Loving Lieke

A couple of months ago, I drank a Badoit water with Lieke van Lexmond in the garden of the Hilton hotel in Amsterdam. I was editor in chief at Marie Claire and asked Lieke whether she wanted to present the Marie Claire Prix de la Mode. If you’re talking about a stylish, strong and amazing woman, then you’re talking about Lieke. As icing on the cake we thought that Lieke should also grace the January issue. And covers are tricky. Besides, the French editorial board always take a look at Marie Claire’s covers who don’t know our celebrities so it doesn’t matter if you’re called Lieke, Carice, Halina or Daphne a hundred times. If they don’t like the photo, they won’t approve of the cover. Rücksichtslos.

When Lieke was finally photographed, I’d started Amayzine.com in the meantime and I was really looking forward to seeing the result. With Philip Riches as photographer, Jetteke van Lexmond as stylist and Lieke as model, it surely couldn’t go wrong. Lieke in Azzedine Alaia and it’s become the best cover of 2014, I think. “Beautiful right? Those looks?” says Lieke when I sent her a message. “To fall in love with.” And that’s right. Enchantingly beautiful. Well done.