In Conversation With Fashion Influencer Marie Von Den Benken
Marie von den Benken is a woman of ambition. An entrepreneur, fashion blogger, Instagram influencer and occasional model she writes about fashion, models, and lifestyle.
She is also a columnist for the German magazine ‘Stern’ and is known for delivering wordplays to her twitter followers. Whether sharing her latest fashion or documenting her worldwide travels, Marie constantly entertains.
As she continues to make her mark, we sat down with Marie to discuss her journey to becoming a social media influencer and her future plans.
On having an unusual name for her social media profiles: Regendelfin (i.e. dolphin of rain in German)
I opened my Twitter account a few days after my 22nd birthday in April 2011 on a whim. I love dolphins and it was raining that night. Not typical of Hamburg, I know. I haven’t given it much thought. So it was rain dolphin. If I’d known where this was going, I might have given it more thought. On the other hand: Regendelfin is different from the other names. That’s something. Different is supposed to be good, because of a unique selling proposition and so on.
On whether the fashion world was what she expected it to be:
I was too young to immerse myself in the industry with really formulated expectations when it started. But of course, I was shaped by things that you just hear when you deal with them. All this is there, and especially when it comes to eating disorders, you really have to be careful. You have to develop the strength to shape your body in the best possible way through healthy nutrition and sport but always remain aware that you will only succeed with a healthy body. You have to go your own way without being distracted. There will be many temptations, but in the end, you decide for yourself. No booker, agent, photographer or customer may put things in your head that let you use such methods. In case of doubt, you move away from the agency or the client, if it always goes in this direction.
On whether she is inspired by other models:
Of course. This ‘I am unique, I don’t want to be the second Cara Delevingne’ is nonsense. Every girl wants to be the second Cara Delevingne. It sounds weird to me now because I’m three years older than Cara, but you know what I mean. Cara was the muse of Lagerfeld, goes in and out of Chanel and all other top designers, is Burberry face and Everybody’s darling in the fashion world. At the same time, she is also a successful actress, influencer and also wrote her first novel. It seems she can do anything. Who doesn’t want to be like this? By the way, wanting to be like that doesn’t mean wanting to copy it. But that’s inspiration for me: people who get the best out of themselves.
On whether journalism will be a central professional activity at some point in the future:
I believe that journalism, at least the kind of journalism I do, should primarily entertain. Influencers and journalists are not so dissimilar. And it’s obvious that I won’t win a Pulitzer Prize with my journalistic work. So I think it would be a good thing if journalism, which is the main area of my professional activity, were to be the focus of my work at some point in the future. I like to create creativity, good stories, just interesting content. And of course, at the end of the day, it is more charming to be praised for funny lyrics than for appearance.
On her best beauty secrets and beauty/skin care tips:
Of course, I can’t give them away here now, so they’re not secret anymore. But what does for me personally more for a beautiful skin, than any beauty product, is to do without too much sugar, milk products, and chips. The Eyebrow Styling Gel from Lavera is also great to give your eyes more expression. If you have 15 minutes, you should definitely put on the Anti-Age Patch Gel Liftant eye pads. It’s like a live-cell therapy. Otherwise, a little rouge will have to do.
On what era she would like to bring back:
Definitely the’80s. I am officially lucky enough to be ‘Made in the 80s’, but when you’re born in April 1989, of course, you get absolutely nothing live from the eighties. But no matter who I ask, which generation. Ten, 20 or 30 years older than me. Almost everyone says the’80s were terrific – I’d really like to experience it myself. The eighties in a big city like Berlin, Hamburg, London or New York must have been quite a hit. I don’t think today’s cocktail parties are keeping up.
On some the favorite things she does in her free time:
I travel so much that I really enjoy being at home. I play with my cats, I try to decorate my home or invite friends. But I’m also a big fan of sport. I’m sailing and now also kiting. And series. I must admit, I really belong to the Netflix generation. Amazon Prime, Maxdome. I just saw the second season of “Jerks”, before that “House of Money”. Probably this passion is also due to the fact that you can follow it everywhere. I watch shows at airports, in cabs, on trains.
On who her favorite photographer is and why:
Without question Paul Ripke. Well, not for his pictures. They’re good too, sure. But he is actually the photographer god because one can talk to him on an intellectual level about the art form of photography, that one must call him without question the Immanuel Kant of the fashion industry.
On having a mentor:
In the form of an older or more experienced person who can give valuable advice, that would be my father. I learned most of what he taught me. He has dealt with me and my sister already as we were very young gender-independent. I had to develop manual skills, build garden houses or cabinets. And I developed a love for football, for Borussia Dortmund. Neither is typical of a young girl. But it’s almost cliched that you have to emphasize it like this.
On the most and least exciting aspects of being a model:
Most exciting would be that you get to know the world, get to be in the most fantastic places and the most incredible cities and meet a bunch of extremely creative, interesting people. The least exciting aspect is the constant rejection. You can only see the jobs and the ads on the girls’ profiles, of course. What you never see are the jobs you didn’t get. Even well-working girls, who can make a good living from modeling, get 8 rejections at 10 castings. And because it’s only your appearance that’s judged, it’s hard to process. But it’s part of everyday life.
On Future goals, her life motto and words of wisdom that get her by:
My personal goal is to help as many animals as possible. I have a specific goal I’m working towards. At some point, I would like to buy a lot of land and build a farm of grace there. Otherwise, I think it’s quite simple. Treat every living being the way you want to be treated. You don’t have to become everyone’s best friend. But respect and helpfulness and a little friendliness are usually enough to separate without a fight.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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