Marlies Says

All my work as a feminist designer is inspired by muses. Powerful female icons from past and present. Although women have been marginalized 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.

Marlies to Zilver: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? No, I’m not talking about a quick peek to check your make-up or a stolen glance at a reflective store window. REALLY take a look. Get in front of a mirror, close your eyes, then slowly open them. Can you see YOU in your reflection? Or are you too fixated on the things you don’t like; that wrinkle by your left eye or those 5 extra kilos? We all have our physical insecurities, and if you want to fix them, go ahead! But starting now, I challenge you to focus on REAL confidence. The kind of confidence that makes you see your inner beauty shine through. The kind that makes you look at yourself and go…: “Damn, I love this woman!”

As liberal and open-minded as Marlies Dekkers is now, during her childhood she was equally conservative. “Every night, I would be on my knees, praying my Hail Marys.” Still, that period is precious to her; it has shaped her into the power woman she is now. This year, Marlies celebrates being in business for 25 years, the perfect opportunity to look back at her milestones.

Flame-haired, brave-hearted and always dressed to dazzle, Elizabeth the First, also known as England’s ‘Virgin Queen’, is one of the most unforgettable women in history. Her glorious reign is known as The Golden Age ~ a period that saw the birth of Shakespeare, the defeat of the Spanish Armada and the emergence of England as a world power. It lasted almost 45 years; Elizabeth’s legacy as a feminist icon however, has already spanned nearly 5 centuries. “My sex cannot diminish my prestige.”

From Hatshepsut’s false beard to my ‘bare butt’ dress – the many faces of power dressing.

Life lessons learned from the formidable ‘Virgin Queen’

The second workshop and launch of Marlies’ new book ‘Unlock your potential’ is a fact!

Marlies Dekkers, the cult Dutch lingerie artist, launched her new book ‘Unlock your potential’ on February 27th in the Dream Hotel Downtown, New York City… And what a night it was!

Happy Women’s Day! I am extra excited about this edition, because wow, what a year it’s been for feminism! This is the year that we went global; that we showed up with our money, our bodies, our time and our voices to show the world: this is OUR time!

I am a firm believer in matching bras and bottoms, and you should be one too! If you are not already a matching devotee, let me convince you…

Did you know that Mexico City has its own Venice?  At only an hour’s drive from the fabulous chaos of the capital?

Women of the world, I’m absolutely furious, pissed off, mad as hell. I quit. I’m sick of it. Gonna find myself a different job.

I’m going on a trip and I’m bringing…
Well, unfortunately not my gorgeous personal trainer. But his sexy summer work out is a nice alternative. If you like torture, that is.

You know I’m a self-made woman who has made it my purpose to challenge women to dare. It’s an achievement I am immensely proud of, and for that reason, I am equally proud to label myself a feminist. But looking back more than a hundred years, I’m even prouder of the progress women have made together.

Get your creative juices flowing

This Valentine’s, don’t wait around for that love-note or those fancy chocolates to feel loved and desired. Express yourself to fall in love with yourself, now! 

It was love at first sight, the first time I saw Frida Kahlo as a young teen. Those stubborn brows, those voluptuous flowers; this was a colourful outsider, a feminine rebel with a feminist cause, just like me! And, although we lived more than a half century apart, I felt in my heart of hearts that we shared an insatiable hunger for life, art and love. But what would really shape me was the realization that Frida wasn’t ashamed of what made her different. As a matter of fact, she celebrated it! 

This season, I celebrate the colorful life and art of Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter, selfie-queen avant la lettre and original bad-ass Feminine Feminist. With her paintings, Frida liberated feminine themes of identity, sexuality and fertility from their stigma. With her insatiable lust for life, she still encourages generations of women to shamelessly express themselves.

Love Magazine’s annual Advent Calendar entered its seventh year of releasing beautifully shot, provocative, and empowering videos featuring Hollywood A-listers.

After the very successful show in Los Angeles, the FEMININE|FEMINIST movement continues. On December 9^th Marlies will showcase her latest collection inspired by the great Edith Head at the Masters of LXRY event in Amsterdam.

Do you remember as a child, excitedly ripping open the first door of your Advent Calendar to get to the scrumptious secret within? Well, I created something for you to regain that delicious excitement… and more!

