>> dw tv, at the heart of europe. captioned by the national captioning institute -- www.ncicap.org -- >> "euromaxx" highlights coming up in today's show -- fashion icon is still the toast of paris. global players german architecture artist is in demand all other the world. and lady and proud, the importance of being idol. your your highlights, and here's your host, robin merrill. >> and a warm welcome from berlin.

chef mario from austria has received numerous culinary accolades, and he's cooked for politicians film stars and royal. so much creativity he's opened three restaurants in frake fort, and they must be really good, because germany has just given him their top award. >> the chef is in his element. mario received a michelin star for one of his restaurants. and now he's been selected as chef of the year in germany. >> ital definitely makes you feel good. for the team, too. it's wonderful. it's a dream come true. >> in his latest restaurant, he prepares dishes from his native autryya. rust i can food with a twist.

this is his third restaurant in frankfurt. the 37-year-old is not one to hide behind his cooking pots. he likes to hear what his guests think of the food. >> ultimately you're a performer. it's as if you were going on stage. you're vulnerable. you have to keep it up, just like in the theater. and there are some great moments which really give you a kick and after which you go to bed a happy man. and then there are other kinds of days, too. >> mario says the hand of fate brought him to frankfurt. as a child he helped out in his parents' restaurant back in austria. later he cooked for many years in los angeles, new york and paris. his reputation as a top gourmet chef rose steadily.

>> it's a very intense profession. i am lucky to have a partner who aproves of that. of course, i'm, like, look, i'm a chef. don't bug me. but i like having my peace and quiet and being able to do my thing. >> even when he's off work, cooking is paramount for lohninger. he's often inspired by specialties all over the world. he knows all the venders. many of them like to surprise him with exotic items. such as these super sprutes. >> his own -- it's always inspiring to come here. when you've reached a dead end and need a kick. i come here to fine it. whether it's a buda lemon, it's

fascinating. it gets my mind going. new ideas. fish with salad. this is essential for us. lohninger regularly works late. in 2004 he opened his first two restaurants in the techno club belonging to star deejay sven. today he has 40 employees. >> you can't expect somebody like karl logger if he would to personally taylor or sew every jacket he designs. it's the same in my kitchen. but i hope it matters whether i'm there or not. >> the two club restaurants, micro and silk, are connected. they are both managed by lohninger's mother. here diners eat their meals while reclining on sofas. >> eating isn't only how good

the food is. but how you eat it. that was the challenge here. >> the whole family is involved in the business. his father is the chef. >> it's thanks to this man that i can run three restaurants. he's the real reason. >> three restaurants are probably enough to keep the whole family busy for the time being. >> we have to work hard every day to keep things flowing like we want them to. there's no chance to rest. we have to earn our laurels over and over, every day. we cook from scratch for every guest, every single day. >> that's certainly true of silk. here guests are presented with a different 13-course meal every day. put together personally by the

chef of the year, 2011. >> now to an icon of french fashion. a top model and the face of channel. she was also given the honor of being chosen as the french model. now at 53 she's written a book and still on the cat walk in her beloved paris. >> a one of a kind model on the cat walk. at the age of 53, she's the star of the inc. >> i think i'll make it into the "guinness book of world records." and they'll call me guinness la fressange, and i haven't walked the cat walk for chanel yet.

i don't think they have ever had a model at 53. >> after the craze of 15-year-old russians, it's time. you can't keep doing the same thing. >> karl logger if he would and her have mended fences. la fressange was his muse. she was a sought-after model. but later the two had a falling out and went their separate ways. fressange founded a fashion line of her own in 1991. >> i thought i knew everything about being a model but being a designer is very different. >> her business partners ousted her in 1999. today she works as a consultant for the french luxury label.

and she is still known as a style icon and still making cover page appearances. in 2009 she was voted the most fashionible woman in paris by readers in a newspaper. >> certainly i'm quite flattered to be the -- people sense that i love the city i live in. but i think it's also my attitude towards life. to still be a bit call keptish. >> the title of her new book. >> i'm often asked for advice on how to dress. where to go in paris? what boutiques or restaurants do i recommend? that was happening so much that i thought i'd write a book with tips and addresses.

then i wouldn't always have to say the same thing. >> she's an author and business woman, and she's continued to model. she exudes that on the runway which made her appearances so popular. >> you shouldn't take fashion too seriously. first and foremost, fashion should be fun. >> designer jean paul takes the same view and engaged the model to make regular appearances at his shows. >> she's so beautiful and elegant. couture needs that. >> i like jean paul's message. he shows he likes women. not just young models. but women in their 50's in the middle of their lives. women who work. and who have homes and families. >> in her day-to-day life she keeps it casual with a pair of flats and jeans.

