Life’s a beach; my personal top three

by Marlies Dekkers

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, of the sea. Writer Isak Dinesen once said this, and I fully agree. There is something very healing and relaxing about being near the sea, and one of my favorite ways to spend a holiday is on the beach, either with family, friends or lovers. This is my top three of ‘salty’ hang outs:

South Beach, Miami: work it!
Imagine this: you wake up at 6 in the morning, sneak out while your daughter is still asleep, and go for a glorious run on the still empty beach. Then, when you’ve worked up a nice sweat, you take off all your clothes and jump in the cool refreshing water with a loud scream. Good morning, Miami! This is where I like to go to bond with my teenage daughter Zilver. There are nice wide beaches with a skyline dotted with gorgeous Art Deco hotels, the people watching is great and the night scene fun and outrageous.

Hotel: The Ritz-Carlton South Beach
My Miami vice: shopping! The Ritz-Carlton has two entrances; one on the beach, and one leading to a shopping paradise. How very convenient..
Talamanca Beach, Ibiza: BFFs on the loose
It’s quite ironic; I visit this party island every year, but hardly ever see the inside of a club. That’s because I like to come here for some hardcore BFF time; lingering al fresco dinners, long walks, beach work outs, all the while chatting about life, love and literature. Talamanca beach is long and wide, with white soft sand and shallow clear waters. Once, during a walk there with my friend I got so distracted by our lovely conversation that I went deeper and deeper into the sea, accidentally overcoming my fear of water!

Hotel: Ocean Drive Ibiza
Ibiza ritual: Every morning, we walk into Ibiza Town (a 15 minute walk) to visit café Croissant Show for the best breakfast –Belgian hot chocolate and perfectly soft boiled eggs- and amazing people watching.
Jimbaran Bay, Bali: in love on the Island of the Gods
There is only one way to describe this island: seriously sensual. Love is in the air, everywhere you go. And to get lost in that atmosphere with your lover is an almost religious experience. Whereas the beaches of Kuta and Seminyak can get pretty crowded, the Four Seasons in Jimbaran Bay is a zen-like oasis. Favorite spot there: my own private infinity plunge pool overlooking the deep blue ocean. Or should I say: the sea of love?

Hotel: Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay
My Bali binge – An orgy of wood-BBQ’d seafood –lobster, shrimp etc- on the beach outside the hotel, while watching the sunset with your feet in the sand.

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fall|winter 20 preview

Marlies Says

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by marlies|dekkers

In January, I presented my newest FW20 collection during a show full of dance and entertainment in Rotterdam. All my work as a feminist designer is inspired by muses, powerful female icons from past and present. And for FW20, my muse will be crime writer Agatha Christie. A few months from now, you will get to discover the collections, and see how they tell stories like Agatha’s thrilling books do..

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MD Friends

Running for your life

by marlies|dekkers

Dr. Bram Bakker is a psychiatrist, a writer, a runner and a provocateur. With his many bestselling books and columns – and yes, even his own theatre show – he urges us to think outside the box when it comes to our mental health. Not crazy about popping pills? Bram shared some interesting alternatives with me, from throwing out our phones to running ‘till we puke’.

Peas & peppers instead of pills

MD Friends

Peas & peppers instead of pills

by marlies|dekkers

General practitioner Tamara de Weijer believes that we would feel a lot better if we hit the produce stand before we visited the pharmacy. “On a massive scale, we have been putting the wrong kind of fuel in our bodies.”

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Marlies Says

Singles Day – You’ve Got this!

by marlies|dekkers

All the single ladies, listen up! With single women rapidly becoming the majority, it is high time to stop feeling singled out. This Singles Day, let’s celebrate our freedom and independence by sharing all those solo milestones that make us go: ‘You’ve got this!’.