Mirhé Grimmelmann

Mirhé Grimmelmann

A BEAUTIFUL MIND

German-Korean Mirhé Grimmelmann is the exciting new face of Biotherm’s Age Fitness skincare. As the daughter of a diplomat, this dynamic rising star already traveled the globe—including residing in Haiti for three years—before finding her current home in Covent Garden where she attends London’s School of Economics. We sat down with the 21-year old in Paris and found the inspiring secret to her newfound success (hint: think beauty and brains).

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Mirhé Grimmelmann

Flare: We have to start with the basics so, how does it feel to be a Biotherm girl?
MG: I’m really proud to be honest. As a model, it’s amazing that the brand is actually interested in who we are in our private lives and not just our looks.

How would you describe your style?
MG: I like black a lot, dark colours. And I wear a lot of dresses. I am not a jeans girl, I don’t know why.

Who is your favourite designer?
MG: Anne Valérie Hash. She’s just incredible. She actually asked me to do a couture show, which is quite an honour because I didn’t plan to do those shows at all.

Any other designers?
MG: I like very classic ones like Fendi and Valentino.

What’s it like living in London?
MG: I live in a flat share with other people. My room at home is tiny, which is typical in London. And it’s just full of books [Celine, Freud and Kundera]. Literally, it’s impossible to move. Some people think I’m crazy.

What do you like to read?
MG: Since I study international relations, I read everything from history to political theory, but I really enjoy reading, so I have literature too. I read fiction a lot and memoirs. Also my old flat mate was a screenwriter. Our entire flat consisted of books and DVDs.

Where did you grow up?
MG: As a kid I lived in Africa and we always moved around.

Was it hard moving around so much?
MG: I wasn’t used to anything else. I’ve been traveling since a year old I think, as soon as I could get on a plane legally. So, it’s actually been easy. Easier for me than staying in one place.

Mirhé Grimmelmann

Flare: Were you home schooled?
MG: No, I went back to Germany when I was about eight and had 10 years of school there. I also skipped a few years of school. So, I finished early at 17 and then moved to London. In between that I was in also in a boarding school when my parents went away.

What are some of your dreams and aspirations?
MG: At some point I would like to work on something that has a long-term positive impact on other people. So I would like to work with the World Trade Organization or the International Monetary Fund because I believe these international organizations do contribute a lot to solving problems throughout our world. Whether it’s the economy, the environment, or third world countries that are under developed, war or peace, I mean everything nowadays is at an international level.

Certainly the recession we’re experiencing at home and in the US is global today…
MG: Nowadays when something happens in a Country A it’s bound to happen to Country B because of Country A, it’s sort of a domino effect. That’s what people have to acknowledge and they have to work on international solutions.

In your modeling career, have there been any challenges that you’ve had to overcome or anything you’ve learned about your self?
MG: I started one and a half years ago, so it’s not that long. I was in university at the time. So it was a challenge to actually take the decision to do modeling, initially. Because I never really wanted to do it and I finally did it. What is also super challenging is doing both at the same time, university and modeling. I had to have discipline at the same time with a schoolbook, to read something, on a shoot or when I’m traveling. And then go back to university and sort of compensate for what I didn’t do in time.

Mirhé Grimmelmann

So it’s about balancing your time. When you’re off duty, what kind of music do you listen to?
MG: I like the Beastie Boys, a lot of Electro since I spent a lot of time in Berlin. I have a lot of friends who are DJ’s so I love hearing electro music. I also like classical music as well because I studied piano for a long time.

What do you do to keep fit?
MG: I go running. I am sort of a jogging addict.

How long have you been a vegetarian?
MG: 13 years. I stopped eating meat when I was eight. I literally decided that over night because we went to a farm and I saw a baby calf and in the evening we had a big family dinner in Germany, the countryside, and my great grandfather said, what you’re eating is what you saw today. And I hated that. I ran out of the house, literally, and I haven’t eaten meat ever since. I feel really good because of that. I really enjoy vegetarian cooking with my friends and it’s part of a healthy lifestyle. I wasn’t aware of that when I started. I’ve even converted my mother when I was 13.

What do you do to take care of your skin in the morning and at night?
MG: I wash my skin in the morning, use cleanser, then lots of moisturizer and that’s it.

Do you have a favourite Biotherm product?
MG: I like Aquasource and Age Fitness because I’m realizing how much I actually do and how much stress I actually do have. Especially after this summer working with Biotherm out in the sun. I’m realizing how active I really am and how I really need to look after it if I don’t want to age 10 years over one summer!

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