Costumes

Double Winner 2021!!!

I am the DOUBLE WINNER of the international contest of the “Best mask of the Venetian carnival 2021/digital edition on Instagram”!!!

The jury decided to give both of my costumes 

“La Medichessa della Peste” and 

“Gioia di vivere a Venezia” 

the shared first main prize as best costume.

I wasn’t able to decide which one would be more appropriate and represent these strange times we live in currently and the jury thought the same.

It was fun (and very convenient cause less cold) streaming the presentation from our bedroom and livingroom, together with my son, who gave me company with his costume the “Lion of the Venetian carnival” and my dear costume friend who gave me company for many years, Daniela P. Marino, who brought the “Medichessa” to elegant life. And thank you to my husband for filming and technical support.

We are invited to be present on stage for the upcoming carnevale. And we all hope it will take place and not be cancelled again. So, if you happen to be in Venice then, please come and meet me at the stage! I plan to be in Venice for both weeks of carnival and am working on a VERY SPECIAL, AMAZING project for 2022.

La Medichessa della Peste, winning costume 2021

The Medichessa was built in 2015, was in the finale of the contest in that year, but worn again and again for different occasions. When the Covid-plague hit us all in 2020, I knew her time had come even stronger. I added a stick with a virus she pinched her weapon through and her glorious triumph became real at the digital edition of the contest 2021.

The sculpturesc skirt in shape of a skull I built on a gymnast ball. 10 Layers of carta pesta, 1 kilo of hot glue and strong wire were needed to give it a stable structure. To cut all ornaments out with a knife almost killed my hands, but the effort was worth it. Usually the fabric is the grand show, here it is the skirt itself. The lace mask with black and gold lace gives a spooky but elegant tough to the classical mask of the Dottore della peste. The wig was entirely built from black hair, also the tricorno and the Campanile. Sexy and photogenic and so a point with the theme. I have to admit, it is one of my all time favourites.

La Gioia di vivere a Venezia

Venice and it’s carnival has always also in the historical carnival centuries ago lived the Lust for Life to the fullest. Also my son added his youthful, innocent joy of life to this already voluptuous costume with his jumping around throwing confetti- called coriandoli in Italian – through our whole bedroom. I still find some in corners and lampshades almost a year after. He was so proud to be part of the winning team and it helped him a lot comping with the sadness of covid-lockdown. And Venice is also well known for its gorgeous, secretly hidden gardens. So I built this costume in 2018, initially to bring a bit of Venice to the Venetian fair in Ludwigsburg (bi-annual celebrations) where this costume had its premiere and was also very well received. People told me how much they loved the many details like the doll with music that turned on the top of my almost 1m tall wig. And the stunning shoes. And the watering can as handbag…and the very special hidden feature unter the rain of my costume…my buttocks that b(e)ared a tattoo that says: A life less ordinary. I also made lashes with flower leaves, an extra special make up. This costume is pure eye candy and celebrates the joy of life! And this is what we all need most in these sad, depressing times of social distancing and reduced opportunities to celebrate life. This dress is a remedy for the eye and soul, even if not to wear…. cause this is a real challenge with a wig of that size.

I personally think to have them both on the throne of the competition side by side is a perfect choice of the jury because it represents all that the Venetian carnival stands for and gives us hope, we will continue sharing creativity to the max. Worldwide and not just in Venice.

Viva carnevale, viva la gente, viva Venezia!

For 2022:

I am currently working on two stunning costumes. One for me personally and the other is a fantastic project that is still secret, so I cannot tell by now. Please follow me on facebook under my name “Tanja Schulz-Hess” and Instagram “I_am_worldofcostumes” for up dates. It will be amazing! 

Since I am fully vaccinated I am planning to be in Venice for carnival and my project most likely the two weeks before ash wednesday, starting for me at St. Valentin and ends on March 3rd.

Hope to see you all there, vaccinated, safe and with lots of joy of life! 

