Welcome to the Flamingos on Rainbows party, where the cocktails are iconic, the fashion is fantastical, and the vibe is pure technicolor joy. I’m sitting in a bathroom drenched in a rainbow of light, the walls awash in vivid colors like a dreamscape of prisms and magic.
The air hums with laughter, and yes—those are flamingos! These fabulous pink creatures are my party companions, elegantly flouncing around as I twirl with a delicate Chinese paper umbrella in hand, ready to turn every corner into a whimsical runway.
My outfit is a pink explosion from head to toe. I’m a walking cocktail—Tequila Sunrise meets Cosmopolitan, but with even more flair and fun. The flamingos are the perfect partners in crime for this look, their flamboyant pink feathers swirling around me like a celebration of joy.
And the bathroom? Oh, it’s not just a space, it’s a rainbow wonderland. Each color catches the eye like a sip of a fresh mojito—zesty, energizing, and utterly refreshing. Every inch of this space makes you feel alive, a bold reminder that life should always be lived in full color.
Like a Piña Colada on a tropical island, this moment is pure delight, mixing fun with a splash of retro glamour. Theflamingos are my Jack Daniels on ice—cool, confident, and owning the scene.
I am honoured to be the face of Swiss hat manufacturer Risa. This is what they say about me in their catalogue:
Sara – an explosion of colour with glitter and sprinkles. Born in Appenzell, Sara Streule came into contact with colours at an early age. Her parents’ house, with its light blue façade, inspired her from an early age, as did various places such as an orange-coloured brick house in London. Sara found her home in Zurich. Colourful, whimsical, multi-layered and extremely creative, Sara lives and loves her life in the lovingly named ‘Pastel Palace’. As a creative director and model, Sara is not just an unparalleled work of art but also a muse who inspires with her ability to combine contrasts and colours with a twinkle in her eye. She is our muse for the 2024 summer campaign. We find it simply colour-tastic!
Flying cars? Beaming devices? Food from tubes? Science fiction is full of dreams about the future, but what will my year 2070 be like?
I will be an old lady with wrinkled skin if I am still alive in 2070. Thanks to my vegan, relatively healthy lifestyle and my discipline when it comes to attending my pilates lessons and saying no to addictions all my life, my chances are good that I will be fine.
I won’t fly to the moon or relocate to Mars, but I may have become something like an Iris Apfel of my generation. I will still have pink hair and keep my passion for colours and style. My wardrobe will be a tapestry of memories from all my travels and many years on earth. Whenever somebody asks after a bangle or a jacket, I will have a thrilling story of how I came to this piece, and it will not involve any commercial chains.
Since I will not have grandchildren, I might bother other young people with stories from my wild past, whether they want to listen or not. I might play my age and ignore the fact that they are not interested, and I will show them the crazy pictures I took when I was younger.
Born as a storyteller many years ago, I will have had the time to write my book till now, and hopefully, I did find a publisher. There was an exhibition about me and my style in London, and I put an effort into it, putting all the misfit pieces of my life together.
Hopefully, I will accept, if not embrace, the signs of time my body will carry and be proud of the journey of my body’s changes documented in photography. If some photographers were still willing to take my picture, I would not miss the camera lights, even if my pose might have become slightly less adventurous. I want to inspire and be a positive role model of age. Who needs a flying car when they can have this…
Feminist artist and photographer Iris Brosch says that all women are Madonnas and intends to add representations of diverse women to public spaces. The Black Madonna project asks for a redefinition and reposition of females in our society. I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it in a Tableau Vivant installation.
The Black Madonna in Einsiedeln represents a paradoxical reality: She attracts millions of admirers, believers and pilgrims who face her in devotion. But what about the admiration and validation of womanhood in society? While the Black Madonna is a spiritual success, especially women of colour are still vastly underrepresented in the political and cultural realm.
The Black Madonna project intends to show the power of womanhood. The diverse cast shows the fluidity in spiritual experience.
