digital magazine fall | winter 2017 couture & style collection
“You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” — Edith Head
SHOP NOW Hollywood Glam - black push up bra & thong - 4 cm
contents FA L L | W I N T ER 2017
Mistress of transformation
09.
A cross between magic and camouflage
06.
10.
16.
11.
22.
In bed with Arianne
20.
Where the ‘Queen of Cups’ meets the 14. ‘Dress Doctor’
30.
25.
Queen B's mission
28.
Feminine Feminist
34.
36.
“Imagine how rich the world of tomorrow would look like,when we unlock all that female potential.” — Marlies Dekkers
All my work as a feminist designer is inspired by muses. Powerful female icons from past and present. Although women have been marginalised 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, I explore the legacy of the legendary costume designer Edith Head, an icon of Hollywood glamour who lived by her own motto “You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” Edith designed costumes for hundreds of movies and won a record eight Academy Awards; think of classics such as All About Eve (1950), Roman Holiday (1953) and The Sting (1973). She helped shape the female Hollywood archetypes we know today - from the Femme Fatale to the Sex Goddess - but perhaps more importantly: she empowered women all over the world with her style wisdom. Even now, when I design my lingerie, I often think of how she described her work: ‘a cross between magic and camouflage’. My Hollywood Glam collection is no exception to that: a spectacular black-and-gold set that combines a perfect, flattering fit with silver screen worthy sparkle. I was inspired by Edith’s sensational wardrobe for Barbara Stanwyck’s role as burlesque stripper Sugarpuss O’Shea. (Ball of fire, 1941). To wake up your inner Sugarpuss, I used gold-coloured sequins, black lace and gorgeous little satin bows and created lingerie that can infuse any wardrobe with some much-needed glitz. “Some people need sequins, others don’t,” Edith liked to say. Well, this season, I decided we could all use some Hollywood glam! Dare to sparkle! — Marlies Dekkers
Some people call her the most important figure in the history of Hollywood costume design, to others she is the style maven who showed millions of women how to dress for success. But to me, Edith Head will always be the mistress of transformation. In the words of one of her star friends: “If Cinderella had Edith Head, she’d never have needed a Fairy Godmother.”
Mistress of transformation EDITH HEAD
Edith Head was born October 28, 1897 into
Edith loved the glamorous fantasy of Hol-
a poor mining family with European Jew-
lywood - one of her first assignments was
ish ancestry. She loved to tell the story of
painting polka-dots on six-foot butterfly
how, for lack of friends, she dressed up the
wings for Peter Pan - but very soon ac-
horned toads she found in Nevada’s de-
tresses like Clara Bow and Mae West dis-
sert sand. I know all too well from my own
covered Edith’s talent to create designs
childhood how loneliness can be a bless-
that helped them transform their bodies
ing in disguise: it feeds your imagination. In
and inhibit their roles. “Through the work
later years, struggling as a dress designer,
of a fine costume designer, an actor can
Edith used to tell herself: “Anyone who can
become the character. Edith Head never
dress a horn toad, can dress anything!”
failed,” Bette Davis said of her BFF.
READ MORE
“Create the image you desire, to achieve your heart’s desire.” — Edith Head
Hollywood Glam ~ black With my Couture Collection I tell a story through lavish, one-of-a-kind designs using rich, luxurious materials. This season, I was inspired by Edith Head’s genius tailoring and Hollywood glamour. The result is a spectacular display of craftsmanship: individual fabric panels were embroidered with rows of gold-coloured sequins - piece by piece, size by size - before being constructed into the lavish pieces you see on these pages. The sunburst pattern of the sequins is designed to give your figure that desirable Hollywood hourglass shape. Wear my Hollywood Glam collection and shine bright like a silverscreen siren!
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push up bra brazilian briefs - 8 cm
“Some people need sequins, others don’t.” — Edith Head
SHOP NOW Hollywood Glam - black plunge balcony body thong
Where the ‘Queen of Cups’ meets the ‘Dress Doctor’ MY GOLDEN COMBINATION
In art school, many years ago during a nude model drawing class, I had a life changing insight: What if I, as an artist, used a woman’s body as my canvas? If you make a painting, someone will hang it on their wall. If you design a chair, someone will sit on it. But if you design lingerie, someone will wear it, and by doing so, complete your art! I had found my mission.
