INSIDER’S GUIDE
The loungewear designer on carousing in the German capital – and where to recuperate afterwards
For me, Berlin is synonymous with partying. It’s a famously anti-establishment city that is very different to London, Paris or New York – you don’t go there for fine dining or luxury shopping, but the nightlife is what makes it special.
Clubbing in Berlin is a completely different experience to anywhere else I have been. A lot of the clubs have huge outdoor areas where you can drink delicious and cheap cocktails on the banks of a river or on the rooftop of a boat. Berghain famously opens on Friday at midnight and shuts on Monday lunchtime, while others, such as Club der Visionaere, do close, but only for a few hours. The gardens often have beautiful trees – you can go and spend all day… and night… and the next day.
My younger brother Alec Falconer is a DJ and lived in Neukölln for a few years. When my children were small, I would come out for a weekend and forget about being a mother or a business owner, and just reconnect with myself on the dancefloor surrounded by a sweaty, dancing mass of people listening to techno.
I wear very minimal make-up in Berlin. If I go out for the day, then I don’t plan to come home until the next morning. I go for Nars tinted moisturiser, which gives my skin a lovely natural, dewy finish, a bold Pat McGrath sparkly eye that will survive the day, and a nude lipstick, such as Pillow Talk by Charlotte Tilbury.
I always stay at Soho House. It’s centrally located and has a rooftop with a pool and fabulous views over the city, where I order Palomas and padrón peppers. It also has a great spa, which is essential for detoxing after the previous night and day’s excesses.
I love Caligari, a small, understated Italian restaurant in Neukölln, especially for its burrata, lasagne and tiramisù. For sundowners in the summer, I go to Tempelhofer Feld, which is a former military airfield, with a bottle of rosé. In the evenings, it feels like a mini-festival with people d
