To mark the launch of the Disney+ series “Call My Agent Berlin”, we talk to costume designer Sabine Keller about the series, her work and her tips for young creatives.

Born in Flensburg, she moved to Hamburg to study fashion and textiles, where she immediately fell in love with the Hanseatic city. She has been associated with our company since the beginning of her artistic career, having worked for some time at Theaterkunst Hamburg. However, she quickly realised that she preferred to work freelance and went to England to work as a wardrobe assistant (set costume) on Rosamunde Pilcher’s film set. During her second major production, “Das Haus auf dem Hügel”, she fell in love with life on set and has never looked back. Her filmography is correspondingly long. Among other things, she developed the costume design for the feature film “Sterben” with Lars Eidinger and Corinna Harfouch, and the costumes for the series “Nachts im Paradies”, “The Mopes” and “Bad Banks” also bear her unmistakable signature.

Her latest project is the series “Call My Agent Berlin”, which premiered on Disney+ on 12 September 2025. Based on the French original, the ten episodes tell stories from the Stern acting agency, where stars and drama go hand in hand. Here, the agents fight for the future of the country’s most successful acting agency – with a star-studded cast including Moritz Bleibtreu, Iris Berben, Veronica Ferres, Heike Makatsch, Katja Riemann, Heiner Lauterbach, Emilia Schüle and many others.

Copyright: Sabine Keller (Portrait), Disney+ (Call My Agent Berlin),rnUFA Fiction (The Mopes), Port au Prince (Sterben)

First, I watched the original French series to get an idea of the roles. This was followed by many talks with showrunner Johann Buchholz to understand how he envisioned the look of the series. In addition, there were a few things we wanted to keep the same as in the original, such as the role of Sascha and the young and old heads of the agency.

For the costume design, I took inspiration from looks from Berlin and Paris, for example, but also from older designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, whom I greatly admire for his work.

The agency’s bosses were supposed to wear a kind of uniform that always looks the same and is easily recognisable, but also contrasts with the clients of their acting agency.

There are an incredible number of roles in the series, and we’re talking about the who’s who of the German film industry here. How did you approach the individual characters and their costumes?

I always think first about how I can best support the actors in bringing their images and feelings to the role. Some like it when I make suggestions, others bring a lot of their own ideas to the table. During fittings, I like to consult closely with my counterpart and find out how the actors see their role. I use this information, my research and my own ideas to create the costume for the role.

For example, one character really wanted to wear a denim jacket, even though that wasn’t in our mood boards. So we included it, and it worked wonderfully. Clothing not only tells an important story, but also helps the actors deliver in front of the camera.

There were so many roles in total that it was definitely a big challenge, because I like to talk to everyone about their role in advance. What’s special about ‘Call My Agent Berlin’ is that many of the actors play themselves, so to speak. Of course, that’s also a role, but we picked up on some clichés and exaggerated the characters.

You rented items from across the ages. Designer pieces from our 1907_curated initiative were included, as were contemporary women’s and men’s garments, leotards and historical buckle shoes. What do you particularly appreciate about a costume collection?

First of all, I have to say how much I love Theaterkunst. Your costume department has such a supportive atmosphere, shows great appreciation for us costume designers, and makes us feel welcome. Not to mention, of course, the incredible finds that can be unearthed here and which you simply can’t find in any vintage shop.

For this production, I was able to go through all eras and mix different decades. We had so many roles that we could draw on your entire collection. Designers such as Laurent, Prada, Mugler and many others are often found in the collection in excellent condition.

But we also had historical scenes, for which I was busy in the costume hall.

It is particularly interesting that we found some really great treasures among you, and the racks were full of unusual and also quite normal, contemporary clothing. However, the cast would often have preferred to wear casual clothes. Many of them would have preferred to come to the Stern acting agency in jogging bottoms. That’s their style. Fortunately, we had other ideas and were mostly convincing.

How did you get into costume design and what do you love about your job?

Oh, I just have a great love for travelling people. Of course, it’s not always easy to be on the road so much and spend so little time at home. That was especially difficult when my daughter was younger. But I love my job so much and wouldn’t want to do anything else.

Even as a child, I loved dressing and undressing Barbies, sewing clothes, putting on jewellery, dressing up. Today, I sometimes think: ‘Wow… I still get to do that as an adult. It’s even my job!’ But now it’s in the language of film. I have always wanted to tell stories. A picture book opens up, but in a film, the story continues. A deep world emerges that has so much to tell.
As a costume designer, I am part of this world; I can work with the actors to develop, shape and support the roles.

The best thing is seeing the results on set and in the finished product. When you realise once again that small details make a big difference to a character. You have to have a real love of detail for this job.
On “Call My Agent Berlin”, I rediscovered my passion for designer fashion because I was able to immerse myself in vintage fashion. The cut and quality of the old designs are simply incredible.

What advice would you give to costume designers who are just starting out in their careers?

Have a great love for what we are privileged to do. Keep at it! Every project is different, but you never stop learning, and that’s the great thing about it.

Even though budgets are a major problem in our industry, I can only recommend not putting up with everything and fighting for yourself and your team. On the other hand, it’s also important to find a certain peace with yourself and the situation so that you can keep your head clear for creative work on set.

Best regards and thank you very much for the interview!

Thank you very much and see you soon.