After #MeToo, it’s crystal clear: the latest feminist wave is fueled by social media. So, to celebrate this Women’s Day, I sat down with Aafke Romeijn, who is not only a hugely talented musician, writer and journalist, but who, to me at least, is Holland’s undisputed Queen of Social Media. „On the one hand you have a bigger platform than ever as a woman and a minority, on the other hand, you get more shit thrown at you than ever.“

Just like Cupid & Psyche, Mrs. Dekkers and I seem to be an unlikely pairing. But when she and I first met some thirty years ago when I was one of the editors of Playboy, we immediately clicked. Asking me to interview her on the subject of Me Too is so Marlies. Bless her.

Marlies Dekkers did it again
Earlier this week, in a packed Maassilo in Rotterdam, lingerie designer Marlies Dekkers showed her upcoming collections – spring|summer & fall|winter 2019- during a two-hour extravaganza that included spectacular live entertainment. Marlies: “For over 25 years, it has been my mission to empower women. To make that mission come to life for the stage was a magical experience: an unforgettable celebration of feminine feminism.

Julia Child, the charismatic culinary legend who empowered women in the kitchen and beyond, was born on August 15th, 1912, in a posh LA-suburb called Pasadena. Her senses didn’t truly awaken, however, until she had a life-changing meal of oysters and sole meunière with her husband Paul in Rouen, which she described as „an opening up of the soul and spirit for me.“ Aged 32, Julia signed up for the prestigious Cordon Blue cooking school where she found herself the only female student. “Up until then,” Julia said, “I just ate.”

– 3 reasons why Julia Child is one of my favorite feminine feminists –

She predicted the brightly colored hair trend years before it hit the runway at Chanel and she foresaw the rise of ‚flawed‘ supermodels like Winnie Harlow. One thing is clear: trend forecaster and designer Antoinette van den Berg, aka The Lady in Blu, lives, wears and breathes trends. I sat down with the sparkly, blue-haired personality to find out what the future has in store for us. „I’m telling you, old is cool!“

An interesting thing happened when I did Nadia Narain’s yoga class the other day. I had checked myself in the mirror beforehand, and thought I looked fine, but when I looked again afterwards, I fell utterly in love with my reflection!

Forget waiting around for compliments and a candy G-string; this Valentine’s Day, let’s seduce ourselves! How can you seduce others if you don’t know how to seduce yourself, right? But it actually goes so much deeper than that. I was in New York recently, where the magnificent Mal Harrison – clinical sexologist, TEDx speaker and clit-pioneer – explained to me why loving yourself up is one of the most empowering things a woman can do, in the bedroom and beyond. „It’s about owning your pleasure, your body, your power!“

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how did your legend grow? So much more than just Elizabeth I’s older sister or the wicked ‘Bloody Mary’ who burned over 280 protestants at the stake, Mary Tudor (1516–1558) lived a life full of heartbreak, defiance and glorious triumph. Born the daughter of the notorious King Henry VIII and the Spanish Catherine of Aragon, the auburn-haired beauty grew up as a cultured Renaissance princess with a knack for languages and a passion for fashion.

She is mostly known as ‘that other Boleyn Girl’ or ‘the Mistress of Kings’. But I see Mary Boleyn (1499/1500 – 1543) as a woman who dared to defy all the rules to follow her heart. In other words, a historical heroine in her own right.

Tudor (1516–1558) lived a life full of heartbreak, defiance and glorious triumph. Born the daughter of the notorious King Henry VIII and the Spanish Catherine of Aragon, the auburn-haired beauty grew up as a cultured Renaissance princess with a knack for languages and a passion for fashion.

Crowned Queen of Scotland at only nine months of age, proud Mary Stuart (1542- 1587) was off to a flying start. A tall beauty with golden-red hair and bewitching hazel eyes, Mary was so charismatic, so brilliant with words that her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, refused to meet her during their lifetimes for fear of being overshadowed.

Was Jane Boleyn, aka Viscountess Rochford, a villain or a victim? One thing is certain: no other woman in the 16th century was as closely associated with as many dramatic events…

Of all the splendid performances in the movie ‘Elizabeth’ (1998), Fanny Ardant’s brief, but wickedly sexy portrayal of Mary of Guise is amongst my very favorites. In real life too, this French vixen may not have been as legendary as Elizabeth, but she was a feminist power house in her own right.

One of Frida’s most potent weapons was her style. The more she was suffering, the more elaborate and regal she would dress. And so, you could often find Frida laid up in bed in a spectacular headdress and extravagant jewelry, looking like a surrealist vision and a folkloric Mexican queen.

You may not think of Frida Kahlo as a typical gardener – can you imagine her in rubber boots? – but together with her beloved Diego she turned the garden of their ‘Casa Azul’ into a luscious paradise of locally sourced flora.

Frida didn’t just accept her ‘masculine’ look, she exaggerated and cultivated it! In one famous family photo, a young Frida wears a three-piece menswear suit with so much ‘swagger’ that one thing becomes clear: at just 17 years old, Frida already knew how fashion can transform you into a living work of art.

Of all the vibrant colors Frida used in her paintings, blue conveyed her deepest emotions. “Cobalt blue is electricity and purity. It’s love,” the Mexican painter wrote in her journal.

