augenblick

The spark for this project came 35 years ago when I was introduced to 1950s Americana music. Rock n’ roll, blues, country, doo-wop … I loved it, almost instantly. The visuals followed fast: Films like Rebel Without a Cause, Jailhouse Rock, and The Girl Can’t Help It, followed by the photography and pin-up illustrations of Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas, and Earl Moran. The rhythm, the silhouettes, and the hair.

Then came Hemsby, England—my first Rockabilly Weekender in the early ’90s. Suddenly I was surrounded by people who didn’t just admire vintage—they lived it: 1940s gabardine suits, Katharine Hepburn trousers with platform heels, 1950s Marilyn wiggle dresses … all so pretty. I was hooked.

I had to learn the hair that belonged with those clothes. Men’s pompadours? Already in my toolkit. Women’s hair from the ’40s and ’50s? 1920s fingerwaves? A whole new challenge. I dove into my grandfather’s and mom’s old hairdressing “bibles”—long before Instagram tutorials existed.

Hollywood glamour became my passion. I wanted to work in film, theater—anywhere I could resurrect looks that felt distant yet familiar.

Then Chicago happened. Doors that would’ve stayed closed in Rostock swung open here. I styled theater productions, musicians, pin-ups, burlesque artists for photo shoots and performances, and so many vintage-inspired weddings. I lived inside the beauty vocabulary of the 1920s through the 1960s, inspired by Rita Hayworth, Katharine Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, Josephine Baker, Audrey Hepburn, and Lauren Bacall.

Jumping to 2008: I wanted to create (and recreate) some of these intriguing, glamorous, and dramatic looks for myself. So I asked friends to sit for me through wardrobe, hair, makeup, and a photo session with my point-and-shoot camera (upgraded since, phew). This was the birth of the project Augenblick Dame, later shortened to Augenblick.

For Augenblick, I took on multiple roles, including concept creator, hairstylist, makeup artist, and photographer. This comprehensive approach allowed me to fully realize my artistic vision and continuously evolve my skills.