"He wags in, screeches: hello, reverb, push me into the bathroom without further ado and say you look like Ida turkey throat.Now we want to make a star out of you."So Diegrß-like Hildegard Knef (1925-2002) described Berlin's best-known visagist René Koch.On Tuesday he celebrates his 75.birthday.
With Hildegard Knef, he had an intimate, 30-year friendship.Her artificial eyelashes are next to the folk lipstick for which she once advertised in a display case in his lipstick museum, where his private apartment is also located.A place of infinite stories - from stars, starlets and celebrities.He met so many in his life.There is a story for every photo on the wall.
"I don't have any wishes," he says and sips on a non -alcoholic beer in the big salon.He has lived there for 40 years.In addition to rhinestone-occupied lipsticks and pearl-occupied powderhaps, glittering stage raves and spring-occupied hats are draped. Schenkungen von Mary (von Mary & Gordy), Judy Winter oder der Knef.
Women always played a big role in his life.But one was very formative: "My mother was a tailor," he says."That's why I always looked like a Käthe Kruse doll as a child.Often with hats and pen on it."
He was born shortly after the war in Heidelberg as Rainer Koch.At the age of 14 he started training as a poster painter.In 1963 he moved to West Berlin.René in gay bars waited at night. „Ich war die erste Drag Queen Berlins", rühmt er sich."I staged myself as a art figure, with a wig, shrill make-up, but without stuffed bra." Das Schminken machte ihm Spaß.
He borrowed 3,000 D-Mark from the son of Josephine Baker to attend the cosmetics school, which was only attended by women at the time.In 1969 he received his diploma and starts with the American group Charles of the Ritz, becoming a chief Visagist there.Later at Yves Saint Laurent.
Actress Shirley Maclaine was his first big star."She appeared in Düsseldorf.Her make -up case was gone.A Cologne newspaper called me to help me out."
Then came countless others: Shirley Bassey, Joan Collins, Liza Minelli, Mireille Mathieu, Eartha Kitt, Milva, Brigitte Nielsen, Claudia Schiffer.
Many became friends.The beam man with the blue eyes is well received by women.Rarely did the make -up only remain."I gave them more and more.I made up her soul."
So also with Hilde."I got to know her in 1979 at the Tunation Ball in the ICC.Our basis was humor." 50 persönliche Briefe hat er von ihr gesammelt.Together with the photos, they are stored in a nasty cardboard box."You can only be together if you laugh at the same and cry the same.That connects - like me and Udo." Sein bester Freund.
Star coiffeur Udo Walz and René Koch-The Beauty Dream team in the capital.Every Monday they meet for coffee in front of the Kempinski Hotel. „Früher wollten die Fans Autogramme, heute nur noch Selfies", sagt er."And when nobody comes after an hour to be photographed with us, Udo always says: Is nothing going on in the city."
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They have matured together, but René Koch does not want to be described as a senior."I don't look like a senior.I am a Happy-Ager." Seine neueste Herzensangelegenheit: „Niemand darf wegen seines Alters diskriminiert werden.I want paragraph 3 of the Basic Law to be supplemented in this way." Ganz im Trend der Zeit startet er nächste Woche mit einem Blog und einem Podcast im Internet namens „Happy ager".
Where does he get this energy from?"You can get that from the birth. Der eine ist ein Diesel, andere sind Benziner und ich bin ein Überflieger", erklärt er lachend.
René was brought up Catholic."My aunt was abbess of a monastery.I go to church every Sunday." Sündigt er denn auch manchmal? „Wenn, dann die Schokoladen-Pralinen, die Himmlichen von Leysieffer.And champagne."
Otherwise he lives very healthy, pays attention to the diet, cooks fresh every day, for himself and his partner Dieter Stadler (66).The food is on the table at 1 p.m..They have been lined for 40 years.Dieter is an art historian and curator in the lipstick museum.He lives around the corner.In the evening he always goes home."We have all over the day.We have found closeness."
He wanted to get out with Dieter.You drove to Cannes.But after six weeks they returned to the turbulent Berlin.
Is there anything he regrets?"My conservative father put me outside because I am gay.When he was in the hospital when he was ill with Parkinson's, my mother called me that he regretted that he had no understanding of my sexual orientation.But I remained stubborn.He died without we talking to each other again. Nach seinem Tod gab mir meine Mutter einen Zettel, darauf stand mit zittriger Hand geschrieben: Vergib‘ Deinem alten, Vater, der so viele Fehler gemacht hat", sagt René Koch mit brüchiger Stimme."You have to be able to forgive.Otherwise you will carry a load into old age."
