the Queen of Summer
Like a mighty snake, the Nile river slithers through the driest desert land with its life-giving waters, creating a lush strip of paradise along its banks: Egypt. Not surprisingly, the Egyptians called their land a ‘Gift of the Nile’ while their most magnificent female pharaoh, Cleopatra, will always be known as ‘the Queen of the Nile’.
Growing up in the Netherlands during the 70s, the North Sea was my Nile. Standing at the wind-swept shore, wriggling my toes in the wet sand, I felt like a queen, or even better, like Botticelli’s Venus rising from the waves. How I loved the fact that the salt air gave me curls that could rival hers! There was something about the sensuality of the salt, sea, sand and sounds that felt timeless; a connection with ancient queens and goddesses across oceans of time.
With my latest swimwear collection, I am taking you on a magical trip down memory lane. Camping trips in the dunes, beauty budding on the beach, stolen kisses in the surf; I’ve tried to capture the joy of the freedom-loving 70s in these very personal pictures. (The gorgeous women on these pages are my real-life friends; the orange tent a copy of the one I spent many childhood summers in!). Each of these Nile-inspired looks is an ode to freedom. You’ll see; wearing them will make you comfortable, confident and carefree enough to own every moment of this season. Whether you are cruising down the sapphire-colored Nile or doing cartwheels in the dunes, you will feel like the Queen of Summer. Cleopatra herself would approve.
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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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