Confession: I am a total Xmas fanatic. I LIVE for the holiday season. While my usual taste can best be described as austere and intellectual, come Christmas, I’m into kitsch. Big time. Bring on the glitter, the glühwein and the sentimental songs!

Forget about stressful family gatherings and long, boring dinners; let me show you how to survive the (Christmas-) holidays in sexy style!

Imagine if there were a night where it would be socially acceptable to indulge your deepest darkest dreams. An annual opportunity for women to dress like their sexual fantasies – be it a blood-thirsty vampire or a flirtatious nun – without getting ‘slut shamed’. Wouldn’t that be amazing? Well there is a night just like that, and it happens to be one of my favorite moments of the year: Halloween.

Welcome to the Signature collection, a showcase of the uniquely seductive work of Dutch lingerie designer Marlies Dekkers.

Let’s start with a little experiment. Take a marlies|dekkers bra and hold one of the cups by your ear. Squeeze it and let go. What did you hear? A gentle ‘pop’ as it bounced back? I like to compare it sound of a well-made car door closing, say that of a Mercedes. It’s subtle and right.

I just love being an LA woman. There’s nothing like starting the day with a hike in the Hollywood Hills, followed by a green tea espresso, some vintage Gucci-hunting on Melrose, a dip in the ocean and a hot date at the Chateau Marmont. This is the place where I can go from being a fitgirl to a fashionista to a beach goddess to whatever the hell I want!

So, strong is the new sexy. But is it really that new? Anyone who has seen pictures of Ginger Rogers’ killer legs or Marilyn Monroe lifting weights in her bikini knows that in Hollywood, fit has always been hot. A short history of the fit film diva.

In art school, many years ago during a nude model drawing class, I had a life changing insight: What if I, as an artist, used a woman’s body as my canvas? If you make a painting, someone will hang it on their wall. If you design a chair, someone will sit on it. But if you design lingerie, someone will wear it, and by doing so, complete your art! I had found my mission.

All my work as a feminist designer is inspired by muses. Powerful female icons from past and present. Although women have been marginalized 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.

Fabulous words, and they could easily have been mine, but it was the legendary Edith Head – one of Hollywood’s most iconic designers – who said this many decades ago.

Is there a dress code for mothers? Ten years ago, I figured it out with my daughter’s help…

FISH WRAPPED IN NORI SERVED WITH LEEK, ARAME AND AN ORIENTAL SAUCE

Do you feel quite vulnerable on the beach? No wonder! Just think about it: you’re laying on your back, surrounded by strangers, and you’re wearing something minuscule that, just a few hundred meters down, on the boulevard, you wouldn’t be caught dead in! Simply put: the beach has its own set of rules.

Ever wondered why you feel so amazing in my swimwear? So comfortable and confident, so safe yet so sexy? What is the secret? Well, it all started in art school, many years ago, during a nude model drawing class…

On the 7^th of February Marlies Dekkers attended the Dutch premiere of “Fifty Shades Darker”. The movie, based on the second novel of the bestsellers trilogy of E L James, showed one of the designs of Dutch lingerie designer Marlies Dekkers.

The Japanese, more than anyone else, know how to elevate the art of sensuality and seduction to a higher level. There are actually several Japanese movies that changed my (sex-)life. ‘Warm water under a red bridge’ for example, broke the taboo of female ejaculation in the sweetest, most poetic way.

‘She paints her face to hide her face,’ Arthur Golden wrote in ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’. And sure enough, traditional geisha make up, with its snow white face, deep crimson lips and dramatically black eyes and brows, has the effect of a mask.

No other woman on earth is as devoted to the art of seduction as the geisha. Just imagine: to be so masterful that you can cause accidents in the street with one simple gaze! So let’s learn from the best and re-awaken our inner femme fatale…

With Valentine’s Day coming up, let’s talk #seduceyourself. To me, the summum of seduction is driving a man insane, just by exposing a glimpse of your wrist while pouring him tea. Can you imagine?

It’s a very simple exercise, but it can unlock your lover’s deepest desires and those of your own. Who knows, you might surprise yourself! A sexy valentine guaranteed.

Does the G-spot exist? Well, the ancient Greeks knew exactly where to look…and it gave a special meaning to the term ‘nectar of the gods’.

