The connection between Berlin and New York has been deepening for some time now, what with the two city’s most creative denizens traveling back and forth between the respective cultural capitals. Which is perhaps why what began as a spontaneous move from the Big Apple to Germany’s capital for editor and art world figure Alyse Archer-Coité turned out to be a seamless transition. After rerouting a trip to Istanbul, Archer-Coité found herself interviewing for and taking on the role as international interview publication Freunde von Freunden’s new content editor.
Not only did Archer-Coité’s polished personal style fit right in with the city’s sleek, pared-down aesthetic, it was a logical next career move, allowing her to apply her Sotheby’s art auction house background. Jet-setting between the cities, at the moment she’s in New York to tackle a new project with BMW/Mini Business Innovation. Here, Archer-Coité reveals what Berlin 9-to-5 dressing looks like (it’s not as stiff as one would think!), how her personal style has evolved (from resembling a Young Republican to looking like a Young Black Panther), and how the perfect working ensemble requires a sick pair of slacks.
Art History Beginnings
I had great knowledge retention as a child; my mom would call me her “encyclopedia.” I loved knowing things: their origins, their etymology, their inventors, the years things were made, what they were made of. That curiosity led me to art history. I loved being able to see something beautiful and not having to leave it at that, being encouraged to figure out who made it, who owned it first, and how it found itself in your office. That sort of History Detectives quality really attracted me to auction house work.
I remember a time when there was a J.M.W. Turner up for auction, it had been given to the great-grandparents of the owner by the artist directly, and had been hidden away in an attic for like 90 years. The viewing window was like seven days . . . which meant there was one week for the public to see it before it disappeared into private hands again, potentially forever. That opportunity to experience the work, intimately, sometimes all alone after hours, to really know a piece, even if for only a few days . . . that was part of the magic for me. It changed my life and forever influenced my interaction with art.
Berlin vs. New York City Style
In my experience, Berlin tends to be a little more dressed-down. I can count on one hand how many women I saw wearing heels on a night out on the town. Having said that, I wouldn’t call it casual. The sensibility of Berlin is a style all its own. It fit in with my pre-existing wardrobe perfectly. The women there dress for the dual purpose of looking stylish and getting to work by bike. I really loved the functionality of it all and it’s something I’ll keep with me wherever I’m living. I am a forever fan of The Store at Soho House in Prenzlauer Berg. The clothing is expertly selected, but there is also this insane collection of rare and limited-run magazines, gorgeous specialty furnishings, and one-off design objects. I work from there often when I’m editing, and spend a fair amount of time imagining I live there.
Art World Prep Turns Art World Bold
I always joke when looking back at my work ID from my first job in New York City. It was at Sotheby’s on the Upper East Side, and I was 22 years old. In the photo I look like a founding member of the Young Republicans: I was deeply devoted to pearl earrings, cardigans, and tailored slacks. Throughout my career in the arts, I’ve changed it up a bit—I would describe the transition as Young Republican meets Young Black Panther. I was responding to the downtown aesthetic I was surrounded by in my Lower East Side neighborhood. I was wearing an Afro, leather jackets, and Ann Demeulemeester boots. Experimentation in the workplace wasn’t necessarily encouraged, but my personal flair was eventually accepted and tolerated. Now I would say I’m somewhere in between.
Work Uniform
I spend a lot of my day researching, which is probably the most fun! I’m looking at who’s changing the conversation around design and architecture, who is challenging staid norms and identifying those disrupters as potential collaborators. I’m reaching out to those individuals and finding new ways to work together. My job is to find intelligent ways to support their practice, either through offering resources or through community-building and knowledge-sharing. I definitely have a work “uniform.” I have these black slacks from Hope that have a subtle dropped crotch and slim fit. I wear them all the time. There is something about a well-tailored pair of slacks that really makes me feel confident and capable. At work, I feel invincible in them. The office can be a high-stress setting, and feeling good in what you are wearing is sometimes half the battle. So whatever your cape is, wear that as often as possible. For me, it’s a sick pair of slacks.
Let’s Call It Executive Realness
I always keep it real in meetings. By “real,” I just mean I dress like myself every day. I want clients to feel comfortable and feel like they are getting to know me when we meet. So I never force myself to wear something I think they would like. If I need to turn it up a bit, I will wear a pair of thigh-high boots from Proenza I fell in love with in Berlin, or a more dramatic earring. I almost always wear studs, so I’ll opt for a chandelier. But the boots are my go-to this winter. They are elongating and have silver accents in the heel. They are just fun to wear! I feel so foxy in them. I turn to Acne and Wood Wood for jackets and blazers, Rachel Comey for a good jumpsuit—those silhouettes aren’t easy to pull off—and Common Projects for shoes. I like to sprinkle in some Balenciaga if it makes sense.
Shoe Game
I am a sucker for a crisp pair of white sneakers, too. The three pairs that I have in regular rotation are by Common Projects, Carven, and some navy ones that were a collaboration between A.P.C. and Nike. I bought a pair of white leather Carven sneakers with peanut butter–tan interior. They breathed new life into my everyday wares and kept me upright on all those stairs and precariously cobblestoned streets. My office at Freunde von Freunden was on the fourth floor of a walkup and many of our daily team meetings took place on the rooftop, where we tended to our bee colony while discussing editorial direction, so my affinity for flats was sustained.
Keeping the Jewelry in the Family
I wear only family heirlooms or pieces that are especially sentimental, and I never take them off. I wear my grandmother’s diamond ring and a ring my mother designed when she was in her 20s. It’s a gold cigar band with her initials in it, and I have a simple silver and gold band I bought when I went to Berlin for the first time five years ago and two bangles. One is a brass hammered railroad spike from Giles & Brother and the other is a delicate diamond and gold one my father gave me.
In the Bag
I wake up early and try to go to the gym before work, which means I’m carrying around gym clothes all day, and that definitely affects my bag selection. I have one bag I always use—it’s a rectangular one from Acne and it’s my go-to. It fits my computer and iPad perfectly. I carry a camouflage tote bag from Bellerose for my workout clothes. My current project is with Mini and is focused heavily on design and architecture, which have been loves of mine for most of my career.
Winter Coats
I’ve pulled some oldies out of the closet this winter. All the moving around made me do some inventory control as winter was approaching. I didn’t want to have to lug all my winter coats back and forth from New York to Berlin, so I chose some of my favorites. I am not a fur advocate but do have some vintage fur pieces I’ve kept around for years: a vintage black Calvin Klein coat with black fox fur and a vintage Hermès shearling ski coat. I’ve lived my entire adult life in cities with intensely cold winters and have never considered buying a down coat, against all of my mother’s protestations. I’m not sure how I keep living through these nor’easters and mini blizzards without one. I hear they are perfect winter cocoons, but they’ve never been my style.
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