The Faces: our heroes and heroines of the month

Taylor Tomlinson – Sleeping in

When the desk of a late-night talk show on TV is newly occupied, it’s almost always “good night” for women. But finally a brilliant stand-up comedian has a good laugh: Taylor Tomlinson takes over James Corden’s slot with “After Midnight”, succeeding top dog Stephen Colbert. The 29-year-old is by no means a Bambi: two Netflix specials (“Quarter-Life Crisis”, “Look At You”) and the podcast “Sad and the City” have established the Californian as a bright performer over the past three years.

Take a look at how the news about Taylor Tomlinson’s new show started here. You can also find more information about Taylor and her show here.

Tarik Tesfu – Black-Red-Glam

His traffic light coalition is not limited to three colors, but glows in all the colors of the rainbow. So Germany’s self-appointed glam minister has our vote for sure. When Tarik Tesfu talks about socio-political and queer issues as a presenter (ARD’s “A Glamorous Takeover”) and podcaster (“Tratsch & Tacheles”), he finds the right words. And recently he has also hit the right notes as a singer on the debut EP “Mutterland”. What if he simply has to stand still? Then as a model for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and H&M.

Curious? You can listen to Tarik Tesfu’s new music here.

Kali Uchis – Flower Power

In spring, Kali Uchis released “Red Moon in Venus”, an album that was intended to fill the Garden of Eden with sound via loudspeakers. No other music sounded so dazzling, so sensual in 2023. And the Colombian is already cultivating a new work: “Orquideas”, an ode to her homeland, where over 3,600 orchid species bloom, will be published in January. The flower has fascinated people for thousands of years as an aphrodisiac, psychedelic substance and symbol of femininity. No one else pours such attributes into song form more aptly than the Grammy winner.

Here you can see what’s going on at Kali Uchis, and here you can listen directly to the tracks from the album “Red Moon in Venus”.

Kevin Wettmann – Winter sun

Clinging on to mulled wine and still feeling like last summer? We will also be playing the album “Softboi” by Melodiesinfonie. Even months later, the Zurich musician’s songs transport us to barefoot hours by the river. Kevin Wettmann used to program beats for American hip-hop labels, but now he takes up every conceivable instrument and musically connects Switzerland with the rest of the world. The sound is warm, the message gentle: we need hugs like this, especially in winter.

Listen to the album “Softboi”, here you can start grooving right away.

Maria Nilsdotter – Art of Gold

Precious materials, mystical motifs: anyone coming across jewelry designer Maria Nilsdotter’s pieces for the first time will think they have unearthed a fantastic treasure. Her latest collection is based on a tarot set she designed herself. But we don’t need to draw a map to predict a great future for the Swede. Her sparkling works of art are already clinging to the skin of Kylie Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Crown Princess Victoria. But despite the high-caliber customer register, the collections also stand out for their affordability.

Want some bling-bling? You can shop directly here and view Maria Nilsdotter’s entire collection.

Necati Öziri – Foreign word dad

Heavy reading that is hard to put down. In his debut novel “Vatermal”, Necati Öziri describes the gaping wound of a migrant family. The son talks to a man who is his father – but nothing more. The linguistically brilliant indictment is not redeemed by a final verdict. Apart from the German Book Prize, on whose shortlist the German Turk’s literary debut is on. The long-time dramaturge from Berlin captivates with his words in the theater as much as on the pages of a book.

The German Book Prize has highlighted Necati Öziri in a portrait. You can watch the article here.

Shohei Ohtani – King of the ball

Do we know anything about baseball? Honestly: not like this. But the fact that America’s favorite pastime is currently being enchanted by the best of all time has also reached us. Shohei Ohtani breaks records like matchsticks. After leaving the L.A. Angels, the Japanese player is now the most coveted free agent in sports history. The next club will have to put up at least half a billion dollars. By comparison, this would make “Sho-Time” twice as expensive as the currently most valuable footballer in the world (Erling Haaland of Manchester City).

All information about his playing skills and the best moments of Shohei Ohtani can be found here.

Amanda Serrano – Iron Woman

Ding-Ding-Ding! When Amanda Serrano left the ring after her victory against Danila Ramos, she had not only defended her world championship, but changed boxing forever: For the first time, a women’s title fight was held in twelve rounds of three minutes each. This rule was previously reserved for men. But the Puerto Rican insisted on equal treatment – and will only compete under these conditions in the future. The competition is already doing extra laps on the skipping rope to keep up with this champion

Follow Amanda Serrano here on Instagram and see the athlete behind the scenes.

Thom Browne – The Grey Gatsby

The gray suit is his playground. Thom Browne has turned the drab business uniform into a trademark that is conformist at first glance and kinky at second. The American notoriously cuts jacket sleeves and trouser legs short – or replaces them with shorts. The designer had to defend his second distinguishing feature – the four stripes – in court against Adidas. Since the beginning of the year, he has presided over the Council of Fashion Designers of America as a gray eminence. Just in time for the 20th anniversary of his label.

You can find the latest collections from Thom Browne here and follow the brand on Instagram here.

Molly Manning Walker – Consent is King

England’s youth often fly to Malia to drink, but rarely to Cannes to win film awards. Director Molly Manning Walker managed to do just that at the film festival. Her debut work “How to Have Sex” follows a group of teenagers who crave endless nights and bad decisions while on vacation in a Greek party town. The filmmaker demystifies forced hedonism with great empathy and also processes her own experiences. Rarely has Gen-Z been portrayed so authentically. An insta-story at arthouse level.

You can watch the trailer for “How to Have Sex” here.

So many people to look up to: You can find our entire gallery of heroes here.