Living in this creative age where economy is shifting from manufacturing to ‘creative’ industries. To keep up, cities must market themselves to mobile, talented professionals seeking the latest cultural hot spot. This theory is spreading around the world as places compete to attract the ‘creative class’ and its promise of wealth.
European cities like Hamburg, Barcelona, Tallinn, and Amsterdam are all competing for the “Creative Class” – a young, extremely mobile generation, which is at home the world over. Broadly, “Creative Class”is the diverse class that will mould any country to great economic power and growth through new ideas and regional growth with innovative ideas in regarding the perspective of socio-economy & culture.
They can be scientists and engineers, university professors, poets and architects. It also includes people in design, education, arts, music and entertainment and their function is to create new ideas, new technology or creative content.
The city where the Beatles ‘grew up’ is now the home of designers, marketing consultants, media people, researchers and developers. It starts from St. Pauli & Reeperbahn, one of the main attractions of this city. For tourists this quarter is mainly famous for strip clubs and sex shops. You can find loads of live music clubs, bars, theatres and restaurants as well. You can find an interesting mixture of different people during the nights.
Just a 15-minute walk north of the Reeperbahn, the scene turns more artful. Strolling in Karolinenviertel wondered to saw the artistic creations of one of a kind of accessories, clothing and jewelry in the backs of their boutiques. The area was so calm and has more artistic vibes in the air.
If we compare about the glamorous shopping sprees of Hamburg, this looks very less in glamour, but cultural variety and a charm all of their own from graffiti-covered walls to steel-and glass facades.
Across the street, Anna Golightly, running her small boutique from last many years. Her ultra-feminine line consists of unusual accessories such as leather bracelets stitched with vintage ribbons in bright, bubbly colors and prints. She comments “You can’t open a shop like this anywhere. This is extremely low rented space, if we compare the rents of any other cosmopolitan cities and it’s near to city centre.” the 28-year-old, who makes everything by hand inside her shop.
Just opposite of this boutique is a gallery of jewelry design. Run by group of 4 artists. It’s also a small showroom with a little workshop space. Kathleen Hennemann, one of the artists pointed that, “The group is running this gallery from last 8 months due to our passion and love for art. We are also doing part-time jobs other then this, but the gallery and work is still running on regular basis and it’s remarkable”.
Designer Evangeline Van Niekerk running her studio named “Krefeld” in the street in Glashuette Karoline quarter from last 5 years. The South African-born and studied costume designs, offers personalized clothing and accessories. She said. “Our hallmarks are fine hats & fabrics, hand-made artistic cuts and prints at affordable prices. Each is directly produced in our small studio.”
Born in Hamburg, Anna Fuchs is not the new name in the fashion biz. In 2003, she was nominated for “Best New Designer” at the New Faces Awards held by Germany’s leading people and entertainment magazine BUNTE. She sells her female collections at her studio in the Karoviertel Street. The sophisticated, subtly sexy dresses resemble something normally seen on the catwalk – but these ones can be worn to work too.
Running her store from last 3 years and in the business from past 9 years proudly displaying her new summer 2009 collection. She said that “The condition was not so good to live here before. Disinvestment is the main reason as locals don’t want to let this quarter demolished by the authority and the result was bad infrastructure and it becomes famous for the less affordable people and mix-ups of unemployment, crime and drug-abuse”.
The diamond-quarter actually belongs to the district of St. Pauli. In past 20 years the whole scenario is changed and now it created a multicultural atmosphere of metropolitan life.
“This quarter was occupied by second-hand shops 20 years ago. However, there have been more designer boutiques gathering here in the last decade, turning it into a unique fashion quarter,” Anna continued.
It teems with a street-chic crowd of hippies, immigrants and young professionals, but it’s only in the last five years that it has become a magnet for visitors because of the profusion of young fashion designers who have set up shops along Marktstrasse & the council of Hamburg highlighting it as alternative shopping spree.
In downtowns for seeking profits and growth at any cost, people are pushed out and generally ignored. This is one of the different quarters where creativity and council’s efforts playing a big role in popularizing it. One unique aspect of this creativity is the designers create and produce on site. No big chains of global brands and no other franchise outlets of renowned name and fame but the intellectual display of work seen here.
This quarter is alive due to the immense passion and commitment of these creative people. True are the words that “Creativity needs free and independent space and here it’s visible.”
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