As a child, polio crippled Frida’s right leg; as a teen, she was injured horrifically in a traffic accident. After that, Frida’s health would continue to deteriorate, causing her unbearable pain and forcing her to wear corsets for the rest of her life.

On October 18th Marlies Dekkers and her FEMININE/FEMINIST movement showed her signature collection and the latest collection inspired by the great Edith Head, during a distinctive Burlesque fashion show in downtown Los Angeles.

Some people call her the most important figure in the history of Hollywood costume design, to others she is the style maven who showed millions of women how to dress for success. But to me, Edith Head will always be the mistress of transformation. In the words of one of her star friends: “If Cinderella had Edith Head, she’d never have needed a Fairy Godmother.”

I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of an app-addict. With my phone being an extension of myself, the apps on it make me feel like I’ve got the world at my fingertips: from the weather to the stars (tip: try SkyView, it’s a hand-held planetarium!) to those hard-to-get Charlotte Olympia heels.

All my work as a feminist designer is inspired by muses. Powerful female icons from past and present. Although women have been marginalised for centuries, archetypes of female power have always been there. Through my designs, I bring them to you. To help us shape the world of modern day feminism.

Once upon a time, goddess Athena outsmarted Poseidon, god of the sea, and had the most desirable city of Ancient Greece named after her. Visiting this powerhouse of female energy turned out to be an epic journey…

On the 25^th of September Marie Claire will host the Marie Claire @Work Lifestyle Experience event for hundreds of ambitious women to attend.

Who run the world? GIRLS! To me, Dafne Schippers is a symbol of true female power.

Sie lässt meine (Design-)Träume seit über 15 Jahren wahr werden. Aber was denkt sie über mich?

„Ich möchte eine komplett neue Technologie kreieren – eine die dazu abzielt der Menschheit auf allen Ebenen helfen und das unabhängig von Region, Ethnizität, Alter oder Geschlecht“. Lernt Elizabeth Holmes kennen.

Mark Zuckerbergs Mission offen über Fehlgeburten zu sprechen, hat uns zum Denken angeregt. Wie oft sehen wir eigentlich Männer, die offen und in der Öffentlichkeit ihre Frauen unterstützen? Solche zu finden war für uns nicht schwer, und hier haben wir einige gute Beispiele:

Wahrscheinlich wissen Sie mittlerweile, dass ich eine stolze Feministin bin. Ich glaube an die Gleichberechtigung von Männern und Frauen.

Ich liebe Frauen, die Konventionen den Stinkefinger zeigen – besonders, wenn sie es auf kreative und elegante Weise tun. Eine meiner Heldinnen ist die Filmregisseurin, Schriftstellerin und Producerin Mira Nair.

Diesen Mittwoch ist Weltfrauentag. Das Thema dieses Jahr lautet: „Be bold for change.“ (Sei gewagt zur Abwechslung.) Ich könnte dem nicht mehr zustimmen. Genau das machen wir!

Stimmt, die indische TV-Köchin Padma Lakshmi ist unglaublich sexy. Doch ich schätze sie besonders für ihr peppiges Auftreten … und ihr geniales Rezept für ein vegetarisches Curry.

Diese Comic-Heldin trägt einen Sari, reitet auf einem wilden Tiger und ist Vergewaltigungsopfer. Die Botschaft: Sexuelle Gewalt lässt sich nicht entschuldigen. Nie.

Zeigen oder nicht zeigen, das ist die große Frage beim Thema Bauchnabel. Während Taylor Swift einst geschworen hatte, ihren Bauchnabel niemals, wirklich nie im Leben zu zeigen, sind indische Frauen da anderer Ansicht.

Ich habe bereits von meiner Faszination für Hauptdarstellerinnen moderner TV-Hitserien berichtet. Jetzt stelle ich Ihnen meine aktuelle Heldin vor: Sexgöttin Vanessa Ives.

Feministische Fashionista … gibt es so etwas? Karl Lagerfeld schien sich da ganz sicher zu sein, als er seine Models für die Chanel-Sommerkollektion über den Laufsteg schickte.

Success never comes easy. There are down, and when you are lucky, many more ups. For me, following my dreams and trying build my brand never came easy. It wasn’t only the talent that brought me where I am today, but my dedication, focus and believe in myself.

A long-overdue correction in gender equality is at our doorsteps. A tipping-point in the history of women rests in our hands. This is our moment….

Writer, director, and feminist Lena Dunham was in town for her book tour. I have been a big Lena fan for quite some time, even before she was the well-known lady she is today.

In 2009 Anastacia and I had our first rendez-vous. I never expected we would meet up again 5 year later and have a personal talk about modern day feminism.

What’s currently on my nightstand? This shouldn’t come as a surprise; it’s a nasty gal! The book #Girlboss is the latest achievement of power house Sophia Amoruso.

Some women can inspire me in such a way that you can maybe even call it a little crush. Want to know which ladies have this effect on me? Follow my #WomanCrushWednesdays on Twitter.

Olivia, Carrie, Lagertha and Maya, all main characters in todays hit series and also the reason why I have lately spend all my weekends in front of the TV. But what is it about these leading ladies of todays hit series which makes them so popular.