Electric & electrifying – my muse Lee Miller
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.
This season, we look deep into the steel-blue eyes of Lee Miller and see beyond the clichés of the privileged woman with the glamorous life. A 20th Century Renaissance woman, Lee made her mark in a mindboggling diversity of roles: surrealist icon, Vogue cover girl, innovative art photographer, legendary war journalist, gourmet chef. Let’s get inspired by the way she transformed lifelong pain – from childhood sexual abuse to post war stress disorder – into art; by the way she used her feminine capital to transform herself from a muse into a master. Most importantly, let’s celebrate the colorful life of a formidable feminine feminist who refused to be pigeonholed!
Rebellious, colorful, versatile; no other fabric mirrors Lee Miller’s character quite like the tartan proudly worn by Scottish rebels throughout the ages. A manifestation of my motto ‘dare to dream, dare to grow, dare to be’, Lee claimed the right to live many different lives. And just like tartan is woven from differently colored threads, each with its own meaning – green for the forest, red for blood – Lee insisted on interlacing all her different passions, from art to sex to photography, into a wild and wonderful pattern. The resulting life story contains an important message for every woman who has ever been told that she ‘couldn’t have it all’: if you’re willing to pay the price, you CAN! Find your rebel yell and GO for it!
For this season’s Couture Collection, I combined an ultra-feminine design with a dapper, tartan-like fabric: my homage to Lee Miller’s sensual beauty and tough, rebellious spirit. The coquettish fringe and a-symmetrical skirt refer to Lee’s flirty side; the robust buckles and shiny chains symbolize her warrior soul. Like Lee herself, the result is both eclectic and electrifying.
Pour yourself into this formidable, formfitting set and feel Lee Miller’s untamable spirit come alive inside you. Dare to defy all labels and live your own, unique life. Dare to be YOU!
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MD Friends
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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MD Friends
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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Marlies Says
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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