The self-love show

I live and breathe feminine feminism. With each of my designs, but also through a number of empowering side projects such as ‘The Self–Love Show’: a series of intimate, animated conversations on Instagram Live with feminine feminists from all walks of life. The subject? You guessed it, self–love! Because after all these years, I know one thing for sure: self–love is the key to unlocking potential. Your own potential, but also that of the women around you. So, let’s inspire each other! Let’s lift each other up! Here are some nuggets of self–love wisdom to get your started. Enjoy!

With Mal Harrison – Clinical sexologist, eroticism philosopher
« Self–love has so many layers, I like to think of it as an onion. We may be familiar with things like self–acceptance and self–awareness, but another hugely important element is courage: the courage to be radically honest with ourselves and our partners. For example, you may not be in the mood to speak up right after having sex. But your future self will be so grateful that you did! It’s a bit like brushing your teeth even though you don’t feel like it, right? And so, self–love in this case would be saying to your partner: « It felt wonderful, but I didn’t have an orgasm. Can we do something about that? ». Yes, that can be pretty scary. But courage isn’t about being unafraid; it’s about loving yourself enough to feel afraid and jump into it anyway.

With Merel Krielaart – Model, designer, entrepreneur
« One of the most wonderful things my mom ever taught me was this simple, yet super efficient trick for self–love. « When you feel lonely, just hug yourself! » she would say. I started doing it as a little girl, and now I’ve passed it on to my children and grandchildren. Try it! It works best with bare arms, because you want to be able to feel your own skin. Wrap your arms around yourself and take a deep breath in and out. Give in to the loving embrace. Hmm, doesn’t that feel good? You can even give yourself some kisses on your shoulders and arms. Those are actually the best kisses, because your skin tells you exactly what it likes. I promise you; you won’t feel so lonely anymore! »

With Pascale Naessens – Culinary author, ceramic artist
« I’m a true bon vivant. To me, food is about romance. It’s about history and health, communicating and creating. It’s sensual. To figure out what works for me, I had to learn how to be intuitive about eating rather than follow all kinds of rules and diets. I had to learn how to feel. Now, at least 70 to 80% of what I eat are natural ‘staple foods’ that nourish my body and make me stronger, like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fish, meat. I don’t count calories – it’s so outdated! – and enjoy the occasional glass of wine. Every meal, I eat until I’m full and I never feel guilty. Most importantly, I feel free to enjoy life to the fullest! When you find a way to sustain yourself with natural, healthy and satisfying foods, cooking becomes a love affair with yourself. »

With Janneke Niessen – Investor, serial entrepreneur
« Can you be serial entrepreneur, a workaholic and a great mom, all at the same time? Of course you can! But you have to love yourself enough to do it your way and ignore society’s idea of what being a ‘perfect mom’ entails. (Carrying my child around 24/7 in an expensive baby carrier? No, thank you!). Have the courage to invest in yourself; aim for financial independence. My advice is to start investing as early as possible, and to only choose the types of investments and companies you have an affinity with. Know how stress–resistant you are; it can be an emotional rollercoaster for some. Not a big player yet? No worries! Thanks to websites like AngelList that aim to democratize the investment process, you can start with just a small amount. »