Hannah Leiner studied fashion design and then completed a traineeship in costume design at Westdeutscher Rundfunk. Since then, she has designed the costumes for numerous series and film productions, including “How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)”, “King of Stonks”, “Pauline”, ‘Kroymann’ and the ZDFneo series “Späti”. In 2025, she was in charge of the costume design for the cinema adaptation of Elfriede Jelinek’s novel “Die Liebhaberinnen”.

The series “Späti” starring Wilson Gonzalez Ochsenknecht and Gülseren Erkut can currently be seen on ZDFneo and in the ZDF Mediathek. Berliners love their Spätis! So does Fred, who quickly takes over his favorite Späti when its owner is unable to work for a while. But the sudden responsibility quickly pushes him to his limits: weird customers, all-knowing regulars and a landlady who wants to get rid of the store.

Copyright Portrait: privat

The setting is almost like a chamber play – everything takes place in this one Späti cosmos, a visually very dense space. The challenge for me was to create characters that are immediately readable – without slipping into clichés. You never see them in their own world, but only in the Späti, so the costume had to tell you something about them at first glance.

At the same time, this space itself is extremely restless, with lots of colors, products and labels. We didn’t avoid this sensory overload, but went with it – using a mix of patterns and color tones that are also reflected in the set design. The result was an organic overall picture.

And how did you realize this special look? Is there this typical “Berlin” look?

What I have learned from observation, no matter where, is that there is actually nothing that doesn’t exist. And this is particularly evident in Berlin. That’s why, for me, there isn’t just one Berlin look, but many very characteristic ones. The series brings together characters from very different scenes and milieus: Club culture, the art scene and the Prenzlauer Berg yoga world come together, for example.

You are also responsible for the costumes for the third and current fourth season of “How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)”. What makes the series look so special?

What I love about the series is that there are so many different characters who develop a lot over the seasons. This makes the costume design particularly exciting because you can visually keep up with these developments. Kira, for example, is now a mother, a programmer and an extremely independent woman – she is becoming more and more individual, and this is reflected in her clothes.

Lenny is now a father too – and yet we wanted to keep his nerdy past visible. He still wears nerdy computer T-shirts, some of which we designed ourselves.

And although the series is often set in everyday spaces, it remains visually alive. Small breaks, personal details, character-related color concepts – that makes the characters believable and the look varied.

What do you particularly appreciate about a costume shop?

What I appreciate about a collection is that it brings together a wide variety of decades and styles under one roof. For me, it’s pure inspiration – a place where materials, styles and times are in motion.

One example is the character Lilith from Pauline, played by Andrea Sawatzki. For her, we combined a historical lace cape from the 19th century with very modern, body-hugging pieces by Berlin designer Kasia Kucharska. And suddenly you realize that these completely contrasting elements work really well together.

I go into the fitting with clear ideas, but leave room for spontaneity. That’s exactly what a collection allows: unexpected combinations, new impulses – it makes creativity an immediate experience.

What inspired you to choose this profession?

I was fascinated by the fact that you can tell something about a character through their clothes – even before they speak. Costume design is not just about aesthetics, but also about attitude, history, milieu, development and contrast.

It’s particularly nice when this visual narrative goes hand in hand with the other cinematic design elements – when everything works together. And that’s exactly what I love about the profession: the commonality. The interplay of many departments, the trust that goes into it – and the feeling of being part of something bigger.

Thank you very much for the interview! See you soon!

Thank you very much and see you very soon!