Women we love! Meet them and their extraordinary style, learn about their passion and story.

Kirsten Landwehr and her daughter Yuri will start us off. After 14 years as a stylist in Hamburg and London, Kirsten moved to Berlin with her husband and daughter in 2003. In 2008, they founded the Galerie für Moderne Fotografie, which focuses particularly on photography, both presenting the work of internationally established artists and discovering new photographic works, and also work by photographers of the former GDR.

Kirsten's husband is the restaurateur Stephan Landwehr who, amongst other things, owns the Berlin hot spots Grill Royal and Pauly Saal. They live together with Yuri in a former launderette in a back yard in Kreuzberg, where we visited them and asked for an interview.

The photos were taken by Kirsten’s old friend, the photographer Atlanta Rascher who recently moved from London to Berlin. Atlanta, who studied painting, has been working as an art director and consultant to fashion companies for more than two decades and since 2009 also works with her own unique photographs for magazines, art and industry clients. We love the photos she took of Kirsten and Yuri, and we are delighted that we managed to get her for our Women We Love.

 

Kirsten, you really wanted Atlanta to take your pictures. How do you know each other, and what do you like about her work?

We have known each other for ever, so to speak. At the time, I was working on the PARK magazine with Ralf Grauel, Anne Philippi and Sebastian Irrgang. Atlanta was already in London, and we worked together in that context. But we really got to know each other after I moved to London in 1999. She, Frank Leder and I (pregnant with Yuri) were an East London clique. We used to hang out with Frank in the studio near Kingsland Road. We did fashion, styling, performance and photos. That was my creative family.

I find Atlanta 's photography unique. Many people make comparisons with Teller or a female Tillmans. But that doesn’t do her justice, with all due respect for those two photographers. Atlanta's photos literally have a skewed perspective. They are totally contrary to her sensitive treatment of colour. Her models are beautiful in a different way, and incredibly vulnerable at the same time, never weak. You see, I'm a real fan. To me, she’s a real artist.

 
 

Kirsten: The Galerie für Moderne Fotografie belongs to you. What matters to you in your gallery, and how do you select your artists?

Authenticity, not to be confused with: Everything has to be real. That’s how I find the artists. I'm very intuitive, and sometimes I cannot describe why I like one and not the other. I'm told that my programme isn’t completely clear. That it has no concept. If my intuition isn’t concept enough, then I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, but I’m not going to change because of that.

Yuri: What does fashion mean to you, and what’s your favourite garment in your wardrobe?

Fashion means I can express myself and feel good. My current favourite is my Buffalos.

 

Both: What inspires you?

K: I have no idea, but that's a bit too general a question, because somehow, I'm always inspired by something. It might be a great wine or nature, or the garbage heap on the Oranienplatz. At the moment, and quite concretely and unexpectedly, Berlin’s rich theatre scene inspires me. Great performances in the Berliner Ensemble and the Schaubühne have made me long for more.

Y: Everything inspires me. You cannot not be inspired!

Both: What is not to be missed in Berlin?

Both: No idea haha, we miss so much and we really don’t mind. Seriously. There are so many great opportunities, and in the end, everyone knows best what they want. Ok, maybe one thing, and yes: it is outrageous self-promotion: Our favourite lunch is on the menu at Einstein on Unter den Linden at the moment.

Both: What's your favourite food?

We don’t have one. We love to try things.

Both: Where will your next trip take you?

South of France and Italy. We love Europe!

Both: Your perfect weekend?

Unanimous: our country home in Brandenburg is simply the best !!

Thank you. It was a pleasure to spend this colorful day with you.

 

Atlanta Rascher: atlantarascher.com

Galerie für Moderne Fotografie: galeriefuermodernefotografie.com

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