The art of giving
I'm writing this with a big smile on my face and a heart bursting with joy: this year, we are celebrating 30 years of marlies|dekkers! Inspired by the Dutch art of giving on your birthday - 'wie jarig is, trakteert' - this fabulously festive issue of feminine|feminist is my anniversary treat. Like everything else I've created in the past three decades, it's fueled by my desire to empower you, to dare you to dream, grow and be. My gift to you.
I'm writing this with a big smile on my face and a heart bursting with joy: this year, we are celebrating 30 years of marlies|dekkers! Inspired by the Dutch art of giving on your birthday - 'wie jarig is, trakteert' - this fabulously festive issue of feminine|feminist is my anniversary treat. Like everything else I've created in the past three decades, it's fueled by my desire to empower you, to dare you to dream, grow and be. My gift to you."The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away," a man who took the art of giving quite literally (Pablo Picasso) once said. The gifts that our muse for this season - healer, scientist, saint, poetic prophet and musical maverick Hildegard von Bingen- gave the world, are still moving and inspiring us today, from her heavenly, hypnotizing compositions to her 'trending' holistic health tips we're sharing on these pages. According to Mary Sharratt, the American award-winning writer who channeled the badass 12th century nun for her phenomenal novel 'Illuminations', Hildegard's radiant, colorful visions are the source of her staying power. "Even if we are not visionaries like Hildegard," Mary told me, "we do all have dreams and visions. Learning how to access and trust them is the key to our empowerment."
I couldn't agree more, having spent the past 30 years manifesting my own visions in my designs and beyond. Often described as 'crazy', these visions enabled me to always stay two steps ahead, but also catapulted me into the craziest adventures, the most recent one taking place nearly 4000 feet in the sky! Our Awaken Your Senses shoot in Turkish bucket-list destination Cappadocia, famous for its ancient underground cities and daily hot air balloon festival, was as spectacular as I had envisioned it. Floating among the hundreds of balloons at a terrifying height with my team while trusting the wind to take us in the right direction - believe me, I kissed the ground upon landing - turned out to be a perfect allegory for what a beautiful, crazy adventure it's been for all of us at marlies|dekkers. The ride of a lifetime.
Reaching a milestone is a great moment to look back and reflect. The awards, the applause, the superstars rocking my creations; there's so much to be thankful for. But my biggest accomplishment? The impact I was able to have on your (daily) lives; the confidence my designs gave you to go on a date with destiny. It all started 30 years ago with my dream to empower you. Reading your most memorable marlies|dekkers moments - from going for your dream job to getting your groove back after a partner's death - made me realize that by helping you manifest your dreams, you helped me manifest mine. My gift to you, became your gift to me. On this anniversary, let's celebrate the art of giving together. To another 30 years of this beautiful cycle of love, light and empowerment!