Black Madonnas are found worldwide, between 400 and 500 in European churches and shrines. A very famous one is the one in Einsiedeln, which has been the reason for controversial debates about why her skin was black.
Minuki is taking over with a friendly, fluffy invasion. The little blue creatures with its big eyes, heart-shaped noses and arms wide open are always ready for a cuddle.
Minuki was dreamed by the mind of Taina, a Swiss-Finnish street-art artist whose mission is to make the world a more colourful place. This is something Taina and I have in common: We try to fill the world with more colour and cuteness found in our imagination. I knew Taina’s art on walls of the city before I finally met the girl behind it and long before we joined forces. If you remember the cover picture of 1999’s movie “American Beauty”, then you can imagine how our talk went: “You know, just like that, just a bath in Minukis instead of rose petals.” Roses have thorns, Minukis not, so its quite an upgrade.
And what was just a faint idea became real: On a foggy Saturday in Saint Gall, a bus full of Minukis arrived at the studio of photographer Daniela Bologna, maybe the happiest blue ocean ever. I just couldn’t wait for a second longer to jump into this pool full of cuteness as soon as the set was ready.
Minuki is proof that monsters don’t have to be frightening and nasty. They may look different to humans. They might have a big belly, but they don’t mean any harm but just want to cuddle. Like me, like you, like all of us (even the strange humans who would never agree). So if you are already frightened about all those Valentine’s Day ads, just like I: Maybe a Minuki can be your date this year? He is no drama, no fights and doesn’t cheat on you, blue love is powerful and true.
Minuki is designed by Taina and can be bought at Unuh
Pictures: Daniela Bologna Produced with the help of Greta Schoop (who is on one picture as a model too)
Frida Kahlo has landed in Zurich with a fabulous immersive experience at the new MAAG Light Hall. This world premiere brings the powerful work of the Mexican artist to Switzerland, presented using high-performance video projection and light acoustic effects.
Since I was a teenager I was fascinated by Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and her surrealistic art. For me, Frida is an immense source of inspiration with her self-portraits and as well a symbol of resilience. Her life was not easy, being in constant pain after a terrible bus accident when she was 18 and giving her heart to a man which whom she had a very turbulent relationship didn’t make it any easier.
But despite all the pain, grief and sadness she experienced, she didn’t stop to create and paint, the opposite: She made suffering an art. Very often Frida even painted in bed and her work became a kind of medicine. The total of her paintings is 144 and 55 of them are self-portraits.
During her lifetime she was in the shadow of her artist husband Diego Riviera, although Frida claimed in her diary that she never could have endured her painful existence without his love, he was in a certain sense the second tragic accident in her life. He had numerous affairs, even one with Frida’s sister and the Stern magazine describes their marriage as an “unholy symbiosis between an elephant and a dove”. Besides art, they also shared a passion for communism and an unhealthy lifestyle with alcohol and drug abuse.
It wasn’t until one year before her death, that Frida had her first and only solo exhibition. However, by the time it happened she was already so sick that she had to be carried in her bed to the opening. Frida became only after her death the most well known Latin American painter and an icon of the feminist movement. The Hollywood movie about Frida’s life starring Salma Hayek in the main role in 2002 gave Frida’s popularity another boost.
I couldn’t have been happier when I heard that The MAAG Light Hall would be showing Frida Kahlo’s work as an immersive experience. This venue is Switzerland’s first permanent museum to show only immersive exhibitions. Frida is the first artist they show and I was not disappointed at all. The opening was a blast with Mariachi music, drinks but mostly: A journey into the exotic world of my beloved Frida full of colours and strong symbolism. I can truly recommend this exhibition and I am curious myself which other outstanding artists will be shown at the MAAG Light Hall in the future.
The exhibition is on from now till 2.1.2022 at MAAG Light Hall in Zurich. Find out more here and book your tickets: vivafridakahlo.ch
Rebellion is on my mind while I dance in a red sea. Rebellion is an aggressive word, but I tell you one thing: I am rebellion, head to toe, but a different kind than you might imagine. Maybe the Troyan horse of rebellion.
