“Willkommen in Berlin" invited the club members to a book presentation on 31 January 2023 in cooperation with the WiB Book Club. The book "Konsum - Warum wir kaufen, was wir nicht brauchen” (Consumption - Why We Buy What We Do Not Need) was presented in the presence of the author Carl Tillessen that attracts great interest from our club members. Our warmest thanks to the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia who was very kind to once again host the WiB special event in their beautiful premises in the embassy district in the Tiergarten.

After a pleasant welcome of the Estonian ambassador, H.E. Mr. Alar Streimann, Dr. Jana Heilmaier, the group leader of the WIB Book Club, introduced the author. Carl Tillessen holds degree in Business Administration and Art History. In 1997, he founded the Berlin fashion label Firma. As creative director and managing director, not only he developed the award winning collection for 17 years that was sold worldwide, but also his own stores, an online store and a cosmetics line. Today, Tillessen works as a trend analyst for the German Fashion Institute and a management consultant for well-reputed fashion and luxury brands on trend and strategy issues.

“Konsum” is Tillessen’s first book. In this book, he explores the question of how, where and above all why, we buy. He reads passages from various chapters and as an insider, takes us behind the scenes of a global propaganda whose success is primarily based on manipulation and exploitation. The book dissects the psychological mechanisms that keep us under the sway over and over again. In this process, it awakens not only our awareness of the actual needs, but also the consequences that the nature and the people in the producing countries have to bear because of our hyper-consumption. Finally, it opens up new perspective of a consumption that is not only healthier for our environment, but also for ourselves.

With great enthusiasm, the audience asked many questions that led to a lively, partly also controversial discussion. The discussion continued over delicious finger food and drinks.