From the suffocating corset and the burned bra to Madonna’s iconic cone-bra; the three  feminist movements have all used lingerie as a symbol for the cause. So, what’s next?

A teeny triangle or a super push up bra? Read on to find out about the best bra shapes for your body!

The goddess is back! From Nigella Lawson, self-acclaimed ‘Domestic Goddess’, to Jennifer Lopez whose (much younger)
lover adoringly talks about his ‘Sex Goddess’. And how about women everywhere using the term to affirm their sisterhood,
as in: ‘You go, goddess!’?

I love cooking, I love heels. And boy, do I love cooking in my heels! (wearing preferably not much else…) Can I still be a feminist?

A few months before I gave birth to my daughter Zilver, IT happened…

If you could wear only one colour of lingerie for the rest of your life, what colour would that be?

If you could wear only one colour of lingerie for the rest of your life, what colour would that be?

I love the beach and when it comes to my beach bag, I’m incredibly organised. A day spent in the sun, sand and waves? I’ve got the essentials! And now you have a chance to WIN my favourites!

The traditional bikini consists of hardly more than three tiny triangle-shaped pieces of fabric. I decided you deserve better than that.

Did you know that Lagertha, my kick-ass Viking heroine and style icon, isn’t just a character in a tv series*? She is an actual historic figure!

Growing up in the Catholic South of Holland, it was one of the first stories I ever heard: the story of Eve and the apple…

And so, I will spend my first Valentines alone. Not literally alone; as usual, I will be surrounded by friends, family, lovers even. I’m just not in a steady relationship, for the first time in almost 25 (!) years.

What if superwoman had been a Viking? Meet my latest inspiration: the legendary Lagertha.

‘It took me 50 years to look this good.’ I always smile when I see that quote on t-shirts and birthday cards. Because you know what? It did take me 50 years to look and feel this good! Here’s how…

Can you strengthen your body and your mind by exposing yourself to cold temperatures? I tried out the Wim Hof (aka ‘The Iceman’) method. And I did more than just survive…

The bedroom is your very own soft & lustrous sanctuary, where your inner-most secret fantasies come out to play…Awaken Your Senses.

The first time I ate a piece of extremely dark chocolate was well over 20 years ago. I thought it was the most bitter, chalkiest thing I ever ate. So I started chocolate-training myself….

Galloping through the great outdoors with the wind in your hair, not knowing what lies ahead is what keeps you going… Awaken Your Senses.

It has become a bit of a trendy gadget, but a blindfold can truly transform your erotic experience. Take it from me…

Erotically charged, you remain in total control as you paint the town red, no matter what the night throws your way…Awaken Your Senses.

Do you smell ‘down there’? Of course you do! And you better learn to love it. It might be the best thing you’ve ever done for your health and your sex life…

Love is the poetry of the senses- Andre Balzac

What if there really was a machine or gadget that could turn you on with just a click? Well, one legendary Italian cartoonist made that idea look very sexy indeed…

Imagine: Picasso telling dirty jokes to a Nobel Prize winning scientist while Coco Chanel is making out in the corner with her (not so-) secret lover Igor Stravinsky.

We will launch our exciting new range of lingerie designed to AWAKEN YOUR SENSES.

The top 3 Parisian places to see or be seen at…

A timeless and classic combination for the fashion forward female.

Why you deserve to treat yourself to a piece of luxury.

BFF’s, and more…learn about the relationship between Misia and Coco!

Keeping the inspiration of Misia alive in one, sexy scent.

At the first modern Olympic Games in Athens 1896, women were not allowed to compete, since that would be “impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic, and incorrect. Read on to find out how the French turned this around!

I like things to be intense. I do everything with a burning passion, otherwise I believe it’s a waste of time.

Art inspires fashion, but who inspires art?

Teenage girls need to rebel against their mothers. But what if your mother is the Rebel Queen of Lingerie?

“Please draw your own breasts and write one sentence explaining how you feel about them,” I asked 15 great women working for marlies|dekkers….

What is erotic? Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook and gatekeeper of online content) may think just a nipple does the trick, but I believe that sometimes it takes more than a naked body to arouse erotic desire.

What makes my lingerie more expensive than a mass-produced brand? There are many reasons, so let’s explore why.

