Age is just a number and there is no clear definition of being what is an adult and every person is different. We can’t define it, so everybody is looking for their own answers in life. 14 is a sensitive age. It’s when you start thinking about your own future, so we wanted to make a series of age 14. After the Tokyo and New York issue, we selected 15 people in Berlin who have very diverse background, different ages and professions for 14 Issue in Berlin.
First interview is High-school / Gymnasium student Lenn. He had a great experience working as an intern at Berlin based independent magazine “032c” this year. What does he think about the presence and his future? We asked him about his life and what influenced him.
—Hey Lenn! Please introduce yourself at first.
Lenn: I’m Lenn, 15 years old. I was born in Berlin and I lived here my whole life. I like skating. Normally at the skate park in Mitte because my friends skate there as well. There aren’t many skateparks in Charlottenburg where I live.
—How was your year as a 14 year old?
Lenn: It was very nice. I did a lot of fun things. I guess at my age I don’t really see a big difference between being 14 and 15, but it went by very fast. I especially felt a big jump from 13 to 14, felt like I was becoming an adult a bit.
—What did you do in those days?
—What did you think about at age 14?
—What do you want to do in the future?
Lenn: I wanna be a fashion designer because it’s a lot of fun and I can use my creativity. 2 years ago, I was just bored and started drawing design stuff. Also I don’t like what I had in my wardrobe, so just started creating my own style.
—Do you have a favorite designer?
Lenn: Rei Kawakubo from COMME des GARÇONS is my favorite designer.
—How do you get inspiration for your fashion?
Lenn: I have to say Instagram to be honest. But it’s not only cool stuff, there’s a lot of trash on Instagram as well. Also my mom helps me a lot and I can learn from her. She used to be a model, so she knows the way around fashion well.
—Sounds good! By the way I heard you worked as an intern at 032c for 2 weeks. Why did you work at 032c?
Lenn: In my school, every 9th grade (Gymnasium, age 15) need to do an internship. Next year we also have to do the internship, but it’s a social work thing and we can go to state founded organizations only. For example school, kindergarten etc… I really didn’t want to waste my internship somewhere where I didn’t like to go. Then I chose 032c. I applied by myself at first, but it’s usually hard to get in there because it’s a small team. I was very lucky because my friend’s mother is good friends with Maria Koch from 032c, so she helped me to get this internship.
—How was the internship at 032c?
Lenn: Great! It was so much fun!
—What did you learn from them?
Lenn: I was in the apparel team and learnt a lot about sales and design, drawing etc… Also it was good for me to learn how hard it can be. Especially design and organization. It definitely helps me to think about my future because I could understand how a business like this works. I know what I need to do if I start something in the fashion industry. This internship gave me new insights.
—You had a very good experience. What inspired you at age 14?
Lenn: I watched “AKIRA(1988)”. It was a very big influence for me. Since then, I’m into watching Japanese anime and now I already watched so many of them. Currently I’m watching “Hunter × Hunter” and my favorite anime is ”Zankyo no Terror”, it’s really good. I watch them in Japanese with German or English subtitles, so I can learn some Japanese from that. For example, I know “Titan” in Japanese is “Kyojin.
—You know very well!
Lenn: Also I like to read mangas and I have a huge collection in my room. I prefer to read them because sometimes anime has too many series and stories like “ONE PIECE” and “NARUTO”.
—Do you have any message to the people who are 14 years old?
Lenn: Take it slow. Do what you want to do. You don’t have to be anyone else.
@lennslept：https://www.instagram.com/lennslept/
photography Tereza Mundilová
text Yukiko Yamane
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