>> i feel comfortable in my boots. i like them. and that's much more important than what you think about my shoes. some women really dress to show off. they wear earrings, a necklace, bracelets and rings as if they were part of a jewel rebeuh antique. but why? sometimes less is more. >> and what's the secret for keeping her youthful air? >> i try to set priorities. and not to get too stressed. when you're stressed, you frown. and that's really bad. in general the things that make you frown normally aren't worth it. >> on the contrary, la fressange has something to smile about. she's set to debut at chanel's

nexted a campaign. even at 53, her modeling career is far from over. >> amazing woman. new ideas at the berlin base line ground students when they worked with brad pitt who considered architecture his real passion. >> but graft have projects in works from all over the world from social housing in new orleans to sky scrapers in dubai. >> this is how we might live in the future. in this luxury berlin apartment, you can get into the tub straight from the sofa. the graft architect churl office designs open plan rooms that can be divided up as you please. thomas willemeit is one of the company's three founders. >> we often create diagonal

views through an apartment. we create distance and spaciousness. these are perspective tricks we achieve by working structurally in an apartment and not by just making rectangular segments where you move from one room to the next. instead we create flowing entities, in other words, no matter how large the apartment is, it always looks spacious. >> graft was founded in 1998 by lars kruckeberg, thomas willemeit and wolf flagstick ram putz in los angeles. the three studied architecture there and then relocated to berlin in 2001. they now oversee project ins many different countries. >> we fell in love with the principal of grafting.

that's an expression from the world of bot any. you graft different plants that have genetic benefits and work well when brought together. bringing things together is what interests up us and we don't draw any lines between -- boundaries between art, architecture and interior design and product design. >> this hamburger apartment is one of their many projects. as well as private homes, graft also designs restaurants and hotels. the w hotel in new york, for example,. and actor brad pitt was one of their first demrinets 19 8. graft is currently planning 80 new apartment blocksal together with the hollywood actor for the hurricane victims in new orleans. another large scale project is a five-star hotel in the

georgin' capital tiblisi. graft totally rebuilt it before it re-opened in 2009. >> the hotel has 250 rooms. >> the three architects have just completed a new house for a doctor and his family here in biesdorf. a small town on the outskirts of berlin. the split level design separates one large room into different areas. modern interior design, for graft that means bringing the taxpayers and living room together as one. >> we basically believe in more complex relationships to living

areas. the classic idea of having separate sleeping, living and working areas is passe. we feel a greater desire for space. >> graft' a creativity is now in demand the world over. the trio are currently planning a res shopping center in dalian, a chinese coastal town. a high-rise in dubai. several private homes in the malaysian capital kuala lumpur. and an apartment house inty blissy. -- in tiblisi. >> architecture must be present wheres the needed. be socially relevant and interesting. it must leave a lasting impression and be able to

fulfill zireds. it must show how we live with one another or how an individual perhaps builds himself a cave. >> graft has some 90 members of staff. a third office following los angeles and berlin opened in beijing in 2004. graft three german architects with a mission. >> now heavy snoifls have been making negative headlines but it means a bumpy time for skiing. the rocker ski, though, claims to be perfect for deep powder conditions. so we check them out in switzerland. >> the rocker. a ski almost as broad as a snowboard is all the rage this season. it's at home in deep snow. what was once restricted to the pros of the freeride world tour

is set to conquer the market this year. the rocker arouses hopes for example, here at the ski manufacturing company faction in verbier, switzerland. >> rocker technology is a huge advancement. what we are saying if is it has great potential to be applied across the whole spectrum of skis alpine skis and freeride skis. and so we think it could be huge. >> but we can the 15- centimeter wide rocker really do? skiers tino schiffer and minh becker find out so they rent paras. the rocker curves out much more at the end. >> they prepare to ascend the mountain with their new skis.

