Michael Michalsky
Encyclopedia
Michael Michalsky is a German
fashion design
er and designer
of lifestyle products. He is the founder and head designer of the fashion label MICHALSKY. He is also the Creative Director of the luxury handbag manufacturer MCM
since 2005. Besides his fashion business, Michalsky runs the agency designlab offering design services from fashion to product and interior design. Today, Michalsky is considered one of Germany’s most influential designers.
where he passed his A Levels at the Theodor Mommsen
secondary school in 1987. Until 1992 he studied at the London College of Fashion
. After his graduation Michalsky kept his promise to work in the hospice
Lighthouse: "It was shocking, my first experience with death and Aids
. It was there that I realised: fashion, being hip and knowing famous people is completely unimportant if you don’t have an emotional base“ explains Michalsky.
Michalsky’s main source of inspiration is music. He was heavily influenced by London's youth culture during the 80s, when the rise of music videos and the success of MTV
strengthened the link between music and fashion. Until today Michalsky admires the 80s pop icon Madonna
: "I am a true fan of Madonna. She has inspired me with her looks and her music for almost all my life."
Besides music Michalsky is also passionate about photography
: "I collect photos of Yva, the famous fashion photographer from Berlin during the 1920s and 30s who also taught Helmut Newton
, of Edmund Kesting, Herbert List
and F.C. Gundlach with his fashion portraits of the 1950s. And I am also fascinated by architecture
.“
Michael Michalsky lives and works in Berlin
.
in Germany. From 1995 until spring 2006 he worked at adidas AG
where he held the position as Global Creative Director for six years. During this time, Michalsky initiated and developed cooperations and product lines with the fashion designers Yohji Yamamoto
and Stella McCartney
as well as with Rap
musician Missy Elliott
. He was also responsible for the re-launch of older adidas products in a "Retro-look“.
In May 2005 Michalsky was approached by the Korea
n luxury group Sungjoo
with the task to revive the tarnished fashion brand MCM
. Michalsky holds the position as Creative Director at the luxury goods brand with German heritage until today.
In 2006 Michalsky founded his own fashion and lifestyle company MICHALSKY Holding GmbH in Berlin. In January 2007 he launched his first fashion show
in the Red City Hall. The designer presents the latest collection of his label MICHALSKY twice a year during Mercedes Benz Berlin Fashion Week.
Besides working for his own label and the brand MCM, Michalsky also designs sportswear collections for the company KAPPA
China since 2009. KAPPA China belongs to the Chinese
sporting goods group Dongxiang
.
Overview of current design works:
Work examples of MICHALSKY designLab:
was created in cooperation with the fragrance house Mäurer & Wirtz
. The launch of the perfume was accompanied by an advertising campaign
which caused a sensation in public due to its erotic character. The campaign theme pictures a man and a woman in a highly provocative position.
In September 2011, the second perfume series MICHALSKY Urban Nomads for men and women was launched. The theme corresponds to the inspiration of the Michalsky Fall/Winter 2011 collection.
, a cultural event organised by the designer taking place twice a year during Berlin Fashion Week. Besides the fashion show the event schedule includes performances in the areas of music, film and art. Among the artists who have performed at previous StyleNites were: Lady Gaga
, Spandau Ballet
, Hurts
, Mirrors
, OMD
, Nadja Michael, Alphaville
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
fashion design
Fashion design
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
er and designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
of lifestyle products. He is the founder and head designer of the fashion label MICHALSKY. He is also the Creative Director of the luxury handbag manufacturer MCM
Mode Creation Munich
Mode Creation Munich was a German luxury brand, founded in 1976 in Munich, but now based in South Korea. Mode Creation Munich is headed by chairman and CEO Sung-Joo Kim. It has offices in 8 countries worldwide with over 70 boutiques....
since 2005. Besides his fashion business, Michalsky runs the agency designlab offering design services from fashion to product and interior design. Today, Michalsky is considered one of Germany’s most influential designers.
Private
Michalsky was born on 23 February 1967 in Göttingen and grew up in Bad OldesloeBad Oldesloe
Bad Oldesloe is a town located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is the capital of the Kreis Stormarn .The area has been inhabited since mesolithic times. The flint tools found here from that era are clearly defined and known as the Oldesloer Stufe...
where he passed his A Levels at the Theodor Mommsen
Theodor Mommsen
Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen was a German classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician, archaeologist, and writer generally regarded as the greatest classicist of the 19th century. His work regarding Roman history is still of fundamental importance for contemporary research...
secondary school in 1987. Until 1992 he studied at the London College of Fashion
London College of Fashion
London College of Fashion is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, short courses and business-training in fashion, make-up, beauty-therapy and lifestyle industries...
