Lock, Stockhausen and Barrel: The Complete Klaus

“Apparently, Mixmag, your English magazine, said I brought house music to Germany and was very good – that’s what they said. In 1993 I started styling and working for magazines, freelance, and then I became a fashion director of Max magazine in 1995. From there I went to GQ Style, because the Germans were the guinea pigs for all the GQ Styles. We did quite well. From there I went to launch the German Interview. I left after three years to be with Zeit magazine as the contributing fashion director.”

NATALIE DEMBINSKA: “I wanted to start at the beginning because I tried researching you on Google but, sadly, the only things I could find are all in German. My German is sketchy at the best of times. And Google Translate is really not great.”

KLAUS STOCKHAUSEN: “I know that.”

ND: “Really not helpful. So, let’s start at the beginning. What were you like growing up? Were you rebellious?”

KS: “If you want I can send you some things, because there were in English magazines some things written about me. Was I rebellious? I was maybe a little rebellious. I went out quite early on. At 16 I started going to the clubs. No wonder I ended up being a DJ. And I was in a boyband as well.”

ND: “I know – Boytronic.”

KS: “The one-hit wonder, seriously. Actually, that was a period in my life when I decided I want to be behind the camera.”

ND: “You didn’t enjoy boyband stardom?”

KS: “No, not so much, because I was just cast basically. It was fun for a minute, the posters and shoots and shit, but no. Actually, I really preferred to be behind [the scenes] and observe more. For our first video, because the record released went from zero to top 10, the record company brought us to London and we were shooting at the newly opened Hyper Hyper.”

ND: “Oh, wow.”

KS: “Yes. And they made us wear monk outfits. It was out of control. And then we were already, ‘Oh, God.’ These people have too much control over you and they don’t know what they’re fucking doing.”

ND: “So you left it behind.”

KS: “I left it behind. I had a two-year contract. The first was top 10, the second was top 25. So after two years I was very happy to… Not very happy, no, I had fun for a minute. But I just knew it was nothing for me.”

ND: “Didn’t Boytronic reform recently?”

KS: “Yeah, they keep reforming the whole time.”

ND: “And you haven’t been tempted to join them?”

KS: “Oh, no, no. The guys from Honey Soundsystem, the collective from Canada, they rereleased You in a remix, actually. And it’s a good track and we did a couple of good tracks. It was all very good. It was pre… how do you call them?”

ND: “Pop Idol? The X Factor?”

KS: “Yeah, but it was more the casted ones, you know, the really bad ones.”

ND: “Like One Direction?”

KS: “Yes, pre all that, so no.”

ND: “How did you become interested in fashion?”

KS: “I was DJing and I did music for fashion shows here in Germany. And one friend of mine was the German representative of Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier in the very beginning, in the very, very early 80s, when they were brand new. And I helped him. He had no money, but he was representing them at the German trade shows. So I had a little bit to do with fashion. I was doing music for a show that was pre-taped and the stylist’s assistant was sick and I helped him, so I basically got into it.”

ND: “So, what was your first big break?”

KS: “I had two things. One was there were these magazines – how do you call them? – like Time Out. I was living in Hamburg back then and Hamburg had its own kind of Time Out magazine. They always featured me as a DJ for the club, because the club, the Front, was very popular. Like, Wolfgang Tillmans was there all the time, and Christiane Arp, who is now the editor-in-chief of German Vogue, and all these people, they were hanging out at the club I played. So the city mags were always interested, of course. So, one day, they just asked me to do a little thing. And then, on the side, I had a really naff women’s magazine asking me to do something funny, like how to create carnival looks out of your wardrobe or stuff like that.”

ND: “Well, everyone needs to know how to make a carnival look out of their own wardrobe. It’s an essential skill.”

KS: “You know, really, really stupid stuff, but I liked it. But it was good, I learnt a lot – a lot – about logistics and organisation and keeping my mouth shut, so all good. And then I did lots of covers for Stern magazine and, you know, German stuff, and then they offered me Max and I took it.”

ND: “Can you tell me a little about how you work – do you have a little character in your head?”

KS: “Actually, I was styling John Galliano for, like, 10 years and while I was there I really, really learned to be… to switch into the character, because he was always a character. So, yes, I try to imagine that person, what that person would be and what the person would wear.”

ND: “What was it like working with John? How did you both meet?”

KS: “Actually, I was working on a shoot with his boyfriend, who used to be a hairdresser, but I didn’t know it was his boyfriend. Then, a week later, I got a phone call, ‘This is the Dior office. Mr Galliano wants to talk to you’, and I was like, ‘Sure’, and put the phone down. I thought it was my boyfriend playing games, which he did all the time. And that happened three times, and the fourth time I was like, ‘Okay.’ And then I had John on the phone, he wanted to see me and I went in, it was a Saturday and he said, ‘Who did you work with before?’ Then I said, ‘Well, I did a couple of years with Naomi [Campbell].’ and he said, ‘Well, if you can do Naomi, you can do me. My show is on Monday – I want to be a boxer.’ And that was my first thing.”

ND: “What the Saturday before the show on the Monday?”

KS: “Yes. I was shitting my fucking pants.”

ND: “Did you make him a boxer?”

KS: “Yes I did.”

ND: “Was it always like that when you worked with him?”

KS: “No, no. From then on… The funny thing is, I must tell you, in 1986/87, I was in London a little bit, DJing, hanging out, having a boyfriend and working for this PR guy who was doing Katharine Hamnett. So, we were in the Hamnett show and from there we sneaked into the tent next-door and it was John [Galliano]. And then, about 20 years later, I got the phone call and it was pretty impressive and scary. Then I didn’t think he was going to call me back, as he obviously had to fly me in from Munich or wherever I was and I knew there were stylists knocking at the door. But pretty much, besides, like, three seasons, yeah, I worked [for him] until 2010.”