they meet mountain guide france away perraudin. he fills them in on what to expect on their ride. >> first a ride on the far side, and then we'll head toward marlena. it's nice and peaceful, and we'll see what we find on the 14r0e7s there. >> the group also includes two swiss freeride professionals. but pro or not, before they set off, he checks everyone's avalanche rescue system. he wants to minimize the risk. even on deep snow slopes that have been declared safe. the group starts at -- the downhill ride but the rocker is the most fun off the beaten track. especially here in the freeriding bags of babya. thanks to its broader contact surface, the rocker ski floats on the deep snow, making movement offpeaks that much easier.

>> they're really good in deep snow, but on the piste, they are hard to control. >> it's a fantastic feeling. >> experts anticipate the rocker will trigger a revolution like that sparked by the carving ski. rockers are set to make up a quarter of all the skis sold this season. even freeride professionals are amazed. >> 20 years ago if someone showed me this and said take a look at what skis will look like in 20 years, probably no one would have believed them. things are changing incredibly fast. >> however much fun they offer, caution is required. >> he explains how one properly junls the conditions on the mountain. >> let's move along a bit. >> that's why he recommends a freeride adventure on rocker skis only to experienced

skiers. >> not everyone can just go off in deep snow. you need to have advanced knowledge of skiing. you have to have mastered a parallel turn and you need a certain balance on the skis rather than leaning backward. otherwise even though it's easier to move on these skis, your legs will still get very tired very fast. >> the rocker is hard to control on a smooth piste, but in deep snow, it's great fun. the rocker revolution has only just begun. >> and finally, sit back, relax and take a break. something we actually find difficult to do in the modern world. but in fact, we need to do it more often. scientific journalist ulrich schnabel is promoting idolness

as a positive thing. he says it's good for creativity, and who am i to argue? >> in the 21st century we have to be flexible, permanently reachible and constantly mobile. the result is that we're always stressed out. slaves to declines, emails and smartphones. we don't want to be under so much pressure, but we don't want to miss anything either. stop right there. according to hamburger-based journalist schnabel, it's time we slowed down and take stock. he's written a book about leisure. the central idea is that idol time promotes creativity and happiness. >> i think we need leisure precisely because we find it hard to get in touch with ourselves. because we're always distracted with ourselves with these means of communication.

and i think developing a connection to yourself and what'sen important in your life is something we'll always need. it gives me an inner comfort and tells me where to go with my life. that's why i think leisure is absolutely necessary. >> it's about enjoying the peace and quiet and doing nothing. that is difficult for many people, but the art of leisure has nothing to do with how much free time you have. schnabel says it's always about attitude. and that's something you can learn. it's having the freedom to find out what your life is all about. schnabel likens it to the way children play without a care for what's around them. >> children don't always try to optimize their time. and they are not always asking themselves what the point is.

instead they do things for the sake of doing them. when they play, they play because it's fun not because they think the game will advance their career or make them more money. they do it just because. >> like most of us, schnabel suffers from information overload. each day he has to weed through more information data. but he has to keep his finger on the pulse. >> we're hit with so much information that it's important for the brain to rest at some point sort through all of it. it's if same with eating. we have to digest everything we consume, and all the information that sbrs our brain has to be processed. and you have to give the brain a little time to do that every now and then.

>> ulrich schnabel takes time to create on creativity rather than communication. he likes to take walks. nature has a positival effect on the brain, he says, because it's a break from the constant barrage of information we're all exposed to. >> hamburger artist manfred jurgens is a general win idoler. he likes to spend months working on the same painting. it takes as long as it takes. ulrich schnabel recommends making friends with people like manfred. their relaxed state of mind is contagious. >> listen to my inner voice. and it tells me, there's no need to hurry. >> if you spend an inc. hanging out with someone like manfred jurgens, you can feel how their

calm starts to extend to you. one of the best ways of calming down is spending time with people who take life at their own pace. it encourages you to embrace this freedom, yourself. >> ulrich schnabel took a six-month break from work to write his book, and he's proof positive that his advice works. >> and on that, on that calming note, it's time to say goodbye until next time. thank you for watching and a good way to relax is by tuning in to our next "euromaxx." bye-bye.