« I was born a bitch, I was born a painter »
This season, I celebrate the colorful life and art of Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter, selfie-queen avant la lettre and original bad-ass Feminine Feminist. With her paintings, Frida liberated feminine themes of identity, sexuality and fertility from their stigma. With her insatiable lust for life, she still encourages generations of women to shamelessly express themselves.
It was love at first sight, the first time I saw Frida Kahlo with her stubborn brows and voluptuous flowers. After that, during every phase of my life, Frida was there, pushing me to celebrate my uniqueness, urging me to CREATE, no matter what! For this issue of FEMININE/FEMINIST, I followed Frida’s spirit all the way to Mexico City and immersed myself in her colorful world. To find out what Frida was really like, I had an exclusive interview with the woman who was there when Frida’s bathroom filled with personal treasures was opened after more than 50 years: Hilda Trujillo, director of the Casa Azul in Mexico City.
Closer to home, I talked to a number of fearless feminine feminists who -like Frida- love and create with abandon. To name but a few: German opera superstar Nadja Michael, the embodiment of the highest level of expression and shoe designer Ruthie Davis, who turned out to be just like the amazing shoes she designs for Beyoncé and Lady Gaga: daring, empowering and totally fabulous. I also interviewed Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, known as the Hemsley Sisters, who started a culinary wellness revolution. After all, isn’t cooking a beautiful and important way to express yourself?
The message is clear: whatever your talents or interests are, whether you’re born a bitch, a painter or a chef, express yourself! Exactly 25 years ago, I started marlies|dekkers with a dream: to make lingerie that empowers women. With my designs, I wanted to give women the confidence to explore my motto: Dare to dream, dare to grow, dare to be. Looking back, together with the people that played a pivotal role in my career, I can proudly say that I’ve come a long way. But I’m not done yet! Like Frida once famously said: ‘I don’t paint dreams, I paint my own reality’. Well, I will never stop dreaming, and I will never stop striving to make those dreams reality. And along the way, Frida will be looking over my shoulder.
‘Viva la vida!’ Dare to celebrate life, now! — Marlies Dekkers
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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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