Our columnist was part of the jury of the Frankfurt Style Award. Last weekend the Gala took place at the Alte Oper. Read here who won – and what it was like to choose among many talented fashion designers.

I was very excited and flattered to get a call from the Public Relations Partners a few months ago. They invited me to be part of the jury for the Frankfurt Style Award and that was a huge honor for me! It took months and months of preparation and finally the big day had arrived. On Friday September 23rd, the Gala took place at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt. I woke up this day like a child on Christmas, eager to unpack my presents!

My day started at 10am, when all the jury members gathered together to pick out the 11 winners for the final Frank award. My dear friend Albrecht Ollendiek, also the genius couturier who designed my gown, picked me up from home and we made our way to the old opera building in the heart of Frankfurt. As we arrived, the preparations were in full swing and we were shown to our seats. A few places to our left, sat the wonderful Dominique Deroche, representative of the Foundation Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent, the stonewashed jeans master himself, Mr. François Girbaud, along with René Lang and others! I was very thrilled to be a part of this elite fashion jury, knowing all of their amazing achievements.

We were lucky to get a glimpse of the top 60 designs before the big show. We took our sweet and necessary time to choose the 11 winners. After all, there were so many beautiful designs, therefore it was really tough to chose the Crème de la crème. After the selection process, I got a chance to meet Mr. Girbaud and tell him about my jeans obsession in the 90s. I remember my friends spending their last pennies on François Girbaud’s cool creations. They are everlasting and will always be in style. We chatted a bit, took some photos and ate a lovely lunch together.

The elegant Mrs. Sevgi Schäfer, owner of the Famous Face Academy was also part of the jury. She took me backstage and told her team take care of me and give me dramatic and unforgettable makeup, and so they did! I got a beautiful composition of smoky-blue eyes and nude lips, with an elegant vintage hairstyle. The excitement was building up and there were only a few hours left before the gala event that evening! After the fabulous and fun afternoon at the Alte Oper, I made my way home to rest for a few hours before the action started! I closed my eyes for a bit, drifting off to a land far away. I actually dreamt of the gala before it even started.

As the doorbell rang, I opened my eyes and Albrecht was there. He dressed me in his amazing baroque creation and we were ready to walk on the red carpet. When we arrived, the press was already there. Many cameras were flashing all around the Alte Oper, eager to capture the celebs and models arriving. We made our way into the building and were greeted with a cold glass of champagne. The lovely team from the Public Relations Partners was already there, making the guests feel welcomed and happy. It was lovely to see so many new and familiar faces. There were guests from all over the world at this fabulous event.

The show bell rang and we were ushered into the large hall. Albrecht and I sat directly beside the stage, together with the other jury members. We were all anticipating the show. The lights dimmed and the presentation began, moderated by Anke Seeling. The partner country for this year was China, so we got a chance to experience some amazing Chinese performers and the new collection of the famous designer Duncan Liu.

The time came to announce the winners! All the models walked out for each of the three categories, so that the audience could see the entire selection and fashion shows, directed by Tyrown Vincent. Each winner was announced and called onto the stage. They received many presents, such as a scholarship to the Haute Future Fashion Academy Milano, trips to Paris, Dubai, Shanghai, exclusive bags by Coco Bont, cash prizes and more! However, the most important prize was reserved for the first place winners of each category, who received the exclusive Frank®-The Trophy! I was very excited to present the Public Choice Award this year. (The complete list of winners is included at the bottom of the article).

After the fashion shows were over, we met with the press again for photos and had a lovely dinner in the glamorous opera building. Antenne Frankfurt build a cool DJ Stage on the second floor and people were starting to hit the dance floor. The champagne was flowing and the mood was perfect for a big night out. I was still very excited from the eventful and happy day. It was a very lovely and successful evening for the Frankfurt Style Award this year. We stayed and danced the night away. Many people were talking about this event for days after!

Thank you dear Public Relations Partners and especially Hannemie Stitz-Krämer, Gloria Kretzer and Gabriele Wehle and the rest of the team for having me on your jury this year. It was a real honor for me!

More photos can be seen here...



The winners are...

Outstanding Talent:
Alexander Tverdovski, “Mikro-Kosmos” (FAHMODA Akademie für Mode und Design, Hannover/Germany

Kim K. vs. Frida K.:
1st place: Karina Reiner, “Take Frida out of Kim” (Modeschule Brigitte Kehrer, Mannheim/Germany)
2nd place: Daniel Nawi, “My Pink Room” (Shenkar College, Ramat Gan/Israel)
3rd place: Regina Lukito, “Silent Mask” (Raffles Design Institute, Singapur)



Bronx vs. Boulevard:
1st place: Raili Auraskari, “Brod N Rude” (Kymenlaakso University, Kuovola/Finland)
2nd place: Simone La Bella, “Invite” (NABA, Mailand/Italien)
3rd place: Martha Hieronymi, “Consume” (FAHMODA Akademie für Mode und Design, Hannover/Deutschland)

Orient vs. Occident:
1st place: Mona Homm, “Metanoia – Changing one`s Mind” (FAHMODA Akademie für Mode und Design, Hanover/Germany)
2nd place: Anna Schmid, “Geographical Harmony” (Modeschule Brigitte Kehrer, Stuttgart/Deutschland)
3rd place: Leoni Dittert, “Striped Revolution” (Frankfurter Schule für Bekleidung und Mode, Frankfurt/Deutschland)


Public Choice Award:
Daniel Nawi, “My Pink Room” (Shenkar College, Ramat Gan/Israel)