Overcoming your inner sloth with a monster? It could work if you’re walking on clouds, I’d say. And that’s where the Cloudmonster 2 comes in: It wants to take you over the asphalt like a cloud. That’s exactly what On set out to do in 2010. But I can testify that the shoes also take you to the fifth floor of an old building pretty well. Bouncy! After a decade and a half, the idea of a new type of running shoe has become a global player in the sportswear and lifestyle sector – with a worldwide presence and success. And now proud Berliners too, as the first store in Germany opened here on 14.03.2024. The “On Community Store” is practically in the middle of Mitte at the subway station Weinmeisterstraße and is the place to go on two floors for anyone looking for the right equipment for their next run. In addition to the aforementioned Cloudmonster 2 – with neon orange accents, for example – there are also matching outfits from head (caps) to toe (socks) and all body parts in between. Color-coordinated, if you like. While everything to do with running products can be found on the first floor, On has also planned space for events in the basement, in addition to the focus on trail running, training, all-day performance and tennis. Because sport can be perfect me-time, but also social time in the best and most genuine sense.
That’s why On also hosts its own Run Club, which now has a permanent venue here. It is hosted by On Ambassador Björn Menges and starts every Thursday at 18h30, with more community-driven events to follow. At the opening, there was already a foretaste of this with its own T-shirt print station. But if you want to have your very own moment with On first, to get to know the brand: at the silver Magic Walls, you can discover the different shoes, try them on and find your perfect fit – whether for the office run, everyday walk or trail run (then with a waterproof upper). Once you have your shoe of choice on your feet, the only thing missing might be the tunes in your ears. But the On Team has taken care of that too: Jayda G., a Grammy-nominated DJ, producer and environmental toxicologist, has teamed up with a team of neuroscientists from London’s Kinda Studios. The result is this track that will hopefully take your brain to the next level. So listen to it and get used to walking on clouds in the future.
Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Joe Clark/On, Robyn Steffen, Shirin Esione
On, Neue Schönhauser Str.19, 10178 Berlin; map
Mon–Sat 11-19h
@on
Since the very beginning, 2024 has been all about clarity and simplicity for us. That’s why we now drink water from our water station here in the Cee Cee Studio — a solution specially designed for offices and restaurants by Berlin-based company Leogant. Founded in 2009 by Thomas Hartwig, Leogant is a certified B-Corp — in other words, it’s a company that takes sustainability seriously and meets specified criteria, from the use of green electricity to CO2 avoidance. Above all, Leogant represents an elegant solution for water filters and water treatment for offices, homes and creative spaces of all kinds. The company calls its water treatment “close to nature” and this is one of its unique selling points. For us, however, it is above all a beautifully designed solution. Our station fits perfectly into our sleek black kitchen unit. But what do appearances matter if the taste isn’t right? With Leogant, we’re afforded the luxury of both! And that’s how Leogant water makes our tea and coffee taste a lot better. After all, Berlin’s tap water is a bit of a hard case, as we know… The trigger for us to switch from mineral water to Leogant was also one of convenience. Ordering the right amount of water at the right time from the delivery services isn’t always easy. But it’s not just the added tasks of calculating and ordering that have been eliminated, but collecting the half-empty bottles from the office desks. Now every studio member fills up exactly what they want to drink. With sparkling, cold or pure room-temperature water. Not to mention an unexpected perk of the Leogant water station: We now not only meet at the coffee machine but also at the water station for a little chat. In other words, we get up more often, so we keep moving. And as we all know, moving is good for your back, eyes and team spirit. Cheers to a sip of freshly filtered water!
Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Sophie Doering
Leogant, Linienstr.56, 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map
@leogant.official
If you appreciate Berlin’s vintage scene but need a break from digging through endless boxes, then you might be interested in Tinker and Borrow, a vintage shop (and more) that opened last summer in Gesundbrunnen. I stopped in one day to browse and ended up chatting with the friendly owner, Sabrina. Maybe we just have shared taste, but I like the way the store feels: an aesthetic curation of vintage, handmade, and upcycled; a cozy ambiance that doesn’t feel pretentious or exclusive. Also cool: Tinker and Borrow is more than just a nice-looking store where you can buy pretty things. Sabrina places a big focus on community and knowledge sharing, and the store regularly hosts open events ranging from upcycling workshops to literary readings to knitting club meetups. It’s an eclectic mix, and that’s a good thing. It means there’s likely something perfect for you.
