Esra Önsöz
Pirate: Sayyida al-Hurra
Embodied by: Esra Önsöz (dancer, yoga teacher & massage therapist)
I am a warrior. I have been one for as long as I remember. I work hard for my goals, no shortcuts or distractions. Even though I did gymnastics for years, I didn’t start dancing till I was 15. One day, during an audition, I was told I was ‘a typical gymnast and would never be a dancer’. “Okay,” I said to myself, “it’s ON!”. Because if you tell me I can’t do something, those are fighting words to me! Only a few years later, I received a college degree in dance performance and teaching. I have been dancing and teaching professionally ever since.
I loved channeling Sayyida Al Hurra’s warrior spirit for the shoot. Being half Turkish, I also really appreciated the Arab references in the styling, hair and make up. When a joint creative effort comes together like this and you play a part in it, it’s pure magic! Some people say pirates were nothing but criminals. But when someone fights a system that’s corrupt, who exactly is the criminal here? You see similar situations in our current climate of social unrest. I function within the system, but I write my own rules and live by them as much as I can. Like a modern-day pirate, yes.
Last year, during an Ayahuasca ceremony in the Amazon rainforest in Peru, I had a wonderful insight. Looking at my own body, I realized that it carries an incredibly powerful warrior soul, and I felt such love and appreciation for it! Being proud of my body’s strength and resilience, I was happy to pose in lingerie for Marlies, whom I respect tremendously. As a matter of fact, I have a tattoo on my back of a gorgeous pin-up in lingerie; a symbol of feminine power. She’s got my back, quite literally!
Follow Esra on Instagram.
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From the Erasmus Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Museum to Qatar’s metro network; Ben van Berkel’s iconic landmarks bring people together in rapturous beauty, again and again. I talked with the Dutch architect and educator about sensuality, ‘healthy’ buildings and the remarkable parallels between our designs.
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Don’t ignore your emotions; they are much more powerful than you can imagine. By linking the magical world of emotions with hard science, Dutch scientist Pierre Capel, professor emeritus in experimental immunology, shows us the consequences of our feelings and the power of our minds. The message: we can do much more than we think. “Meditate. It’s the single best thing you can do for your health.”
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Keto curious?
The fact that I feel bikini-confident all year round is, of course, a nice bonus. But for me, the biggest payoff of following the keto diet is the way it optimizes my health and gives me tons of energy.
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‘If you can’t eat it, why put it on your skin?’. I pretty much live by this beauty adage. After all, with your skin being one of your body’s largest organs, anything – and I mean anything! – you put onto your skin will end up in your bloodstream.
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Maison Marlies blog
The marlies|dekkers brand offers a wide variety of lingerie that can be worn by anyone and caters to every woman’s individual needs. Within our Maison Marlies blog you can read all about the life behind and surrounding the company. Whether you are eager to know where Marlies gets her inspiration for designing new lingerie collections, her lifestyle, healthy cooking ideas, or simply to share her taste in amazing art - you will find it in the blog. Our fearless creative director manages to find time to write about her business trips and even her shopping sprees and vacations for the times she can let her hair down for a while. And even while she is on holiday she will not leave you hanging.
Giving style advice
When you are feeling lost in finding the right fit or determine your bra size, Maison Marlies offers a set of guidelines so that you can continue shaking your bon bons without them falling out. You'll get style tips on how to wear and style your bras, and bikinis. You would not want a wardrobe malfunction which can actually be prevented when you are wearing high quality luxury lingerie. And when your breasts are kept in place in marlies|dekkers bras or bikinis, you can fully celebrate your femininity in all its glory and full potential. The blog offers advise on how to mix and match womens lingerie to boost, inspire your own fashion sense and keeps you updated on the latest fashion trends.
Marlies and friends
Her celebrity friends are also very pleased with that perfect fit a marlies|dekkers bra can offer you. These women proudly show off their marlies|dekkers lingerie sets in photoshoots for magazines, on stage when they're performing, during a cameo on tv or on the big screen in movies. Maison Marlies dedicates a special section of the blog to all gender equality related news so you are always updated about the latest developments around this special mission that embodies Marlies’ vision for the future.
