Amayzine's birthday: the party
At the time of writing, May-Britt, Jet, and I are in the lunchroom around the corner from our office because that office is still quite impassable. About 300 people came to celebrate our birthday yesterday, and that means it’s now, forgive me, quite a mess. But we take it in stride because it was the most fun evening ever, and I still think so now, as I sit behind my laptop with trembling hands and small eyes. We revealed the cover of our winter issue with HNTM winner Nicky on the cover, toasted to the past year with full glasses of Veuve Clicquot, and were surprised with the news that we are nominated for a Mercur Award, the most important prize in the magazine world.
What we were going to wear was planned and ready, and our friend Leco van Zadelhoff came for hair and makeup. Once all the eyelashes are where they should be, we walk in with the team and see that the first guests have already trickled in. Our new friends from Holland's Next Top Model were of course there with winner Nicky at the forefront, and those four finalists together made us all resolutely want to go back to Leco's chair to become just as pretty as they are. Of course, Anouk Smulders and Fred van Leer were present, and later we also saw Winonah de Jong and Victoria Koblenko posing for the photo wall.
DJ Claire Timmermans aka Cat Carpenters played one great track after another, selfies were taken everywhere, the Gin Tonics made from Bombay gin and Fever Tree tonic, and the Veuve Clicquot were flying over the bar, selfies were taken everywhere, and it was so incredibly cozy that I am now in a kind of blissful haze and can only look back very contentedly on an evening full of fun.
When May-Britt stands on stage to launch the winter issue and the HNTM girls hand over their cover, she then asks the Amayzine team on stage. With trembling knees (stages are scary), we walk up to her, and then it turns out she has a special surprise for us. Because what is the case, Amayzine.com is the first digital platform ever nominated for a Mercur award in the category Launch of the Year. Where the television world has the Televizier, the film world has the Oscars, the magazine world has the Mercurs. It’s really a big deal. In our category, there are three other titles including Harpers Bazaar, so we find ourselves in good company and have already discussed a choreography with editor-in-chief Cécile Narinx for the award ceremony on December 10.
After the official moment, the cork can really pop off the bottle, and we go to the dance floor with our hands in the air. We were so happy, and we still are. Amayzine has been around for a year, and that was already a reason to celebrate, but now with this nomination, we really couldn’t be happier. When the last guests leave, we stay dancing until the small hours, whether barefoot or not. The hangover always comes later, but you know what, I embrace it with love because an evening like this won’t be made any less fun. Here’s to next year!
Photo credits: Elinoor Veldman
