I started marlies|dekkers with a tiny collection – literally one fluffy bra – and huge dreams. But celebrating my 30-year anniversary one day? Wow, that’s something I could never have dreamed! Just think about how different the world was in 1993: smartphones weren’t surgically glued to our palms yet and feminism was still a dirty word. To say we went through a few changes these past three decades would be an understatement. So how come I’m still around? What is the secret of my success, besides a beautiful product and a burning mission to empower women? Perhaps it’s in the way I deal with change: I dive in, move with it, and dance through it.

Celebrating a milestone like this is the perfect moment to reflect back and look forward. How fitting that my life and art were the subject of a powerful performance in a nightclub setting by multi-talented actress Dewi Reijs, who played me so skillfully that I felt like seeing my life flash before my eyes at times! She danced, cried and provoked – asking the women in the audience what their vaginas smelled like, for example – moving me with her physical embodiment of my thoughts, ideas and beliefs.

Dance is a way to move your body and free your mind. It helps you come home to your body. Which, according to Beatrijs Smulders, is one of the most empowering things a woman can do. The legendary midwife who assisted over 4000 women in childbirth – she once joked that her office was the vagina – told me: « There is so much wisdom and knowledge stored in our bodies. Your body never lies. »

As you can read in my article ‘Everybody dance now!’, this idea is very much backed up by science. It turns out that dance is the best boost for you body, brain and soul. Did you know, for example, that you can reduce your risk of developing dementia by 76 percent if you dance frequently? And that, as soon as we begin moving, our brain releases a marvelous cocktail of dopamine, adrenaline, and endorphins that helps us connect with those around us, making us feel less lonely and more empowered?

From the beginning of humanity, rhythm has been a vehicle to bring people together. Working on the collections you see on these pages – from designing them to shooting the campaign pictures on Ibiza – made me realize what the most important reason is behind my success: my connection to the wonderful people around me. The path of a pioneer can be a lonely one, but with my tribe dancing alongside me all these years, across several generations, I have felt loved, supported and empowered to keep going. So, here it is: my ode to dance, and its joyful power to connect us. A celebration of love and life; a big ‘thank you’ to you! To another 30 years together! Let’s dance!