If you browse through history, one thing gets clear: rebellion was often the start of something new that was necessary and good. Rebellion has a price, and often it brings a trail of destruction, riots or even blood. Rebels are put in jail, they are the heroes of rock hymns and movies, and they polarise. Are they villains or heroes or even both at the same time?
Youth is often closely connected to rebellion, seeing the world with different eyes, standing up against the system, and demanding change. Like David screaming at Goliath, “I don’t want to live in the world you imagined no more; it’s a poisoned world, I want to create my own world”.
This year, the place where this shoot took place has seen rebellion too. The red square in Saint Gall, designed by world-famous artist Pipilotti Rist became the centre of youth riots. They were protesting against the governments’ corona measures. So loud and angry were their shouts, expressing feelings of being betrayed and bored, demanding their freedom and right to party.
I still wonder why they chose the red square as the centre of their riots. Is there a connection to red being the most aggressive colour? Did they act like bulls charging when the matador waves his small red cape? I can’t say. Maybe the question would follow if we believe in random occurrences or see connections and patterns everywhere. But we don’t go down that road now since that would be a very long way. We can do that another time happily. So let’s linger with rebellion instead.
Why do I see myself as rebellion? Well, I love to question things and see everything from different perspectives. I go my own path, and how I live and look seems to offend some people. I don’t understand why: Does it hurt them? Does it affect their life in a bad way? No! I look like a walking rainbow that escaped a circus, and I tell you, it’s a life worth living! Maybe my way of rebellion is to shake that bubble that is their life just for a second.
I don’t need to put graffitis on buildings, smash shop windows or shout paroles. I detest destruction and prefer change through growth. If I don’t like my garden, I don’t burn it down, but I start to plant different flowers. A peaceful rebellion might be the most successful anyway: Aggression and violence are usually answered with more aggression and violence. But, at the same time, I might sneak in like a Troyan horse and leave you with a tiny rebellious seed planted in your mind. It might or not grow. And maybe one day, a red flower might start to blossom where it hasn’t been before.
My outfit Dress & Cape & Hat: Maroni Vintage, Shoes: A gift, Bag & Versace Bangle: Vintage, Sunglasses: Saint Laurent
Pictures: Photorhead Styling: Greta Schoop & Me Red Square by Pipilotti Rist
Confession: I don’t have one love but two. One is fashion; the other is art. With Artemperature, I found a label that unites both with their colourful art-inspired accessories and fashion.
The mission of the Swiss label Artemperature is to make people feel unique and culturally connected, wearing an expressive piece of art. Sarah Spagnuolo founded Artemperature to bring art from museums and galleries to the streets, making it a more constant part of our daily lives. The products made in collaboration with different exciting artists enable people to express feelings in a way words can’t.
But it’s not just about beauty; it’s much more: Every sale of Artemperature supports a social cause chosen by the community of artists. All products are produced on-demand in Europe to respect workers and to avoid waste. At the moment they offer extraordinary bags, skirts, raincoats (like the one that I wear), and laptop sleeves.
Wearing my raincoat with a design from Italien Neo-Pop artist Piriongo, I feel like a walking exhibition. There is always something new to discover in the artwork whenever I look at it again. I love how colourful it is and that it makes me dream of fantastic worlds where comic figures and movie icons have a party with Picasso and Warhol.
10% of every sale of this collection goes to the Theodora Foundation, which brings a smile to thousands of children during their stay at a hospital.
Art lovers and fashion enthusiasts out there, Artemperature is your new brand, have a look here: artemperature.com
My Outfit Raincoat: Artemperature, Top: Vintage, Skirt: Ana Ljubinkovic, Shoes: A gift, Sunglasses: Flying Tiger, Belt: Moschino Vintage bought at Reawake, Earrings: Tukadu