As a woman, I wanted to empower other
Fit: I wanted a superb fit and outstanding
women. I wanted to help them celebrate
quality. My goal: to make the Rolls Royce
their bodies. Yes, lingerie is about seduc-
of bras and knickers.
tion, but you have to seduce yourself first. Feminine Point of View: What do women And so, I created my Golden Combina-
want? After centuries of the male point of
tion, consisting of three components that
view dominating art and design, I wanted
would define the look and philosophy of
to (re)discover what made us click.
my brand... I’m not the only one of course. Coco Design: No frou-frou. The French and the
Chanel, Vivienne Westwood and Miuccia
Italians, who dominated the world of lin-
Prada; these are all female designers who
gerie back then, like to wrap women up
have liberated women through style. For
like bon-bons. I am a minimalist, and in
my collections this season, I was inspired
that regard, typically Dutch: each line was
by a perhaps less obvious, but no less in-
going to matter.
fluential feminine feminist icon: costume designer extraordinaire Edith Head. Edith transformed women; a wanna-be into a movie star, the girl-next-door into a femme fatale. Initially, these women were actresses -from Bette Davis in ‘All about Eve’ to Kim Novak in ‘Vertigo’- but in the 1940’s and 1950’s, when Head was at the peak of her fame, the average American woman took most of her style inspiration from film. Edith constantly received letters from fans, asking for advice, and soon she had a newspaper column and became a regular guest on radio- and TV shows. This way, she could directly influence the look of millions of women with her practical tips and brilliant one-liners.
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SHOP NOW Leading Strings - ivory plunge balcony bra & thong - 7 cm
“You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” — Edith Head
plunge balcony bra thong - 4 cm
Leading Strings ivory If looks could kill... This season, smolder in the white-hot version of my Leading Strings design! Sensual straps adorn your cleavage and spice up your lower back, turning you into an ice cool femme fatale. As I like to say: ‘Use diamonds to feel glamorous, use straps ‘n strings to get amorous.’ Wear my Leading Strings to see what you really are: the leading lady of your own film noir.
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Gloria ~ grey suit Dare to be dashing in this lingerie-version of the power suit! I combined gentleman inspired details - macho suspender straps, herringbone fabric - with an extremely flattering and sensual fit, then chose the perfect shade of grey to flatter any skin tone. The result: a tailored look that suits you sensationally. Wear my Grey Suit to release your inner leading lady!
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padded push up bra thong - 4 cm
plunge balcony bra & brazilian shorts - 12 cm
In bed with Arianne
TA ST E M A K E R A N D V I SIONA RY I N F I L M A N D FA SH ION
As far as I am concerned, there is only one heiress to Edith Head’s throne, and that is the magnificent Arianne Phillips (53), twice Oscar-nominated costume designer and Madonna’s favorite style-collaborator. Like Edith, she is a tastemaker and visionary in both film and fashion. And just like her legendary predecessor, she is a feminist icon in her own right. I had the rare chance to interview Arianne and ask her about Madonna, feminism in Hollywood and why she thinks lingerie is ‘everything’. “We definitely do NOT like to hide it!” READ MORE
SHOP NOW Gloria - grey suit push up bra & thong - 4 cm
SHOP NOW Dame de Paris - plum truffle push up bra
Dame de Paris ~ plum truffle The stunning play of lines adorning the top of the cups and the back of your briefs refer to the glorious Notre-Dame Cathedral, while the sensual dusky plum hue and shower of painted-on silver sparkles are my ode to the grand dame of Hollywood glamour: Mae West. With my Dame de Paris you can have it all: a sexy décolleté, a dash of comfort and a whole lot of ‘oh-lala’!
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n balcony bra & brazilian shorts - 12 cm
“A designer is only as good as the star who wears her clothes.” — Edith Head
SHOP NOW Space Odyssey - evening blue balcony bra
Space Odyssey ~ evening blue This season, go ‘Rock ‘n Royal’ with this gorgeous sapphire set. Sensual straps put your breasts in the spotlights, while the mesmerizing pattern, reminiscent
of
Victorian
wallpaper,
makes you radiate star quality. And don’t you love the round-shaped detailing adorning the centre of the bra? It refers to the twirling spaceship from the cinematic masterpiece “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Wear my Evening Blue and dare to be stellar!
