Ladies & Gentlemen: Art comes from combs

What should I wear? This question is of great concern to people who go to openings and, even more importantly, to art fairs like Art Basel. You're officially there for the art, so you want to blend in as casually as possible with the strenuous, effortless artist looks of the others. And ideally, of course, you would look like a real collector with a financial and tasteful background. But that's really a waste of effort. Because the big gallerists and collectors have already made their sales before such art events have even begun - in hotels or private jets. So you're already outed as a hanger-on, even if you're invited to the preview event, like Claudia Schiffer here at the Frieze Art Fair in London . Yes, her favorite Andy Warhol painting hangs in her home, as does an Ed Ruscha painting called "Marry Me," her husband's commissioned marriage proposal. Answering the question about her favorite Warhol picture doesn't help her be taken seriously, any more than the outfit she's wearing here. Why, it looks good and unobtrusive, thinks the unsuspecting observer. Yes, but the well-combed Schiffer is wearing an all-over look by Chloé, a label she models for, which painfully demonstrates the eternally lamented entanglement of art and commerce. If only she had at least carried a cotton tote with the gallery logo instead of an It-bag to this clean advertising space! How do you go looking for art in style? Especially never at the opening, but always when everyone has left. And then simply as yourself.

The agile 70-year-old pictured here is Mario Testino, one of the world's most famous and most booked fashion photographers until 2018. He shot, for example, the legendarily suggestive Tom Ford campaigns and the less suggestive British royals, and had a direct line to all the supermodels of the old fashion world. His career in and around the flashlight ended rather abruptly, however, when allegations of sexual harassment arose and many fashion brands turned their backs on him. A verdict has never been reached in this matter, and since then, Testino has done what many men do who only grudgingly accept their retirement: travel a lot and stand around at art fairs with freshly done teeth. His look at the reunion with Claudia S. is fitting, a typical active senior look, one you also often see at Tegernsee and in all the marina restaurants around the world: The sneakers from the Swiss brand On are very important, signaling on the surface that this guy is still dynamic and on his feet all day. And on the subconscious side, that this guy also values ​​a very comfortable footbed. He also paired them with trousers in a casual color, which clearly contrasts with the poor, working population. Premium seniors also like to show off red or yellow trousers on such occasions, because they are open-minded. On top of everything, Testino's art fair appearance was a gaping mess of shirt, jacket, and transitional jacket. This way, he was prepared for whatever adventures the day might bring. But most of the time, the greatest adventure is the thrill of finding out in the evening which of the many pockets he hid his keys in.