Pirate Queen – Raise your rebel flag!

Pirate Queen – Raise your rebel flag!

by marlies|dekkers

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 raise our rebel flag by joining eleven formidable female pirates for an adventure of a lifetime. More badass than Blackbeard, these women created their own society of outcasts, free from patriarchal rules and gender roles. The treasure that our swashbuckling sisters were after? The same treasure women still crave: freedom. The freedom to create their own future, to only follow their own rules. And have a bloody blast while doing so!

To me, the archetype of female piracy is Anne Bonny. A glorious, red-haired wrecking ball, she roamed and robbed the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy with her (lesbian) lovers, becoming the most famous she-pirate of all time. Sure, there were other pirate women, some braver and more notorious than her. But there is something about Anne’s fiery spirit and the flair with which she defied sexual and legal rules that makes her the personification of ‘savage’. What a sight she must have been, shooting and slashing her way to the loot, a gun belt slung over a stolen officer’s coat, a cocked tricorne hat barely covering her unruly red hair! A woman on fire.

From Anne Bonny to Sayyida Al Hurra and Cheng I Sao; these legendary female pirates didn’t just break the rules, they rewrote them. With their courage and resilience, they inspired many generations of women to dare to dream, dare to grow and dare to be. Let’s celebrate their rebellious lives and daredevil spirit. Let’s be notorious!

My new Couture Collection is designed for women ready to navigate their own course. This spectacular design, inspired by Anne Bonny’s fiery spirit, combines a form-finessing shape with the splendor of a (stolen) officer’s uniform. I chose a gorgeous, sustainable black fabric and adorned it with detailed, rope-like embroidery in opulent gold. As a finishing touch, I added exquisite little ‘buttons’ featuring our own sassy version of the Jolly Roger. Now you can sail the Seven Seas in swashbuckling style!

Raise your rebel flag, pirate queen!

 

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