Jil makes something you don't need

Jil, who indeed could have been Cameron Diaz's sister, I have known for years from the magazine industry (the industry, not the shelf at Albert Heijn), where she always brought various fun brands to attention as a PR guru. In the meantime, she has 2 children and changed direction. At least, she continues to surround herself with the beauty of the world, but now has her own company Blank Space, where she creates irresistibly beautiful table linen. Cameron Diaz Tell me everything about Blank Space.

Blank Space is a luxury table linen brand. We sell napkins, placemats, cocktail napkins, and soon also tablecloths in our own webshop, but also to (online) stores and department stores. In addition, we create personalized linen together with our creative director, with a chosen logo or personal initials for important moments such as weddings, birthdays, but also for various high-end brands.
How did it come about?.

Together with my business partner and good friend Marie-Caroline, I always had the dream of starting a business together. We registered Blank Space as a domain name ten years ago. Earrings, bags, women's suits; it has all passed by, but it was never the right moment or the perfect idea. Last October, everything came together. My partner had been working for her sister's company, Henriette van Marle, which was then still under the name HMA Décor, a luxury table linen brand, from London. They had already made an international name with designs of exclusive linens for clients such as
Manolo Blahnik , Valentino, and collections at Fortnum & Mason. With the move back to the Netherlands, it was time to give the brand a new look. Last October, we brought this together under the name Blank Space, with Henriette still as our creative designer., Did you imagine as a little girl that you would do this kind of work?.

It wasn't that I 'consciously' had an entrepreneurial dream as a little girl, although I do come from an entrepreneurial family and loved to play shop. I had a very stylish, sweet grandmother who took me to Düsseldorf as a little girl. We came from Venlo, and Düsseldorf was the city where she could indulge her fashion and interior heart, gain inspiration, and wander for hours past fashion houses and small boutiques. She passed that love on to me.
Believe in yourself and trust your feelings.

I studied communication because I liked many things and actually didn't know what I really wanted. Looking back on my student years, I wouldn't want to miss my studies, but I learned a lot from my internships and subsequently my first job in PR. We were a small, close-knit team and worked for the most beautiful fashion and lifestyle brands from the heart of Amsterdam. Strategically positioning brands, creatively ensuring brand awareness, and connecting people was what I did daily with great pleasure. After years of working with dozens of brands, I started to play more with the thought: what if I could focus on one brand where I could write my own story from the beginning, from product development to positioning and everything in between? After many brainstorming sessions over the years with Marie-Caroline and countless ideas that just weren't quite right, everything fell into place in October 2023.

What education have you followed and did you benefit from it?
We are our own business card, and it is also important that we are representative and well-groomed.

What advice would you give your younger self?
I studied communication because I liked many things and actually didn't know what I really wanted. Looking back on my student years, I wouldn't want to miss my studies, but I learned a lot from my internships and subsequently my first job in PR. We were a small, close-knit team and worked for the most beautiful fashion and lifestyle brands from the heart of Amsterdam. Strategically positioning brands, creatively ensuring brand awareness, and connecting people was what I did daily with great pleasure. After years of working with dozens of brands, I started to play more with the thought: what if I could focus on one brand where I could write my own story from the beginning, from product development to positioning and everything in between? After many brainstorming sessions over the years with Marie-Caroline and countless ideas that just weren't quite right, everything fell into place in October 2023.

That's right, every day is different, especially in the phase we are in now, because so much is happening. But to sketch a picture: the only thing that is always the same is that we start the day with a cup of coffee, a quick catch-up, and discussing the priorities for that day and week. After that, every day is different. It can be meetings with Henriette, our creative director, to discuss new collections or the design for an event, contact with our factory about fabrics, orders, and delivery dates, appointments with new stores for sales, finances, brainstorming about our plans for the coming time, processing orders, styling at our collection shoots, appointments with media and potential partners, and certainly also making time to talk with people who inspire us and from whom we learn, because we still do that every day.

With a job like yours, you can't really speak of an average day. But take one that is reasonably representative and tell how it looks.
It depends on how I wake up in the morning and what is planned for the day. If we have an office day and no appointments, I prefer to wear good jeans, a blouse or sweater with sneakers, but if we have appointments, we also make an extra effort. A nice suit, a dress, high heels, we both love that. We are our own business card, and it is also important that we are representative and well-groomed.

What do you wear on a workday?
Do you think about perfume and hairstyle? What are your favorite beauty products on a workday?.

I find it important to look well-groomed and fresh. I always get up at least half an hour earlier than the little ones, so I can start quietly by myself and also have some time for myself. You won't see me quickly leaving the house without my eyeliner and a layer of mascara from Lancôme, but that's really about it. My hair is loose, if it falls well, and otherwise, I put it in a ponytail or bun. I absolutely can't do without my Rosebud lip balm from Smith's, and I wear Molecule 01 every day, my absolute favorite.
You just started your own business, so the money won't be rolling in yet. Can you explain how you built your revenue model, also for other women to learn from?.

Our revenue model is built from different facets: on one hand retail and wholesale, on the other hand events. In our case: don't bet on one horse, haha. The income comes from different angles, and we truly believe that one strengthens the other. We are currently doing many events, which helps us build brand awareness and position ourselves in a powerful way. By sharing that, we also sell more.
How is it combining your work with having young children? Have you ever parked a child in a corner with an iPad during an event that, study day or not, just had to go on?.

I love working, and combining it with children often goes well. But honestly: it does require some organization and tight schedules. On Wednesday and Friday afternoons, I am always with the children and try to do nothing, but that doesn't always work. An iPad sometimes comes in handy in a pinch.
Has there been a moment in your career that has been decisive for your career, where you were quite proud of in hindsight?.

I have had a number of important moments, one of which was when I took the step to freelance after years of working for one of the most leading agencies in Amsterdam, Ganbaroo PR. From that position, I set up a branch in the Netherlands for Nightingale (an innovative and creative marketing and communication agency from Belgium). Here I learned a lot and indirectly tasted entrepreneurship. This also partly led to the real step towards our own brand Blank Space. From day one, it has been going very well, we are enthusiastically received, and new opportunities unfold every day.
What are the dots on the horizon for Blank Space in the coming year? When will you be satisfied and happy?.

I am happy. I am doing something that makes me very happy, gives me energy, and I learn every day. But we certainly have dots on the horizon. We want to put Blank Space on the map internationally by being in the large, leading department stores and boutiques. In addition, we want to further expand our collections, establish strong collaborations, and keep fine-tuning the details when it comes to the most beautiful events.
Jil, who indeed could have been Cameron Diaz's sister, I have known for years from the magazine industry (the industry, not...