To get The Perfect Fit I promise to design and produce nothing but the best for your boobs!

When you try on a bra, you usually stand and watch yourself in a mirror, right? You might bend forward a little, turn around slowly to see the bra from different angles, but that’s it. You like how it looks? You buy it.

Most of us, – a whopping 85% – are wearing the wrong-size bra. Do you recognise any of these classic bra #FAILS? I’ve got some solutions for you..

A bra is a bra, right? Wrong! Here is what to look for when you’re lingerie-shopping.

How Design, Fit and a Feminine Point of View make the marlies|dekkers brand.

I’m going on a trip and I’m bringing… well unfortunately not my gorgeous personal trainer. But his sexy summer work out is a nice alternative. If you like torture, that is.

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, of the sea. Writer Isak Dinesen once said this, and I fully agree.

Disco heels? Check. 5 pairs of bikinis? Check. BFF? Okay, let’s go!

Forget about Johnny Depp’s private islands or the infinity pool at the Hanging Gardens Ubud; my favorite place to chill in my bikini is my own roof.

A sexy book, a pair of killer sunglasses, some sultry tunes; to me, packing my beach bag is like having a private pre-beach-party.

Are you a Groovy Granny? A Brazilian Rockstar or a Glamour Puss? Or perhaps more Naughty-cal But Nice?

Old boyfriends remember me as being way ahead of my time.

Smoothies are great, but whole fruits and vegetables are the real deal. Here’s why.

Stranded on a deserted island? No problem! As long as I have a huge jar of organic virgin coconut oil with me. Let me tell of the many ways I use this multi-tasking miracle.

What does it mean to you to be a mother or a daughter? I find it very hard to punt into words, but a few years ago, I had a chance to put it into images.

Bikinis should only be worn by skinny young women, right? Wrong! My own mother proved that you’re never too old to overcome your bikini-fear.

Well, maybe not quite a war, but the world of beachwear is divided into two very distinct camps. Which side are you on?

You know that feeling? The closer you get to the sea, the stronger the urge to undress. But you don’t need to lose yourself completely..

Your body, my canvas.
My pleasure, your beauty.

Ernest van der Kwast (34) was born in Mumbai and grew up in Rotterdam. He is one of my favorite Dutch writers. One of the things I admire about Ernest is his desire and ability to see and show the magic in ordinary things.

According to this Indian science of life, your energy type says a lot about what is good for your health and well-being. So how about your sex life?

Meet my latest spice obsession: saffron. A bright red spice so sensual and precious, I like to call it the Louboutin of the spice world.

About my love for Bollywood and my latest fitness obsession.

From Cleopatra to Kate Moss, the smokey eye never goes out of style. In India I learned the original way to create this seriously sexy look.

Apart from the acrobatic sexual positions, this ancient love manual offers some weird and wonderful, but also surprisingly relevant advice for modern lovers.

The secret of my hair? My henna habbit.

I’ve always loved to eat with my hands, but it sometimes made me feel like a culinary barbarian. Until I visited India…

This crazy orgy of colours celebrates more than just the beginning of spring.

During her life, Hindu poetess Mirabai wrote over 1300 bhajans, ‘love songs’ dedicated to Krishna. Their pure love and erotic symbolism transcend centuries and cultures.

The sounds, the colours, tastes and smells; no other country inspires me like intoxicating India. But like its gods, it has many faces..

I have to admit it, I’m addicted to India. Here are my 3 favorite places to visit in this sometimes maddening, but always mind-blowing country.

Let me start by saying: I’m a bit of a cultural snob. From classical music to literature, it’s the heavy stuff that rocks my boat. Dante’s Divine Comedy is my favorite book of all time, I think that says enough! Still, I really enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey, and with me, 100 million (!) women worldwide.

During over 20 years in the business I got to watch the best make up artists work their magic. Such a thrill to see them completely transform people, including me! Still I encourage everybody to be their own make up maestro; we express ourselves with our clothes, why not with our make up? Here are some great tips and tricks I ‘stole’ from the professionals..

Paris, the city of love, great minds, pere Lachaise, fashion and arts.
I’ve been visiting Paris for almost thirty years and every time when I walk through this beautiful city, I have the irresistible need to pay a visit to a show in Opéra Garnier.