ND: “That’s a long time.”

KS: “And it was perfect, wonderful and lovely. And I learnt a lot.”

ND: “So, music has obviously played a major role in your life, too, because you used to be a superstar DJ, of sorts.”

KS: “Yes, of sorts.”

ND: “How did you become a DJ? Did you just walk into the club and put on a record and they just left you there?”

KS: “Kind of like this. It’s true. There was this tiny club in Cologne whose owner was kind of a pimp. He was running this tiny little club where people were having their whisky bottles with their names on and stuff like this.”

ND: “That sounds classy.”

KS: “Yeah, it was really classy, but I’d never been there before, so I had no idea, but I knew the guy. He was like, ‘OMG, my DJ’s sick.’ It was a Wednesday, and I said, ‘Oh, maybe I can help.’ And I helped and he liked it, so I did a couple of Wednesdays. And two months later, the Wednesdays were super-busy, full of kids, it became the hot shit. And then, half a year later, two guys, who I called my daddies more or less back then, they opened this gay club in Cologne, called Coconut, and they got me over there. That became very cool. And from there I went to the Front in Hamburg, and this is where, finally, I actually got recognised.”

ND: “Is that the one where you DJed in the box?”

KS: “Exactly that one. That was my favourite. You see, that comes together with being in this boyband. There I was in my fucking box – nobody could come up to me and talk to me, unless I wanted them to. I loved it.”

ND: “The best way to be – in control.”

KS: “Yes, very Janet Jackson.”

ND: “Minus the nipple flashing.”

KS: “Minus that. Mind you, I could do what I want in this box.”

ND: “Do you have any favourite stories?”

KS: “Well, actually, I remember playing the after-party of Prince in 1980, because we just found a ticket. And there I was kind of picked up. The manager gave me a note before that I was just allowed to play Paisley Park. So I was kind of like, ‘Okay.’ So that was a big one. And then I remember a night where I was really, really shit-faced and I had like… ”

ND: “It’s good that you remember.”

KS: “I remember because that was the last time I ever was shit-faced, because I switched off the main switch and 2,000 people were screaming, waiting for music and I really didn’t know what the fuck was going on. And after what seemed like two hours, but was maybe 10 seconds, everything was back to normal. People screamed and thought it was brilliant – what a nice trick – and I knew from then what my limits are.”

ND: “Why did you get out of DJing?”

KS: “Because I turned… there were like 17-year-olds on the dance floor and I turned like 34 and I was styling on the side a little bit and I had to make a decision. Plus it was the time when all the techno, the hyper techno arrived, the washing machine, and that’s not for me. I need a bit of soul. Plus it was the time when DJs, on the one hand, were making lots of money, but on the other hand, were just travelling around, playing for one hour here and there. And I did that once or twice and it was always very, very horrible, being in some little town playing for one hour just the top 10 hits to get… no. And it was time to say goodbye. I still love music, even though I don’t DJ any more. Mind you, I actually might this year – there is a plan for a one-off. In the end, I don’t have to prove myself in anything any more.”

ND: “Well, I was going to ask whether you would ever consider going back, but now you might. So, back to fashion. How do you find something that also excites you? Is it going to the shows, word of mouth, watching things on the streets?”

KS: “I think… does it sound really horrible when you say, like, instinct? I love all of the stuff you mentioned, but all of them a bit less these days. I like going to the shows, but I’m not sure if they’re still relevant, actually. They just need to be cut down to two shows [for each label]. Last season, for the first season in 15 years, I didn’t do the shows and I watched them online with a glass of red wine and only the five shows that I really wanted to see.”

ND: “And you didn’t feel like you missed out on anything?”

KS: “Not at all. Of course, you miss a little bit, the atmosphere, but all the rest? So what’s the point? And on the other hand, as well, for real life nowadays, is fashion still as relevant as it was 10 years ago? I don’t think so, but I’m not quite sure, because it might be age as well, as you get, like, too jaded. But it’s faster, faster, faster and nothing moves and everything moves and we’re recycling, blah blah, blah. It’s a bit too much, I think. Street style is the same – I love watching people on the street, but through all the swiping and Instagram, it kind of equals that out of the equation.”

ND: “Yeah, we’re oversaturated.”

KS: “Exactly, so I think it’s more art exhibitions, your own kind of instinct mixed with everything, and really bad TV shows.”

ND: “A bad TV show is always key.”

KS: “I love… give me some Benidorm, or something like this, and I’m happy.”

ND: “What’s your favourite one?”

KS: “I love French and Saunders, I love Benidorm, I love Keeping up Appearances.”

ND: “Keeping up Appearances is amazing. I love it.”

KS: “My favourite play is Abigail’s Party.”

ND: “Your favourite film?”

KS: “My favourite film? Actually, until recently, I thought Birdy is my all-time fucking favourite and then I tried to show it to someone, telling him how much I cried and laughed and I was so Birdy. And, after half an hour, I thought it was fucking ridiculous.”

ND: “When was the last time you’d watched Birdy?”

KS: “Like, 20 years ago.”

ND: “So, Birdy is no longer you?”

KS: “No, it was okay, but I couldn’t read so much into it as I did… it had such a powerful meaning. It was like growing up with Bowie and rock music. So aware. Or like Twin Peaks the first time I watched it. Let’s wait for the second part now.”

Taken from Issue 44 of 10 Men, TRIBE PACK QUEST, on newsstands now…

Photograph by Maria Ziegelböck