The power of pleasure

Since bursting onto the scene in 2010 with her delightful apple vibrator, Dutch sexpert Rianne Swierstra has been unwavering in her mission: to seduce women to take a bite out of the forbidden fruit of sexual self-knowledge and become juicy powerhouses. High time to high-five this fellow feminine feminist and have a Zoom chat about the power of pleasure in all its juicy forms.

Marlies: Hey, Rianne, so good to see you! Sorry about the noise; my neighbor is drilling.

Rianne: Are you sure you didn't just forget to turn off your vibrator?

Marlies:(laughs) That actually wouldn't surprise me. Anyway, I love the fact that we both explore desire from a feminine point of view. Replace your toys with my lingerie, and you've got a very similar message of female empowerment. How did you get started?

Rianne: When I became sexually active during my late teens, I quickly realized that exploring my sexuality with a partner was quite complicated. I wanted to focus on what turned me on and got me off, and sex toys were a fun, safe way to do so. But why on earth did these things have to be so monstrous? Huge, flesh-colored, veiny...

Marlies:: Always those big, popping veins! A perfect example of design from a male point of view.

Rianne: I suspect many men assume that we worship their penises as much as they themselves do.

Marlies: Judging by the number of unsolicited dick pics women receive, I think you're right. I wonder how they would feel if we started sending around random close-ups of our vulvas.

Rianne:(laughs) Like: hey, check out my labia, don't you love the way they are hanging today? Anyway, I decided I could do much better than a veiny dildo. Apart from the esthetics, 80% of women needs clitoral stimulation to be able to orgasm. So, at 30, after a number of detours - studying landscape architecture, exporting Italian furniture - I designed my first two vibrators: the Forbidden Fruit, my apple-shaped ode to rebellious Eve, and the Matryoshka, inspired by the iconic Russian nesting dolls. Playful, powerful, stylish enough to show off on your bedside table. I borrowed money from my parents, took out a loan and paid a manufacturer in China to make samples. After months of waiting, I decided to travel there myself and was met by a boy carrying a plastic bag from which he pulled two white amorphous objects stuffed with electric wires. My designs.

Marlies: Speaking of an anti-climax.

Rianne: Quite literally! But I never gave up, the boy became a great business partner, and when I finally hit the trade shows with some beautiful samples, they were an immediate success.

Marlies: Since then, what have been some interesting toy trends?

Rianne:The G-spot has been getting a lot of attention lately. If you insert your finger about 5 cm into your vagina, you'll feel a ribbed spot on the side of your tummy. With a heavier, curved vibrator you can stimulate that area to the point of ejaculation and experience a very different orgasm from a clitoral one.

Marlies: When I ejaculate, I've nicknamed that a 'boy orgasm'; a clitoral one is a 'girl orgasm'. And there are so many more! I can climax from nipple stimulation, or dancing even. Women are lucky to have so many erogenous zones. Wouldn't it be great if the assortment of toys would reflect that? For example, how about a toy for nipple stimulation that is intense, but more sophisticated than nipple clamps?

Rianne: I'm already making sketches in my head!

Marlies: Great, can't wait to see it. It's been fun watching your career unfold and and to spot all the parallels between our brands and missions. Do you feel that we've come a long way?

Rianne: In many ways, yes. By taking charge of their pleasure in the bedroom, women have started empowering themselves in other areas of their lives as well. 'From the bedroom to the boardroom', I always say. Our brands have played a big role in that. I also see that toys have become much less taboo. People realize: we use an electric toothbrush to brush our teeth and a washing machine to do our laundry - why not use a vibrator to masturbate?

Marlies: I agree, but as a side note may I just point out that it's also important to - literally - stay in touch with how we smell and feel by using our hands sometimes?

Rianne: Absolutely. Sex is like eating: some days you crave pancakes, other days you want a big salad. And it's all good. A toy is not a must, but it does invite you to play and explore. I still feel like Alice in Wonderland sometimes! But getting back to your question, we do seem to be entering a new era of prudishness. Topless sunbathing has become a rarity, for example. And did you know that still 10-15% of women has never had an orgasm?

Marlies: Wow, there's still plenty of work for us to do. But ultimately, it's each woman's own responsibility to explore her desires and own her pleasure. All we can do is offer them the apple. Thank you, Rianne.