothes that women need and want. I´m in my own shop several days a week, I am therefore in close contact with the customers and try to read their needs - I want women to feel comfortable in my clothes!

6) How do you chose which other labels to sell in your shop? (The shop has La Perla, Huit, Bluemarine, Missoni among others)

CK: I select nice quality stuff instead of going after the big labels. My motto is to go after "The Intelligent Dekoriert"! That means nice fabrics, great laces and stuff with great details. It actually can be very difficult to find!

7) Tell me about Balls - the men´s department in the shop

CK: I opened the mens department in 2007. Now the boyfriends also have a place to go when they come to the shop with their girlfriends! I try to maintain a classic style, inspired by the fifties and sixties. The shop has a crazy name, but it sells classic stuff.

8) What are your dreams for the shop´s future?

CK: I want to expand the business so that all women have acces to my designs and clothes. Not only women in the city but also women in the countryside and other countries than Germany (Now the Blush design is also sold to 15 shops in Germany and in Italy and the Danish shop Tekinoktay Finest Lingerie)

Thanks Claudia! and I can only say one thing: don´t miss out on the shop if you come to Berlin!! If it changed my life it can change yours too :-)

Later! Lady L

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