Marlies Dekkers Lingerie Film is a Feminine Feminist Manifesto

The Awakening, a manifesto film by cult Dutch underwear artist Marlies Dekkers recently launched. The raw and provocative 3.5-minute film, which brings to life Dekkers’ feminine feminist vision, was co-created by Marlies Dekkers and Amsterdam-based creative studio Cloudfactory. 

Directed by Daniel Nogueira, The Awakening begins amid thunder and rain with a confident female voice narrating the awakening of a woman as she is born out of the earth, covered with dirt and unconscious. She dreams of women who have paved the way for a new wave of feminists - Eve, Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth. The woman drowns her weaker self, taking a painful journey to realize her potential. Power found, she bites a ripe apple, seizing confidence and strength.

“Together we can disarm the stereotypes that we (women) don’t have the skills, intelligence or the guts to accomplish. All we need is females thinking forward: women who understand that equality isn’t dependent on external factors; something passively received or violently acquired. Women who train their minds so that they feel powerful themselves. Women who feel, think and radiate confidence. Not against, but in partnership with men. Ultimately we give progress to ourselves. This is what The Awakening is about,’’ says Marlies Dekkers.

Interchanging the words “feminine” and “feminist” with the Marlies Dekkers logo, the film closes with the message that women don’t have to choose between the two – they can be both at the same time. Marlies Dekkers’ designs are never shown in The Awakening because its central message is one of feminine power. In the narrator’s words, it is about the fire within, the shedding of old skins and expectations, and believing in oneself. It is about overcoming social and cultural constraints and achieving goals.

“The Awakening is not about Marlies’ collections or her past or future plans, it’s about the feminist legacy she wants to build for women,” said Sandrine Huijgen, co-creative director on the film and partner at Cloudfactory. 

“The film is an experiment in female power, about women finding their own source of strength. We felt immediately attracted by Marlies’ mission, something we truly wanted to be part of, and together developed a story reconciling feminism and femininity.” 

To bring the concept to life, the film uses darkness, rain, dirt and a drowning to convey the difficult journey women take in order to harness their power. Femininity and beauty are captured by the dancer. Hailing from a dance company known for its raw and experimental style, her moves also show strength and confidence.

“At Cloudfactory, we also always strive toward creativity for good so it was rewarding to be part of a female creative team – Sandrine and I – working closely together with Marlies to help her feminine feminist message come to life,” said Jessica Kersten, co-creative director and partner at Cloudfactory. 

The launch of The Awakening coincides with Dekkers’ 50th birthday and is a true celebration of her forward-looking feminist philosophy.