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push up bra & thong - 4 cm
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Forever Secret ~ forest green Be a spy in the house of love in glorious green tones and mysterious gold. This gorgeous set is all about seduction, from the intricate straps adorning your dĂŠcolletĂŠ to the sensual fabric that shimmers like a precious emerald on a bed of moss. Like the endless mystery of love itself, the gold-coloured embellishments are sparkling symbols of infinity. Wear my Forever Secret collection to wake up your inner Mystery Girl!
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push up bra thong - 4 cm
balcony bra & briefs - 5 cm
Not only do I admire Swedish super stylist B. Akerlund (41) for creating some of the world’s most iconic looks... ~ Lady Gaga’s ‘Paparazzi’ video, Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime show, Beyoncé swinging a bat in ‘that’ yellow dress ~ I also recognize in her a fellow Feminine Feminist. “My job? To make women strong, sexy and unstoppable.”
Queen B’s mission Marlies: Bea, first of all I want to thank
Bea: Yes! That’s what it’s about, women
you so much for using my Golden Karo
supporting women! And I love using your
bra in Britney Spears’ Work B**ch video.
stuff exactly for that reason: because it’s
I had envisioned a bra like golden armour,
empowering. Also for myself; I have a
but people kept telling me it couldn’t be
bunch of your bras actually!
made. I had to move heaven and earth! To see Britney lashing her whip in that pièce de résistance was such a glorious, empowering moment!
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FIND OUT MORE Forever Secret - forest green push up bra
FIND OUT MORE Rosemond - rose push up bra & thong - 4 cm
“Her life was all about glamour in the most glamorous place in the world, Hollywood.” — Edith Head
- lu
s ci
ou
ral pin s co kl a e
This season, smolder like love goddess Liz Taylor - middle name: Rosemond - and wrap your body in luscious lace. The dusky pink hue and sparkly gold details of this beautifully ornamented set have the effect of rosĂŠ Champagne, making you blush all over your body. And check out the stunning gold-coloured links! The divine motif was designed to remind you of what you really are: a love goddess. Wear my Rosemond collection and dare to live for love!
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balcony bra & brazilian shorts - 12 cm
c
Rosemond ~ rose
Latin Lady ~ grape purple This season, celebrate your curves in red-hot cerise with a passionate pattern. Shake it like Rita Hayworth; the fringes and sensual straps on this spectacular balcony bra are begging for it! I combined a sexy thong with a corsetboned waspie to accentuate your waist in the most glamorous way possible. Don’t you just love the seductive lace-up detail? Wear my Latin Lady collection to light your inner fire!
d
ne or
-p a
e p at te rn t a of on a si
FIND OUT MORE d scissor
s-
push up bra & thong - 4 cm
s
Feminine Feminist JENNIFER FINNIGAN
When I met Jennifer Finnigan in Los Angeles at our Emmy’s gift lounge, there was an immediate spark and connection. The Canadian actress, who is currently starring in the controversial TV drama Tyrant, turned out to be a lingerie-loving, feminine feminist with a noble mission: to revolutionize the TV world, one show at a time. But when she found out I was Dutch, she insisted on first telling me about her adventure in our own Red Light District. READ MORE
FIND OUT MORE Latin Lady - grape purple balcony bra & high waist thong
FIND OUT MORE Peekaboo - black plunge balcony body briefs
Peekaboo ~ black Come out and play! This sassy set hither loveliness. Initiate a
dots - sw e lka
po
l c u t- o uts
-
some extra ‘va-va-voom’, I
fu
bewitching beauty. For
fabrics p l
sure to bring out your
of sheer fabrics and
er
playful cut-outs that is
boo with a combination
he
tantalizing game of peeka-
satin bows. All in dark-magic n bows i t - s sa black, of course! Wear my t e Peekaboo collection and
ay
evokes Veronica Lake’s come-
added polka dots, a flirty trim and sweet
discover your own magic spell of seduction. Dare to bewitch!
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plunge balcony bra & brazilian briefs - 8 cm
push up bra & thong - 4 cm
plunge balcony bra & thong - 4 cm
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