Nico

Nico, an icon of pop culture – and a mystery to so many: Federico Fellini, who had her play herself in "La Dolce Vita"; Andy Warhol, who discovered her for his Factory; Lou Reed, who had her sing the raw and tender "I’ll be your mirror" in his legendary band The Velvet Underground. Where did this woman come from? As a girl, Christa Päffgen plays in the ruins of the destroyed German capital; as a teenager, she wanders through the reopened KaDeWe, where a fashion photographer discovers her and turns her into "Nico," the first supermodel of the emerging economic miracle. In Paris, Nico absorbs the existentialist atmosphere, and in New York, she becomes part of a movement that reinvents art under the banner of "Pop Art." Her dark charisma captivates everyone but also reveals inner depths. Soon, Nico embodies an unprecedented, unique style that draws its energy from the darker sides of existence. Tobias Lehmkuhl tells the story of an extraordinary artist whose life spans two continents and fifty years during which everything culturally changed: from the devastated post-war Germany to the Parisian bohemia and the glamorous New York avant-garde. A fast-paced biography – and a sensitive portrait of a fascinating woman.