The art of giving
"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!
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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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 food "Pinterest")
