Jannik is a 24-year-old German student pursuing his master’s degree in business law who happens to have perhaps the oldest streetwear influencer in Europe as a grandfather.
In 2014, bored and on a whim, he asked his grandfather, retired glassmaker Alojz Abram, to try on some of his clothes so he could snap a funny photo for his Instagram account.
His friends and family thought the photo—a 75-year-old retiree decked out in streetwear—was hilarious.
With a few likes fueling the gag, Jannik and Alojz, who he refers to as Gramps, thought it might be fun to take some more photos. Jannik hunted down some rare streetwear to dress Gramps and then posted the photos.
His account went viral and quickly surpassed a million followers, turning a part-time gag into a full gig.
“Instagram has changed our lives a lot. I get to learn how real-life business works,” Jannik says. “Working with Gramps is a full-time job for me now, especially since he doesn’t spend too much time in front of his laptop or phone,” which leaves Jannik to figure out creative ways to work with the global brands that now flood his DMs.
The newfound attention has been good for his grandfather, too. “He’s gained a lot of self-confidence and even gets recognized by fans on the streets.”
Photos by Jannik Diefenbach
A version of this article originally appeared in Sixtysix Issue 06 with the headline “Jannik Diefenbach: Photographer, Mainz, Germany Subscribe today.
