Dec 14

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Balenciaga in black

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At the Kunstmuseum in Den Haag, there's currently an exhibition about Balenciaga's iconic black designs.

I've seen the exhibition before in London's Victoria & Albert museum a couple of years ago and was left mesmerized as much then as now.

Cristobal Balenciaga's designs are so vastly different from the Balenciaga we know today. It makes me yearn for a time where we would all dress in extravagant black couture, with dreamy drapings of fabric and structured shoulders.

Perhaps one day.

Dec 13

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Tufting with Xiaomi

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At Xiaomi's press event I was invited for a luncheon and a tufting workshop. In the showroom were a couple of Xiaomi's hero products lined up.

My family has been using Xiaomi appliences for years now. It's easy to use, it's all about smart living and the designs are always clean and minimal.

After lunch, we got creative with tufting. My youngest sister happens to be a tufting enthusiast but never had I seen or done it before.

To my surprise, it was actually quite simple and fun to do. Now that I've got the hang of it, I feel like doing it again soon. To create a tiny rug for the baby perhaps!

Dec 12

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Trying out Nela in Amsterdam

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We visited the newly opened Nela on Amsterdam's beloved Zuidas today. I love discovering new restaurants, especially in a neighbourhood I used to live in.

Needless to say, I was wildly impressed by all the dishes served. From the beautiful vegetable based dishes to the meaty slow cooked ribs — even the mocktails were some of the best I've had so far.

This is one to keep an eye on.

Dec 6

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Getting inspired by Tim Walker

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Today we visited Kunsthal Rotterdam to see the Tim Walker exhibition. I've seen this exhibition in different places around the world already; and yet every time I visit, I am inspired anew. By the visionary direction of Tim, his exceptional mind and the way he's able to tell a story of his own through his photography.

As an editor-in-chief and photographer, I am always in awe by the vision and mind of legendary photographers such as Tim Walker. He continues to be an inspiration in fashion photography — and I daresay beyond.

Dec 3‍

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Et Claire

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Amsterdam has a new patisserie in town and it's called Et Claire. There are so many new shops opening up in Amsterdam that it's hard to keep up with nowadays. Et Claire is a place that started with the idea to have a French-inspired patisserie / viennoiserie. When you enter the shop, the design is almost like it came straight out of a Wes Anderson film — the white and yellow tiles, with matching golden details.

But the pastries is what you come here for. We had a kimchi cheese croissant, which was marvellous, a truffle and ham cruffin, equally tasty, and a cream and blueberries pastry. In the mean time, the patissier was working on a black sesame croissant in the back. All items are innovative and exciting, matching today's craving for newer tastes.

They recommended us to come back on Saturdays, because they serve a broader menu then. Well, I will definitely be back to try more from their menu!