Urban Gardening with Tsellot and Birkenstock

High above the rooftops of Neukölln, in the Klunkerkranich cultural roof garden, you can immerse yourself in a completely different world. For over 10 years, this unique location on the top car park level of the Neukölln Arcaden has been a centrepiece for club and subculture. By day, Klunkerkranich’s terrace is a green oasis, inviting Berliners to escape the Neukölln streets below, while by night, the space pulses with the city’s creative heartbeat. Expanding their program even further, the “Hinter den Alpen” club space, launched in 2017, has curated intimate electronic music nights spanning techno, house, downtempo, and disco, attracting a lineup of Berlin’s most celebrated collectives.

Horstwirtschaft, a non-profit organisation for biodiverse urban gardening, provides a green oasis on the outdoor areas of the Klunkerkranich, where we meet Tsellot Melesse, wandering around in the Highwood by Birkenstock from the AW24 collection.

The shoes embody the philosophy of ‘walking as nature intended’ – a perfect metaphor for Tsellot’s approach to life and her creative work. With the DEEP BLUE FOOTBED, an innovative version of the brand’s own legendary footbed, they are designed for all those who love the outdoors. Functionality and comfort merge here with a modern look, a shoe made for a session of urban gardening.

Tsellot is not only an influential and inspiring personality in the fashion and music industry, she is more than just a face of Berlin’s creative scene. As a casting director, known for her colourful imagery and her down-to-earth attitude that emphasises her authenticity, she has made it her mission to put underrepresented communities in the spotlight. Her work – contemporary, with a touch of humour – tells stories that need to be seen and heard. In recent years, she has also broken new ground as a presenter and host of shows and events. Through this, she not only gives a voice to the BIPoC & LGBTQIA+ community, but also creates a space for important social discussions and creative development.

Tsellot is simply born for the stage. Her warm and humorous manner immediately captivates everyone on set, and once she starts talking you can hardly stop her. In a conversation with SLEEK, she shares more about her work, being in front of the camera and how she spends her time outside of work.

Lina Kürschner: Transitioning from producer to casting director to filmmaker, you’ve worn many hats in the creative world. What was the moment you knew you wanted to step behind the camera and tell stories in your own way?

Tsellot: To be honest, I always wanted to be in front of the camera but I didn’t trust myself to do it. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be creative enough or have enough ‘it-factor’. Sometimes I have full creative flow, but sometimes creativity is intangible for me. As I’m a control freak, I felt like I had to do something that I could control, that I could rely on. That’s why I first went in the direction of production and casting. Over time I moved towards directing and storytelling and about two years ago, I took the plunge in front of the camera. I started a report for Funk called Ultraviolett Stories. Before that, I had already hosted other events and formats such as the SEEK Tradeshow or even the Boiler Room. 

LK: How do you find the experience of being in front of the camera versus behind it?

T: It’s a wonderful feeling to finally get all the attention I’ve always wanted. The feedback from my viewers was also super positive, I probably have a certain aura about me that people really appreciate – that has boosted my self-confidence enormously. I’m all the more pleased about all the opportunities I have right now and appreciate it so much every time I’m allowed to go on stage! Nevertheless, it would be a lie to say that I’m not nervous before a stage performance, but then on stage I’m like, I love everything about this!

LK: As a casting director and film director with a mission to represent underrepresented communities, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in breaking through barriers? 

T: I’ll explain this using a very recent example: I made a film called Ebony Peaks, which premiered on the 16th of October, but we’re not actually promoting it until the end of October. The protagonists are three black FLINTA from my outdoor club for black women and non-binary people, Black Canary, who climb a four-thousand metre peak for the first time, the Bishorn in Switzerland. It’s a story of bravery, friendship and breaking barriers, driven by our desire to increase diversity within the outdoor space. When I founded the outdoor club, it was always a dream to show my girls real mountaineering with crampons, sub-zero temperatures, camping, the full program. I managed to pitch the film and sell it to a competitor brand. The film is almost a comedy, a funny outdoor film with some dark humour – that’s just my style.

Many who have already seen the premiere were enthusiastic and inspired. My FLINTAs also thought everyone would love this film. But the first comment after it was published on YouTube was: ‘No one should be favoured because of their gender, their origin, …’, so he quoted the Basic Law, and then he wrote: ‘With such a homogeneous group, as seen here, these principles seem irrelevant. As a subscriber and customer, brand xy has lost me.’ As a politically left-wing person, this didn’t leave me untouched since things like that happened before. So the biggest challenge is not to be irritated and dragged down by people like this guy, because I know that in the end you’re doing something positive. 

LK: What changes would you still like to see in the industry, what else needs to be done to break up the old structures?

