TIDBTW Guest: Sabine Buss, spoken word booking agent & literature consultant
The woman who has me longing for a 1k shoe and a second career in books
Last September I fell in love with an upcycled fringy blazer by Couple Dansant, which is very unlike me. The fringe, not the blazer, who am I kidding. Still highly focused on my 5 items, I shied away from buying it. But writing about it now, I can still feel the slight breeze that comes with this relived vintage menswear, something lighthearted and fun, possibly the perfect wings for spring:
And what better theme to base a new connection on, right? Because this fashion dinner was where I first spotted Sabine Buss, trying on a seemingly over the top kinda coat: off-white creamy patchwork leather, reworked with silver rivet holes. As she put it on, everything magically fell into place. Completing her otherwise very laid back outfit, it almost got me screaming over her shoulder that she simply must buy it. Instead I took this stalker-ish photo, knowing I would talk to her soon. And with that, welcome to a new edit of TIDBTW Guest!
As the night continued I finally got to chat to Sabine, who turned out to work in the literature and movie scene, and grew more and more obsessed with her shoes: the by now infamous (at least among you loyal readers, dear TIDBTW) LOEWE Campo loafers in coal. They are probably the only loafers I could see myself totally vibing with, as they own the soul of a comfy house shoe but come with this ridiculous little heel. I even went as far as into the LOEWE store in London, but somehow froze in front of the shelf, spiraling with agony about the price point again.
Too little to late, as the internet is empty! Replying to my daily hasty search, google is giving me three (!?) pages now and none of them even show the right shoe. I missed the sale at LOEWE and they have vanished from my play zone. If you are a size 40, the ebay Gods are with you though:
You see, Sabine has made an impression on me. Set in a fashion backdrop that at times can be all about showing up in some kind of textile armor, our encounter somehow moved me. I loved her perfectly undone beachy hair, the self confidence and excitement that she was sharing her outfits details with. The fact that she works in literature came as a plus, as I secretly not only wish to host more book related events, but studied exactly that subject at university. So I feel very lucky that Sabine took the time to tell me a little bit about her favorite clothes and her relationship with fashion. Please join us for some Berlin design specifics and the peaks of women friendship. Hope you enjoy xx
TIDBTW Guest: Sabine Buss, spoken word booking agent & literature consultant
Things I didn’t buy this week: Who are you and what are you doing? How did you arrive where you are right now?
Sabine Buss: I’m Sabine Buss, born and raised more or less in the Ruhr area in a middle class environment together with an identical twin and two older brothers. I studied but mostly worked with great pleasure in bars and restaurants. Somehow got into office work, shortly before I turned thirty.
There is no real job description for what I do now, I like to say: everything with spoken word! I started with audiobooks and as the company went to Munich, I decided to quit the job and stayed in Cologne working for the biggest European literature festival Lit.Cologne. Here I built an agency for reading bookings, developing podcasts and special formats in connection with literature, readings, actors and authors. I also do consulting for some companies. The agency is called: Maria Hilft but the name does not refer to anything religious, it’s just the address of the office in Cologne. I also founded a small audiobook publishing house, Finch&Zebra, together with a partner from the digital side. And we are proud to publish all audios by Han Kang, who recently won the Nobel Prize. After constantly living between Cologne and Berlin the past years, I decided to shift my life totally to Berlin three years ago.
To me the funny thing about my business career is that I never wrote any application for a job in my entire life. People always gave me a chance or trusted me without that. And after some time I begun to be recommended.
TIDBTW: Can you show us the outfit that feels the most you in this season?
SB: I’m deeply in love with my new Prada Boots: they look great, feel great and it seems as if they walk independently without my help. Yes, they are the most expensive shoes I ever bought and I feel a little bit ashamed about that, but they help me to wear something else than trousers in the winter and to enjoy my trained legs that I put so much effort into for the last 1,5 years.
I also love a kind of intentional power dressing. Wearing some pieces that original are read more masc than female and I repurpose them: a men’s shirt in a shimmering material from Frankie Shop that I bought secondhand from The Good Store and a tie worn more like a necklace. The LOEWE Loafers with the curve and some barrel lag Abercrombie & Fitch jeans (first time I’ve been there in ages). Necklace is by Vibe Harsløf from Kopenhagen.
Editor’s note: I adore that - both the thoughts on the boots and the legs above! There should be no shame in investing in a piece that offers both durability and timeless style and show off a body part you particularly love. Yes yes yes to power dressing. Also I see a studded belt that I really like, reminding me of the Khaite one everyone is chatting about, me included (it resells for over 500 still!?):
TIDBTW: You are working with actors and in the literature world – do you think that working in culture directly influences the way you dress? And if so, how?
SB: The publishing business isn’t very stylish, going to the Frankfurt book fare you see most of the people wearing black. Don’t get me wrong: the people have great taste and good quality is often seen but everything is a little bit boring and conservative. Loving fashion seemed superficial in the literature business for a long time, but this is changing now. Working with actors is more fun and I still would love to find ways to connect literature, actors and fashion. The fashion business is more and more going in the direction of working with actors in the marketing and I would love to produce a runway show by connecting the different topics.
I would summarize it this way: working with culture connects you with fashion but working in the german publishing industry doesn’t automatically make you a fashionista.
