52
WORKSPIRIT
CB
IS THERE A PLACE WHERE YOU
PREFER TO WORK? AND RE-
SPECTIVELY A PLACE WHERE
YOU
ABSOLUTELY
CAN’T
WORK?
CB
IN A HOTEL DO YOU PREFER TO
WORK IN YOUR ROOM, OR DO
YOU
SIT
DOWNSTAIRS
IN
THE LOBBY?
DS
In my room. I need quiet. When
I’m focused on plans, I can’t sit
in a room full of people. It just
doesn’t work.
“I‘m great at working at the hotel in the evenings.”
CB
CAN YOU BRIEFLY TELL US
WHERE YOUR FIRST, SECOND
AND THIRD WORKPLACES ARE?
DS
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Herzogenaurach, Germany. The
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lin, and the third is simply
wherever I happen to be. At the
moment it’s in New York for
Fashion Week.
CB
WHAT ARE YOUR WORK TOOLS?
CB
WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN
RESPONSIBILITIES
AS
A CREATIVE DIRECTOR?
INTERVIEW BY CHRISTIANE BÖRDNER
After successfully presenting his collection as an independent designer in capitals like Paris and Antwerp
under the label Dirk Schönberger for ten years, he became the creative director and consultant for the
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Sport Style division at adidas.
With a revenue of 2 billion Euros in 2010 and a projected 3.5 billion Euro business plan for 2015,
according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Dirk Schönberger has the greatest output and revenue
in Germany’s fashion industry, after fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel. As the coordinating
leader he has found his own way to lead his creative team, currently spread over four countries in
three time zones.
CB
ARE YOU TRAVELLING MORE
OFTEN
THAN
YOU
ARE
IN
HERZOGENAURACH?
DS
I have the feeling I’m travelling
more often. But really, I prob-
ably spend most of my time in
my main workplace. Honestly, I
sometimes have the feeling that
I’m nowhere.
CB
YOU JUST HAD A SHOW, DID
YOU PUT ON Y-3?
DS
Yes,
and
we’re
now
sub-
sequently shooting the cam-
paign and lookbooks. I’m in
New York about four times a
year, usually for one to two
weeks each time. I’m in Port-
land, which is the headquarters
for the U.S. adidas Originals
team, just as often. I’m in
Shanghai two or three times a
year. That’s where the young
NEO Collection is being concep-
tualized. On top of this there’s
always a trip to Tokyo to Yohji
Yamamoto, who’s responsible
for the Y-3 collection. These are
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trips.
DS
Well, in airplanes I really can’t
function. I’ve often tried, and
genuinely intend to work, then I
realize that it’s just not possible.
In airplanes my thoughts totally
drift away and I can’t concen-
trate on anything. My mind is
busy, but I can’t put down on pa-
per what’s going on in there. Ul-
timately, every time I’m on the
go my mind is going too, but I
can’t open up my laptop and get
it down, it just doesn’t work.
To my disadvantage, I‘m great
at working at hotels in the even-
ings. Of course, I can also work
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have to see so many people
means that I can’t simply close
my door.
DS
iPhone,
iPad
and
Macbook.
I always have them with me.
Today I’m in a photo studio and I
have all three with me. If I’ll use
them all, that’s another ques-
tion.
CB
DO YOU ALSO HAVE A NOTE-
BOOK?
DS
Yes, I have one. I don’t draw on
the computer, rather by hand.
I can’t draw on the computer at
all. Straight pre-prepared lines
in Illustrator, where you only add
the details – I really don’t like
that. It would restrict me too
much.
DS
Mainly directing. I look at what
my colleagues have designed
and then we discuss if it’s going
in the right direction. When it’s
not then I give it a push.
CB
HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK UN-
DER YOU? HOW DO YOU LEAD
THEM WHEN YOU’RE TRAVEL-
LING?
DS
As I mentioned, they are in Port-
land, Shanghai, Tokyo, and so
on. Therefore we’re usually ex-
changing ideas in meetings, over
video conferences, or calls where
we’re sending PowerPoint pre-
sentations back and forth, et
cetera. This way you’re not just
sitting in planes.