T: There needs to be significantly more platforms and attention for such stories. Be supportive, help where you can! We need more spaces for groups like Black Canary – also in a figurative sense. I think that I probably won’t change anything on a big meta level – but I firmly believe that we can do a lot for the local community and that this in turn will eventually lead to a chain reaction. Together we can make a huge difference! But for now, I’m concentrating on Berlin – or Schöneberg for that matter.

LK: As a true Berliner, Berlin is such a big part of your identity—what is it about the city that most shaped your perspective as a storyteller and creative? Are there particular moments from growing up here that still inspire you today?

T: There are so many things. I grew up in Schöneberg and I love Berlin but it’s such a love-hate relationship – I was in the techno scene for a long time and learnt a lot from it. My parents founded an Ethiopian free evangelical church here together with other people and I grew up in a very large Ethiopian community, which shaped me a lot. In contrast to this was my West-Berlin being. I didn’t grow up in such nice circumstances with unemployment benefit, we couldn’t really afford anything. I always remained realistic, but my mum always said to me: ‘Tsellot, dream big you never know whats happening in your future, your circumstances shouldn’t define you’. If my parents hadn’t given me this hope, I wouldn’t do so many things today.

LK: Is there something you haven’t done yet, either in your career or personally, that you’d love to do one day?

T: I really want to perform on television! Preferably with my own show but I don’t want to give too much away because I’m currently working on a project for next year. Apart from that, I’m planning to promote the mountains of Africa next year, because there’s more than just Kilimanjaro. I would like to take on 5 mountains in five different African countries. 

Not to forget: One day I would love to buy my parents a church, as they currently have to rent theirs, which is very expensive. These are just the goals for the next three to five years. I have so many more dreams.

LK: When you’re not on set or working on a project, how do you like to spend your free time?

T: The question hits a sore spot for me, because I think that I do so much which is also a trauma reaction for me from back then. I don’t go travelling with other people, apart from my projects. All my jobs are very social. That’s why I disappear every 3-5 weeks, usually to some mountain and don’t want to talk to anyone for 8 days. Otherwise, I do a lot of sport during the week, like boxing or bouldering. To be honest, reality-TV also helps me to relax. I even once applied to Love is blind – Its my favourite! I really thought they would take me and I even told my mum that I was getting married soon but of course I didn’t end up being selected. Well, maybe next time. 

LK: What’s the last thing you watched, read, or listened to that really inspired you?

T: Love is Blind at 2am last night. No, I’m completely serious. I would like to produce and host my own dating show one day – but with approachable people and not well-known social media figures. I want Berlin mess in a reality TV-show. I LOVE DATING and dating shows, that’s why I founded the 1PLUS1 speed dating platform in Berlin. I actually came up with the idea of founding Black Canary because of my ex-boyfriend. He always spent a lot of time travelling alone outdoors and I didn’t really understand that at the time. After our first holiday together, I really got into it. So it took a white man to give me this access and that’s why I thought my black sisters might need a black CIS woman to open the door to nature for them. And here I am.

LK: Talking about nature – Are you into urban gardening yourself?

T: My mum gave me a cactus when I was 14 – a short time later it had dried up. I think that says it all. We’ve done some urban gardening together with Black Canary, but I don’t really have a green thumb. My mum studied agricultural science and is the opposite of me. Nevertheless, I love the concept of urban gardening. We have a few tomatoes and all kinds of herbs on our balcony at home. It would actually be an absolute dream to have my own allotment and then harvest the vegetables there with my Birkis. 

LK: Can you see yourself wearing the Birkenstocks not just in the garden, but in your everyday life?

T: Yes, of course, I always have Birkenstocks with me on my hikes. But not for hiking, they’re the shoes I put on first when I get out of the tent in the morning or for my evening routine: I always slip into my Birkis straight from my hiking boots. Here in Berlin, I always wear my Birkenstocks in the neighbourhood, with woollen socks. They are my Sunday shoes because of the comfortable footbed.

LK: If you could design a custom Birkenstock that reflects your personality, what elements would you include?

T: I would definitely have a lot of charms on it or put patches on it. Like little mushrooms. Either in dark green or blue – Hertha blue. I would then combine them with extremely large flower clips in my hair. My outfits are always very colourful and I attach great importance to small accessories. There are lots of football key rings on my bag – one with Diego Maradona. The other day I had a Hertha blue shower net in my hair, which you can get in the Afroshop, and it hung in my hair like a veil. A date at the stadium with Hertha blue Birkis – that’s still on my to-do list.

CREDITS

Photography: Daniel Vaysberg
Styling: Veronika Dorosheva
Talent: Tsellot
Hair & MakeUp: Titi Amoako
Creative Direction & Concept: Claude Gerber
Creative Production: Jule Nötzel, Kaya Wolfinger
Styling Assistant: Johanna Burghagen

Special thanks to Klunkerkranich