Sincerely, Tanja  

Ausstellungs 12.-26.2.2020 in der Elbschlossresidenz Hamburg Blankenese

Liebe Freunde, ich würde mich freuen, Euch zu meiner großen Ausstellung mit verschiedenen Events (Vortrag, Maskenworkshop und Cioccolata) in Hamburg begrüßen zu dürfen.

Es werden viele meiner textilen Skulpturen (auch gern Kostüme genannt) so wie viele Accessoires, Fotos und Bücher aus meinem Werk zu sehen sein.
Schuhe, Fächer, Masken, Geschichten, Leckereien. Es wird ein Fest des Carnevale, während des Carnevale, aber in meiner Heimatstadt an einem sehr edlen Ort, der wunderschönen Elbschlossresidenz in Blankenese.

Falls Ihr es schaffen könnt, vorbei zu kommen, schickt mir doch kurz eine Nachricht, vielleicht bin ich dann sogar vor Ort.

Carnevale 2017

Carnevale 2017…. der Countdown läuft

Liebe Freunde,
ich stecke noch kopfüber in den neuen Kostümen…deshalb hier nur kurz:

Dieses Jahr werden sechs neue Kostüme von mir die Straßen und Bälle Venedigs dekorieren. Lasst Euch überraschen!!! Ich werde sie diesmal sogar vorher posten, denn ich werde dieses Jahr nicht am Wettbewerb teilnehmen. In den nächsten Tagen (wenn ich fertig bin und alles eingepackt und verschickt habe) gibts hier auf der Seite und bei Facebook die frischen Bilder.

Mit beiden kleinen Kindern (die dieses Mal leider – und zu ihrem Unmut – mangels passender Schulferien nicht mitkommen können) wird es immer schwerer, alles rechtzeitig fertig zu kriegen. Aber mein lieber Mann lässt mich kommendes Wochenende noch einmal richtig Gas geben und die wandelnden Kunstwerke vollenden.

Heute, Freitag, den 10. Februar, bin ich in zwei vielgelesenen Zeitschriften Deutschlands, der HörZu und der Fernsehwoche, mit Bildern und Texten zum Karnevale und meinen Kostümen zu sehen.

Ich hoffe, wir sehen uns in Venedig! Ich bin vom 20.2.-1.3. dort. Bitte sprecht mich auf der Straße ruhig an, auch wenn ich grade fotografiert werde. Ich freue mich immer Euch zu treffen.

Alles Liebe aus Hamburg, Eure Tanja

 

Dear friends,

I am head over heels still deep in costume making!!! Thus just a short message:

This year there will be six new costumes of mine on display in the streets and banquets of Venice.

Be curious to see them, they are magnificent again!

And this time I will post them even before I go to Venice since I will not take part in the competition. During the next days (after I have finished and packed everything) there will be fresh pictures here on the website and on facebook.

With my two small kids attached it gets (whom this year won’t come with me to carnevale – they are very angry about that – since we don’t have matching school holidays) harder to get everything done in time. But my beloved husband gives me the next weekend hands free to give full throttle to finish the walking textile sculptures.

Today I am featured in two of the most read magazines in Germany, the “HörZu” and “Fernsehwoche” with pictures and stories about my costumes.

I hope to meet you in Venice, I will be there from Febuary 20th to 1st of March. Don’t hesitate to talk to me when you see me somewhere. I love to meet you!

Saluti da Amburgo, Tanja

 

Preview of Cercle art magazine online now

In October I was visited by the team of the circle of the innovative French art magazine Cercle. We spent a day in my atelier and an evening on a costume party with interviews and photo shooting. In April the magazine will be available worldwide with about 7.000 copies. They now published a teaser trailer which gives a glimpse of their artwork of this year’s theme “costumes”. Have a look.

Costume rental

After 15 years as a passionate amateur costume maker, in 2014 I am becoming a professional costume artist. So from now on I am very delighted to rent out all my costumes and wigs on stock (check the gallery for pictures) and also take requests to make costumes for customers and give workshops in how to learn my unusual techniques. If you are interested in renting any of my costumes, wig-sculptures or art pieces, feel free to  contact me. Read More

News update 2014

Dear friends all over the world,

just a few days left until I’m heading for Venice for the 15th year. This time I will be filmed by German TV ZDF for “Hallo Deutschland Mondän”. The TV people will follow me through Venice visiting my favourite places like Pasticceria Rizzardini, my hairdresser Michele Doardo (whose Banquet “The other side of the mask” I will attend on the 2nd of March, a few tickets still available), Caffé Florian for a delicious breakfast, etc.. Watch it on German TV ZDF of February 27th or 28th between 5 and 6 in the evening.