. After his graduation Michalsky kept his promise to work in the hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
Lighthouse: "It was shocking, my first experience with death and Aids
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. It was there that I realised: fashion, being hip and knowing famous people is completely unimportant if you don’t have an emotional base“ explains Michalsky.
Michalsky’s main source of inspiration is music. He was heavily influenced by London's youth culture during the 80s, when the rise of music videos and the success of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
strengthened the link between music and fashion. Until today Michalsky admires the 80s pop icon Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
: "I am a true fan of Madonna. She has inspired me with her looks and her music for almost all my life."
Besides music Michalsky is also passionate about photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
: "I collect photos of Yva, the famous fashion photographer from Berlin during the 1920s and 30s who also taught Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton, born Helmut Neustädter was a German-Australian photographer. He was a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically charged black-and-white photos were a mainstay of Vogue and other publications."-Early life:Newton was born in Berlin, the son of Klara...
, of Edmund Kesting, Herbert List
Herbert List
Herbert List was a German photographer who worked for magazines including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Life and was associated with Magnum Photos...
and F.C. Gundlach with his fashion portraits of the 1950s. And I am also fascinated by architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
.“
Michael Michalsky lives and works in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Career
After university Michalsky started his career as design manager at Levi Strauss & Co.Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
in Germany. From 1995 until spring 2006 he worked at adidas AG
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
where he held the position as Global Creative Director for six years. During this time, Michalsky initiated and developed cooperations and product lines with the fashion designers Yohji Yamamoto
Yohji Yamamoto
Yōji Yamamoto , is an award winning Japanese fashion designer based in Tokyo and Paris. Yohji is considered to be among the master tailors whose work is thought to be of fashion genius and he has been described by Julie Gilhart, fashion director for Barney's New York as probably the only designer...
and Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney is an English fashion designer. She is the daughter of former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney and the late photographer and animal rights activist, Linda McCartney.-Early life:...
as well as with Rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
musician Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
. He was also responsible for the re-launch of older adidas products in a "Retro-look“.
In May 2005 Michalsky was approached by the Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n luxury group Sungjoo
Sung-Joo Kim
Sung-Joo Kim is the Chairwoman and CEO of Sungjoo Group and MCM Holdings AG.She was ranked among the "Top 50 Women to Watch" by the Wall Street Journal in and Selected as one of the "New Century Leaders" in CNN for the Best of Asia in...
with the task to revive the tarnished fashion brand MCM
Mode Creation Munich
Mode Creation Munich was a German luxury brand, founded in 1976 in Munich, but now based in South Korea. Mode Creation Munich is headed by chairman and CEO Sung-Joo Kim. It has offices in 8 countries worldwide with over 70 boutiques....
. Michalsky holds the position as Creative Director at the luxury goods brand with German heritage until today.
In 2006 Michalsky founded his own fashion and lifestyle company MICHALSKY Holding GmbH in Berlin. In January 2007 he launched his first fashion show
Fashion show
A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of clothing during Fashion Week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. This is where the latest fashion trends are made...
in the Red City Hall. The designer presents the latest collection of his label MICHALSKY twice a year during Mercedes Benz Berlin Fashion Week.
Besides working for his own label and the brand MCM, Michalsky also designs sportswear collections for the company KAPPA
Kappa (company)
Kappa is an Italian company specialized at the manufacture of sporting clothes and accessories, that started as a sock and underwear manufacturer in 1916 in Turin.-Logo:...
China since 2009. KAPPA China belongs to the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
sporting goods group Dongxiang
China Dongxiang
China Dongxiang Company Limited is a public company listed on the main board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. It is engaged in the design and sales of sports apparel and accessories in China. It owns all the rights to Kappa products in Mainland China, Macau and Japan and owns the Phenix brand...
.
