In Germany, most of the headlines you’ll read about Benjamin Patch are about volleyball. Up until relatively recently, he was a professional volleyball player for one of Germany’s top clubs, the Berlin Recycling Volleys.

In 2022, Patch quit the club to pursue his own creative interests. But now the ceramic artist-slash-dancer-slash-interior-architect-slash-founder of the Be.Assembly collective is back in the German capital, where he’ll add another title to his portfolio. Patch has been appointed creative director at one of the city’s favorite hipster shopping destinations, Voo Store in the Kreuzberg neighborhood.

“To be honest, this was more of a heartfelt decision than just a business one,” Yasin Müjdeci, who founded the store in 2010, told WWD. “We truly feel that Ben is the right person for this role because he really understands what the Voo Store stands for.”

Voo stocks everything from high-end clothing to exclusive homewares from around Europe by the likes of Berlin design studio Sucuk und Bratwurst, Swedish bedding brand Magniberg and Parisian glass workshop La Soufflerie, among many others. Voo also just worked on its first collaboration with Puma and the shop’s connected spaces include a deli and coffee shop, an art gallery and an “archive” selling vintage designer garments.

Müjdeci says that Voo plans to expand the concept to other countries soon although he was not able to divulge exactly when or where yet.

“It wouldn’t feel right to give a specific figure at this point but what we can share is that we’re dreaming big,” he said. “While we’re not ready to share a detailed roadmap, what we can say is that we’re exploring opportunities in places where there’s a natural harmony with the Voo spirit. [South] Korea, for example, holds a very special place in our hearts — we feel incredibly connected and at home there.”