There are some cool things here on earth and being invited to celebrate Harper’s Bazaar Women Of The Year is definitely one of them.
The Look
This blacktie event is the perfect moment to pull out my “little black dress”. Also my accessories including my golden clutch, Princess Perla Earrings and golden hair clips to add the golden touch. My red lipstick and red nails finished the look completely. We’re ready!
Harper’s Talent
The evening was filled with beautiful performances by Karsu and Nicolas Kanza. Rajae el Mouhandiz also shared beautiful spoken word and of course the award ceremony to the 12 women who have already made a big impact in their own field and still do.
GerdaLentenHavertong
One of these women is GerdaLentenHavertong (formerly known as Gerda Havertong), a Surinamese singer, presenter and storyteller. She was honored for her cultural impact in the Netherlands. She played a role in Sesame Street and even I know (despite not being born yet) of the impactful action in the scene that she dared to take in 1987, namely sharing the Netherlands about her grief regarding Black Pete, a caricature that Americans have known for years as the forbidden blackface. She dared to start this conversation with the country through this scene, which made people dare to talk about it. It was super beautiful for me to see that a Surinamese woman, just like my grandmother, mother, aunts and me, took her chance to use her voice for all of us. She did not only use it to start the conversation with adults, but she dared to let the smart beautiful children of that time, regardless of their color, think about the feelings of anothers.
A Black Surinamese woman who did not believe the lie that her natural state had to be changed, but that she came to bring positive change.
The glossy magazine of Harper’s Bazaar where she shines on the cover is a collector’s item for me. It reminds me:
That the person who takes the right action in gentleness and inspires others to do the same, has a lot of positive impact.
That sometimes you have to be the first to dare to express that something is not okay, even though you get a lot of resistance in the beginning.
That when you sow good seeds, it sometimes takes a lot of time before the fruits are visible.
That it is best to give people their flowers while they can still smell them.
And of course abecause she looks amazingly beautiful in the editorials with her beautiful gray textured hair, her natural skin and features. She is a Black Surinamese woman who did not believe the lie that her natural state should be changed, but that she came here to bring positive change.
After Party
The evening ended with a red carpet where photos were also taken and a nice party full of beautiful people.
When we left we got a nice goodie bag with (alongside other things) the Lancaster Beauty Golden Lift Serum that specializes in reversing light-related skin aging. We'll see. If it gives me a skin like Gerda at 78 years old, I'll be happy.