And I am going to attend the luxurious banquet “Best of Ballo del Doge” by the famous Antonia Sautter (who will be in the same film from ZDF). I was asked to wear one of her costumes, which is a first for me since I never wore somebody else’s costume in Venice before.

Another first for me: I will be having an exhibition of ten of my costumes (1st till 9th of March) plus being walking act the weekend after Venice (8th and 9th of March) at a big fair in Kassel, Germany. Here you can see my costumes being displayed the first time in an exhibition.

But first is not only for me in 2014: I am delighted to welcome my friend Beat from Basel, Switzerland, to be my gentlemen in costume. Beat some years ago invited me to the great Basel Fasnacht and now it is his turn to discover the Venetian Carnival.

This year in general will bring a lot of changes for me as a costume maker. My passion, my second life, will after March become my profession. After 14 years of working for the German political magazine DER SPIEGEL I decided to change my worklife to about 180 degrees: I am happy and lucky to have a chance to now broaden my creative work and add a lot of projects I have been thinking about for years. So after having a look at this year’s costume collection (most photos will be out by the end of March) it is worth taking more looks at this page through 2014.

Be curious for all the creative aspects I will unfold after March (can’t wait!!!). Lot’s of interesting things to come! Promised.

This year I will also spend more time on good photography during the carnival which I have not done that much during the last years. Most likely I will not take part in the competition and spend more time with photographers and the audience. Hope to meet you in the calle and piazze in Venice. Give me a hello when you see me and hope to see you in Carnevale (I will be in Venice from the 21st of Febuary till the 5th of March). I will check facebook and emails frequently. If you want to contact me, feel free to send me a message.

Ci vediamo a Venezia ed buon Carnevale!!!!

Tanja

Coming to Venice 2013

Dear friends all over the world,

just a few days left until Carnevale 2013. This year our whole little family will travel to Italy again to celebrate the beautiful carnvival of Venice. The boys will take it slow and we girls (my daughter and I) will be in town for the days around the peak weekend which will be early (9th & 10th of febuary) this year. So keep your fingers crossed for good, dry and not too cold weather for us, we might need it.

Sophia and I will wear two different, stunning dresses throughout the days and also take some time to enjoy the children’s carnival by the Biennale at Giardini and hopefully find some interesting and inspiring work shops etc. for Sophia.

So if you see some dolled up mother and daughter and golden treasures walking around, it might be us. Don’t hesitate so say “hello” to us.

Ci vediamo a Venezia, Tanja


Update Feb. 04: I was on TV! Click on the image to start the video.

Volunteers wanted!!!

If you ever wanted to wear one of my costumes for free, here is the chance to do so: For the Caribean Carnvial Parade in Aalborg, Denmark, http://aalborgkarneval.dk/?lang=en
I am invited to present my Venetian costumes. But it only makes sense to have about ten costumes to be impressive amongst the huge Caribean costumes. For that I need people who are willing and able to enjoy to dive into the world of costume art and becoming a totally different personality for a day or two.

I will soon post the list of the costumes that I will present there. If you would like to be a part of my troupe please contact me a.s.a.p. . I will guarantee for big fun, an extraordinary experience, good photographs (that you will get for free, my husband will take them during the days) and a great setting at the Aalborg Carnival (they expect about 25.000 participants and 100.000 viewers). Unfortunately I cannot pay for you guys since I am also investing money in going, staying, transportation etc. But I will do my best to help you with accomodation and organization. And at least you get the mentioned above things for free, which also is valuable.

So, let me know if you want to join us on May 25th (Friday) and 26th (Saturday) in Denmark.
Drop me a mail or ring (number on this site)

Tanja