Lancering feest van Harper’s Bazaar

For weeks now, there has been a slight state of excitement mixed with a touch of panic because the launch of Harper’s Bazaar was on the agenda and that is of course very exciting, but WHAT should we wear?! After the save the date, the paper invitation landed on the doormat, which was the starting signal for the official phase of total outfit crisis. We’re talking Bazaar here. While last night the rain was pouring down, about 350 Bazaar-proof dressed people stepped into their taxis and cars to head to the Amsterdam Tropenmuseum for the unveiling of the Netherlands' newest fashion magazine.

Lady of the evening Cécile Narinx was walking around in bright red (just like cover model Anna de Rijk) and stood out well among the predominantly black-clad fashion crowd. She was a bit nervous, but also full of good spirits to make it a really fun evening. I know Cécile from my time at ELLE, and there she taught me not only endlessly about magazines, fashion, and writing, but also about phenomena like plop, karaoke, the Song Festival, carnival, and Lee Towers. You didn’t expect that, did you? “Are we going to do some karaoke or something like that tonight?” I asked her, to which the answer was “does Lee Towers wear glasses?” Look, the tone was set, this is going to be good.

Pretty girls dressed in Playboy Bunny outfits (which, to be honest, I didn’t quite understand because why bunnies?) were ready with glasses of champagne, and that was exactly what I had been looking forward to all day. Once inside, it was actually one big reunion of former ELLE colleagues and other magazine people. There was a lot of kissing, “long time no see, how are you?” and of course, naturally, there was posing for the photowall. I used to have a bit of camera anxiety, but after the first month at the ELLE editorial office, that was gone. And my stage fright was also fine because it can be said with absolute certainty that when you combine a fashion party with people from the (former) ELLE editorial team, they are the first and last to be on stage and in terms of dance moves, they give Beyoncé a run for her money.

But of course, there were more people than just the Elletes. Shownieuws and RTL Boulevard pointed their cameras at Olcay Gulsen, Kim Feenstra, Nikki Plessen, and Bastiaan van Schaik, while Karin Swerink had a head editorial chat with Hilmar Mulder. Jan Taminiau, Edwin Oudshoorn, Matthijs van Bergen, and Viktor & Rolf represented the designers of the country and online rulers Yara Michels and Ivania Carpio have together just as many pageviews as there are inhabitants in the Netherlands (approximately, that is).

A few hours after Cécile's opening words and after the first guests had left the building, I found myself outside under a canopy with a cigarette letting the evening sink in. You know, sometimes things in life are really tough and a party with loved ones, great music, cold champagne, and well-dressed people is exactly what you need. When I walk back inside, I seriously see that they have started the conga line, that many heels have been swapped for sneakers, and when Anita Meijer is also played, the evening is complete. Cécile, pop cheers pop, to the next 100 years of Harper’s and conga lines.

Photos by: Dennis Veldman