Awards
- 2003 "National Designer of the Year“ designated by GQ Award Germany
- 2004 "Sportstyle Designer of the Year“ awarded by the ISPO VISION
- 2005 red dot: design team of the yearRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
together with his adidas-designteam - 2006 Featured in the exhibition "100 heads of tomorrow" (German: 100 Köpfe von morgen) which was commissioned by the government initiative "Germany - Land of Ideas" (German: Deutschland – Land der Ideen)
Fashion
Michalsky's fashion range is broad and diverse as he creates fashion for various segments: premium apparel, sportswear, bags and accessories. His own collection MICHALSKY belongs to the high fashion segment and combines classic styles with streetwear influences. Michalsky sees himself not as an artist, but as a lifestyle designer. With his designs Michalsky wants to address a wide range of people and encourage a joyful approach to fashion. This mindset is expressed in the claim "Real Clothes for Real People".Overview of current design works:
| Label | Period | Collections | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCM | since 2005 | Bags and accessoires (Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter) |
Luxury accessories for women |
| MICHALSKY | since 2007 | Women, men, accessories (Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter) |
High fashion |
| KAPPA China | since 2009 | Various sportswear collections (Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter) |
Sportswear and streetwear |
| PROTECT | since 2010 | Collection in cooperation with the WWF Germany (Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter) |
T-Shirts and basics |
| LASCANA by MICHALSKY | starting 2012 | Beachwear (One collection per year) |
Beachwear and swimwear |
MICHALSKY designLab
The company Michalsky is regularly assigned with design projects by external companies. For this purpose, Michael Michalsky founded the agency MICHALSKY designlab in 2009, offering design services in the areas of product and interior design.Work examples of MICHALSKY designLab:
- 2009: Summer Mobile Collection 2009 for SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
- 2009: Leather collection for the world premiere of the concept car BMWBMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
Vision EfficientDynamics, presented during IAAInternationale Automobil-AusstellungThe Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung , also known as the Frankfurt Motor Show or Frankfurt Auto Show, is one of the world's largest motor shows. It is held biennially in Frankfurt, Germany. The show occupies 12 buildings.The IAA is organized by the Association of the German Automotive Industry... - 2010: 500 costumes for the revue show YMA at Friedrichstadt PalastFriedrichstadt PalastThe Friedrichstadt-Palast is a revue in the Berlin district of Mitte . The term Friedrichstadt-Palast designates both the building itself, and the revue theater as a body with his ensemble...
in Berlin - 2010: Design of the product packaging of the laundry detergent ArielAriel (laundry)Ariel is a marketing line of laundry detergents made by Procter & Gamble. It is the flagship brand in Procter & Gamble's European, Mexican, Japanese, Brazilian, Peruvian, Turkish, Filipino, Colombian and Venezuelan portfolios. In some U.S. stores, Mexican Ariel is available.Ariel first appeared on...
- 2011: Design of the Catwalk-Bar in Berlin's MarriottMarriott InternationalMarriott International, Inc. is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott, the company is now led by son J.W. Marriott, Jr...
Hotel at Potsdamer PlatzPotsdamer PlatzPotsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin, Germany, lying about one kilometre south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag , and close to the southeast corner of the Tiergarten park...
, Germany's first fashion bar
Perfume
In September 2010 the designer presented his first two fragrances, MICHALSKY for Men and MICHALSKY for Women. The perfumePerfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
was created in cooperation with the fragrance house Mäurer & Wirtz
Mäurer & Wirtz
Mäurer & Wirtz is a manufacturer of products in the fragrance and care sector and since 1990 an independent subsidiary of Dalli Group.The company is managed by the fifth generation of the Wirtz family...
. The launch of the perfume was accompanied by an advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
which caused a sensation in public due to its erotic character. The campaign theme pictures a man and a woman in a highly provocative position.
In September 2011, the second perfume series MICHALSKY Urban Nomads for men and women was launched. The theme corresponds to the inspiration of the Michalsky Fall/Winter 2011 collection.
Eyewear
Since 2008 the MICHALSKY eyewear collection is produced and marketed by the company Nigura Metzler. The collection consists of sunglasses, correctional frames and a limited edition. The latest eyewear collection is presented bi-annually at the Michalsky fashion show.MICHALSKY StyleNite
The MICHALSKY fashion shows gradually evolved to the StyleniteStylenite
The Stylenite is a cultural event organized by Berlin’s designer Michael Michalsky. It has evolved from Michalsky’s fashion shows and takes place twice a year during Berlin Fashion Week...
, a cultural event organised by the designer taking place twice a year during Berlin Fashion Week. Besides the fashion show the event schedule includes performances in the areas of music, film and art. Among the artists who have performed at previous StyleNites were: Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet are a British band formed in London in the late 1970s. Initially inspired by, and an integral part of, the New Romantic fashion, their music has featured a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s, achieving ten Top Ten singles...
, Hurts
Hurts
Hurts are a British synthpop duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson . Their debut album Happiness, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
, Mirrors
Mirrors (band)
Mirrors are an English synthpop band originating from Brighton who formed in 2008. The band consists of James New , Ally Young , James Arguile and Josef Page...
, OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
, Nadja Michael, Alphaville
Alphaville (band)
Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold , Bernhard Lloyd , and Frank Mertens Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 1980s. The founding members were Marian Gold (real name Hartwig Schierbaum,...
.
Literature
- Peter Zec (Hrsg.): red dot design yearbook 2005/2006. av Edition, Essen 2005, ISBN 3-89939-072-5
External links
- Michalsky Website requires Adobe FlashAdobe FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
- StyleNite Website
- Youtube-Channel featuring videos and reports on Michael Michalsky