Wearing LUTZ HUELLE, who I love and another great trouser by International Citizen:
Editor’s note: I have my eyes on that hidden Gucci Hobo bag gem Sabine is wearing. Some classic (vintage) logos just look incredible with denim, I hate to say it.
TIDBTW: How would you describe your relationship with buying (new) things?
SB: That’s hard to confess, but I still buy (too) much and not only secondhand. Sometimes I’m to impatient to wait… but on the other hand it really makes me happy and by getting older, I know what I like and what suits me. I’m looking for quality and special pieces and it’s fun to learn about the fashion industry. I’m really into Berlin designers and when I find something in their collections I prefer buying local. For example International Citizen, Anne Bernecker, Couple Dansant, Michael Sonntag, La Bande, Avenir, Unknown Matters and small brands from other german cities.
Editor’s note: And we love that!!! And if it helps and as a fact: Half of those brands work with upcycling to use the clothes and fabrics that already exist
I also love selling the things that I don’t need anymore on flea markets or secondhand shops like “Das neue Schwarze” and online or I’m gifting things to friends. I love to see people liking my taste and looking gorgeous in my curated items. So it’s a kind of fun and emotional circle.
Editor’s note: Sabine also sent me this photo where she is swapping coats with her friend Kerstin Geffert (fellow fashion PR, who recently went viral selling a faux fur coat through these images on Tik Tok): Sabine is wearing Kerstin’s Max Mara coat (so so good, love the grey and we are very on fringe theme here - Sabine, if you ever get tired of it, talk to me.) and Kerstin is wearing a Dries Van Noten coat, previously owned by Sabine: take this as a reminder to find yourself a friend who loves coats as much as you do!!!
And you might not be in the mood for coats anymore, as it is officially spring, but I’m always in the mood for coats, so bare with me: I found this belted Max Mara coat which goes with my latest belief that a belted coat must be your weapon of choice for any bad hair/mood/weather/outfit day. I ran into my neighbor at the bakery the other day and he was having a Sunday like most people, but he looked so annoyingly neat and put together in his navy cashmere coat all wrapped up and tightly belted! It made me immediately regret that I sold that one thick woolen COS coat that everyone owned 10 years ago. And that since has only gone down in quality and up in price. So here you go:
TIDBTW: Are there some clothes in your past that you didn’t buy, but still think about? If you can, please give some examples
SB: There is a short black wool sweater I bought years ago in a great vintage store near to the Volksbühne that doesn’t exist anymore. No label, cheap but perfect… I lost it somehow by moving in Berlin. I will never forget him. I’m also thinking constantly about the Duster Coat from International Citizen, worn here with said dreamy PRADA boots:
It’s perfect, but I’m more of a jacket girl especially if it gets into spring.
I always fall in love with some designer bags that are not practical for my life. I need a big bag which I use really for everything: buying things in the grocery, putting my sports clothes inside and staying for one night at a friends home. And I have a Dries Van Noten mens belt from last season in my mind, that had an attached chain. Keeping my eye on the secondhand market.
Editor’s note: I found this stone embellished Dries Van Noten belt on sale and suddenly the idea of a chain clad belt makes a lot of sense to me:
TIDBTW: Is there something on your wishlist for this year?
SB: I have different a kind of wishlist. I’m not good at bringing things to the tailor, shoe repair or special dry cleaner. There are a few things that need to be repaired or slightly changed so I can wear them again, or for the first time. That’s on my wishlist; that is somehow more a to do list.
Editor’s note: I’m packing up things to go to the tailor as you’re reading this, mending your clothes to your own needs is such an underestimated gift!! (Still slow on my own sewing efforts…)
TIDBTW: Best dressed author or actor (he/she/they) in your opinion?
SB: I will stick to german actors because most of them are not working constantly with stylist and you really can see their own taste for good or worth. I love how Bibiana Beglau dresses. Every time I see her: at events, at the red carpet, at fashion week, in private or only in the audiobook studio, she’s so unique. Bibiana is making everything she wears her own and it always has a special twist with humor and a little bit of punk or rock’n’roll attitude.
And I admire Iris Berben. She dresses so cool and effortlessly. All heads turn, when she walks into a room and that’s not only because she is famous. For the male actors, I really like the effortless chic of Mark Waschke and always in blue Benno Fürmann.
Editor’s note: Sabine told me that very colorful outfits are rather unusual for her, but looking at this photo I can see how having someone like Bibiana in her circle, maybe pushes her towards some bolder combinations:
It also reminds me of the Tibi color wheel, that I suddenly see everywhere and that is featuring below. I thought her article was really interesting and although all the strategy behind getting dressed this way can seem a little overwhelming at first, I can see this working with a new season ahead of us and the feeling of nothing promising (read: new) in our closets. Re-combine your outfits:
TIDBTW: What is sustainability in terms of fashion to you?
SB: I can start with myself and only buy the thinks I love and feel good with. For this reason I try to avoid less quality items because seeing the rags with all the high street clothes on the flea markets makes me sad. They are ugly after wearing and washing them for a short period. I’m buying vintage and new – and local!! And most of the time I’m sure that I can resell the items and make other people happy with my curation, so they last many fashion circles.
TIDBTW: Thank you so much, dear Sabine! <3
Things I didn’t buy this week: 1
These shoes will find their way to me if we are meant to be!!!!
LOEWE Campo Loafers in Coal: Were 950,00 €, now sold out 💔
CUTE