ONE NIGHT IN VENICE...

My first memory of Venice is me and my sister as kids, pressing our noses against the dirty window of a Vaporetto, the Venetian water bus. Wave by wave the city of canals came closer and I’ll never forget this distinctive view of the Piazza San Marco approaching. I’ve never seen such architectural beauty before and ever since this moment Venice had put a love spell on me.

Years later, one of my first big shootings happened in Venice. An epic campaign shoot with Louis Vuitton. I’ll never forget. There is something special in the air, an incomparable magic that makes you love drunk and adventurous. It always excites me to go back, because every trip is so different but always attached to the same familiar feeling.

This week I finally came back! The Swiss watch manufacturer Jaeger-LeCoultre invited us to celebrate the art of filmmaking with them, discover secret Palazzos, serenade through hidden canals and enjoy a glamorous Dinner at the 75th Biennale di Venezia. We got to taste the best Italian Food (fresh fish & pasta), smelled the salty air and enjoyed a cinematic boat ride through the sunset, that took us to our Dinner location: a remote dock. There, at the Venetian Arsenal, everything looked like straight out of a James Bond Movie. A contemporary warehouse hangar, handsome men in black tie suits, trays of champagne (one landed on my dress, later that night) and lots of precious watches…

As official partner of the Venice International Film Festival Jaeger-LeCoultre presents a personalized Reverso watch to the winners of the Best Film (Leone d’Oro, the Golden Lion Award) and I myself got to wear an iconic Reverso on this occassion. I’ve chosen the Reverso One Réédition, an elegant adaption of the 1930s model featuring a dainty case, sleek black dial and a chic leather strap. So so good and definitely on my wishlist!

Guests like David Cronenberg (big fan!), Dakota Fanning and Daniel Brühl + a retrospective exhibition of precious timepieces made this evening even more special. As the maison is celebrating its 185th anniversary, there truly was a lot to „watch“. For example the world’s smallest mechanical watch movement, the Calibre 101, all hand made by dedicated Jaeger-LeCoultre watch makers.

I felt incredibly honored to be part of this Biennale magic! I think there is nothing more cinematic than walking down a red carpet or strolling through the breathtaking Piazza San Marco with the love of your life beside you. And there it was again: the spell of love and adventure that caught me back then, in that Vaporetto…