Luke Johnson has been living in Wedding since 2017 as a photographer and aspiring naturalist. He recently completed a master’s degree in natural resource management at the Humboldt University of Berlin and is currently seeking a job in nature conservation.
Text & Photos: Luke Johnson
Tinker and Borrow, Martin-Opitz-Str.21, 13357 Berlin–Gesundbrunnen; map
@tinkerandborrow
@luke________johnson
Fewer and fewer stores feel soulful. And those that do — emanating a sense of coziness and calm — tend to be hyper-traditional. Many store openings may hold the spectacle of the new, but few succeed in having a long-lasting, meaningful impact on visitors. A week ago, the new Highsnobiety flagship store on Unter den Linden did exactly that. Since its inception more than ten years ago, this is Highsnobiety’s first physical store. The global fashion and media brand, which could just as easily be called “Hypesociety”, often sells out of its collaborative online drops in a matter of hours. Transferring this concept to the analog world isn’t without risk. But the location manages the balancing act: from street style to luxury, from underground to classic, from the founding era to industry, from spectacle to tradition. The store is intended to function as a filter and become a place of pilgrimage for the fashion and trend-conscious. Jil Sander, Margiela, Lemaire, Jean-Paul Gaultier — the list of labels read mature and set the tone. Find regular events, daring collaborations, and fresh drops on one hand, and subtly interested clientele on the other.
The store’s un-doubtable success is also due to the space. Designed by architecture studio Vaust and in-house designers, the result is a store-like monument. The existing concrete floor has been painstakingly restored with elaborate sanding and terrazzo additions. The walls were partially left with the original tiles, and filigree shelves were cut into the clinker brick. Curved steel mixes with historic mesh glass, mirrors, and aerated concrete. The whole thing is executed with breathtaking attention to detail by the Berlin insider tip agency Hennecke Associates, who also came up with the idea of the concrete-look-paper which covers both the ceiling and walls and swallows 95% sound. The subtle relaxation found here immediately absorbs the stress of the big city. Noisy tourists, demanding push notifications, and pressing deadlines disappear as if by magic into the cracks in the sprayed-on ceiling surface. And you can simply enjoy some leisure time — to smell fragrances, touch luxurious fabrics, and leaf through art books. It’s immediately clear that the new Highsnobiety store couldn’t exist anywhere else but here: On the most famous and traditional boulevard in Germany.
Text: Rosa Weiland / Photos: Highsnobiety
Highsnobiety Flagship Store, Unter den Linden 40, 10117 Berlin–Mitte; map
@highsnobiety
In 2005 I was in the midst of my teenage years. Y2k fashion was trending for the first time. I learned exactly what was in-trend from the senior girls at my high school and fashion magazines (printed on actual paper) targeted at an adult readership. At least that’s what it seemed like, although I didn’t know a single grown-up woman who read such magazines. What I learned in those magazines was not only the latest “styles” but also the language to describe them correctly. The words “key piece,” “basics,” and “boyfriend look” were particularly enlightening. When I read them I could clearly imagine a future life — a life full of romance, personal income, and a neatly organized closet. Over the years, I came to realize that successfully finding such pieces is as complicated as successfully mastering love, a career and a tidy wardrobe. But when I did succeed, it was usually accompanied by ecstatic feelings of happiness. The small Berlin label Oftt evokes such feelings. Founded by designer Ashley Marc Hovelle, Oftt is located in a small store on the northern edge of Oderberger Straße. The store is simple and cozy, and the collection is small. Every style can be worn with each other, a concept often pursued and failed by brands, but it works here. All cuts are designed for male bodies, but most pieces make perfect unisex looks. All materials are GOTS-certified, meaning the cotton is organic and grown with rainwater. The colors are simple yet incredibly beautiful — from the anthrazite vegan silk bomber jacket (cotton-based) to the pastel linen shorts,, the materials are thick, high-quality and well-made. Production takes place within Europe, in Portugal and Germany. Novelle knows the producers personally, and many of his customers. He often works in the store himself, offering advice and talking with warmth and laughter. He sold me a pair of jeans in January and since then, I’ve only taken them off to wash them.
Text: Hilka Dirks / Fotos: Soeren Jepsen
Oftt World, Oderberger Str.37, 10435 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map
Tues–Fri 14–19h & Sat 14–18h
@ofttworld