Fighting the power in our underwear
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?
First we fought for the right to vote. It was a long fight -seventy years, starting in 1848, to be exact- and while we were at it, we realized we also deserved the right to breathe. Which was pretty hard in the constricting corsets we were supposed to wear. So off went those symbols of our suppression!
During the second wave of feminism, we burned our bras. We wanted freedom, sexual freedom; the pill, abortion, and the right to walk around without being bothered by sexist men. We should be able to go without a bra, or even without a bikini top on the beach. The message: ‘Dudes, keep your testosterone under control!’
To me, the third feminist wave started when Madonna wore Jean Paul Gaultier’s cone bra during her Blonde Ambition Tour. The bra, once a symbol of suppression, had been turned into a weapon. OUR weapon. In the same way we adapted the corset. Yes it was still restrictive, but maybe we liked it that way every now and then. As long as it was our decision.
Without Madonna’s bra moment, I doubt my own lingerie –which offers women the tools to explore their sexuality in a very similar way- would have had a chance. In one instant we advanced a few hundred years. I remember thinking: “Yes! What I do with my lingerie is spot on! Let’s start this revolution!”
So here we are. We have the right to vote, the pill is widely available. We’re still riding the wave of the third feminist movement, and we’re finishing what Madonna started: the trend to gain control over our bodies by eating healthy and working out. We might initially have been shocked by how Madonna used her ‘guns’* as guns, but for a whole generation of women coming of age, fit is the new sexy.
But there are still double standards. Why are sexually liberated women still called sluts, when their male equivalents are studs? Why can men show their bare chests on
social media, whereas women’s nipples are banned?
— Marlies Dekkers
* Slang for biceps
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Building bridges
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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More than a feeling
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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Marlies Says
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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Super (skin) food
‘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.