During my journey to get rid of the bladder infections that used to plague me, I visited doctors all over the world –mostly male- who told me the kind of nonsense that eventually made me feel like an exasperated Alice in Wonderland.

It’s a very simple exercise, but it can unlock your lover’s deepest desires and those of your own. Who knows, you might surprise yourself! A sexy Valentine guaranteed.

Lingerie shopping for your Valentine; isn’t that a bit of a cliché? Not if you do it right. Come on baby, light her fire!

How a brown, mushy Valentine dish won my heart, and what I’ll be cooking for my lucky Valentine this year.

With each of my designs, I touch your body and trace your curves. I kiss you everywhere and leave my mark on you. And you, in return, breathe life into my lingerie.

Dare to kiss in the most romantic city in the world

The “selfie” is something which has become a huge part of our modern culture. And I, a self-proclaimed selfie fanatic, could not have been happier. But to many the question remains: WHHYYYY???

I find cooking relaxing, grounding and even sexy. To quote writer Michael Pollan: ‘The very best cooking is a form of intimacy.’ And so I tell my friends to get back in the kitchen. Some follow my advice, others tell me I’m crazy. Like my dear friend Heleen van Royen.

It was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite spice, and it’s a well- known remedie for nausea and the common cold. But did you know that ginger can drive you wild with desire? First, let me show you how to make the perfect ginger tea..

What do you want to tell the world? In order to find out, sometimes you have to bare your soul. For me, it all came together when I designed my ‘Bare Bottom Dress’. Read what happened when I put my dress –now a museum piece- to the test in Amsterdam’s Red light district.

Almost a new year, for a lot of people the time to make up their new year resolutions. Not for me. I look back on what happened the past year and take the time for some honest and important self-reflection.

From a young age I’ve done all kinds of sports. I’m an active person who likes to challenge myself. But I came to the shocking conclusion that I used to sport like a girl…

The cold wind, dry air, freezing temperatures, dark nights… it is winter! While others grumble about the upcoming snow, I’m singing Christmas songs and make my home a winter wonderland.

In life you meet all kind of people. With some you have a superficial connection, others you forget after a while, but the best ones are those who touch your heart and complement your life.

WIN a complete set of my favourite beauty products of Dermalogica

According to a recent study, ‘men have more varied sexual fantasies than women’. We have some catching up to do, ladies! Let’s start now, by taking that sexy selfie one step further.

Classical music means everything to me. I wake up and go to bed with it. My participation at Maestro gave me the opportunity to immerge in the world of great composer in which I find so much joy.

My story starts with a motto. A motto which I have for more than 20 years. It has always inspired me but most of all I want to inspire others with my saying; dare to dream, dare to grow, dare to be.

My live has been a journey of learning, trying and finding my way to, eventually, my own destiny. With my blog Maison Marlies I share it all, no holding back.

I’m still in the running to become a Maestro and they gave me the ultimate test to stay concentrated. I had to conduct with one of the biggest harp players of the world. Something happened during the show, which made me forget the entire orchestra and audience.

We had to do a new photoshoot and while searching for the right team I suddenly thought, I should make the photos myself! Being a creative means sometimes having ideas in your head which are hard to explain to others.

When I became 45 I wanted to give myself a birthday present. What would make me really happy? It would be great if I could give myself another 10 years of the energy level I had at that moment. I collected a team around me with specialists, personal trainers and nutritional experts, to help me with this goal.

For a television program I am competing with 8 other Dutch personalities to become THE “Maestro”. The last few weeks have been nerve wrecking; I found my new passion.

I never have a week with a same sort of agenda as the week before, or the week ahead. That’s because I sometimes live the life of four different people.

I have the most amazing daughter in the whole wide world, let’s start with that. But sometimes I feel there’s a difference between what we both perceive as being normal.

As much as I have a love for fashion designers, beautiful fabrics and craftsmanship, I also have a love for spending my time visiting exhibitions and wandering through museums.

Is her house as fashionable as her lingerie…? Well, let me take you on a tour through my (lingerie) closet.

Last year I got one of those calls you will never forget, I was asked to be the quest editor in chief of the Dutch Metro Mode.

I was invited to make a contribution for a charity auction. They asked me to take pictures of things that I love deeply. The result would be a unique piece of art reflecting my heart.