A Celebration of Women, Style and Storytelling
- Rianne van der Steen
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 23
Last Thursday, I had the privilege of being one of just thirty women at the very first AndBloom lunch by Desiree Boomkens, influencer, photographer, writer, and founder of The Guide. We met each other at the Avani Museum Quarter Amsterdam Hotel.
It was an afternoon that felt like a living celebration of womanhood. Women from different cities, countries, and backgrounds came together; colourful, outspoken, and unapologetically themselves. Each woman brought her own character, her own style, her own story. Together we inspired one another, we empowered each other, and we celebrated individuality in its truest form.
The atmosphere was electric and intimate all at once: women exchanging compliments and advice, sharing dreams and personal stories, forming new connections and even friendships. What struck me most was the courage in the room women daring to be vulnerable, daring to define their own style, daring to lead.
The hotel setting was elegant, the lunch beautifully curated, but it was the women who made the day unforgettable. Stylists, models, creatives, the women behind the book itself, each with a mix-and-match wardrobe, bold jewellery, radiant presence. No trends. Just pure personality.
There were heartfelt speeches that lifted the room: Desiree herself, reminding us why The Guide exists, to honour the beauty and complexity of women everywhere. And Dyenne Bekker, who followed with a warm, moving address that touched us all.
It was, without doubt, an afternoon to remember: authentic conversations with authentic women, dressed not to fit in but to stand out, to express, to be seen. Strong, independent, curious, and brilliantly themselves.
It was, without doubt, an afternoon to remember: authentic conversations with authentic women, dressed not to fit in but to stand out, to express, to be seen. Strong, independent, curious, and brilliantly themselves.
And that’s the truth this afternoon proved so beautifully: it is so much more joyful to be your outspoken self. To dare to stand out in the crowd.
A true celebration of womanhood, one that will stay with me.
So why blend in, when you were born to stand out? That same spirit lives in my designs, pieces created to celebrate individuality, strength, and unapologetic style.
Discover the designs in my webshop, made to be remembered.
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