About Dee
Founder of AndBloom
What began in June 2018 as a personal photography project has blossomed into a global movement of over 2 million women.
Founded by Denise "Dee" Boomkens—a former international fashion model and professional photographer - AndBloom is a digital sanctuary dedicated to the beauty of aging on your own terms.
chapter ONE
About Dee
The Girl in Front of the Lens
The spotlight found me at sixteen when I won a modeling contest, landing a contract with a Parisian agency. Just like that, I was thrust into a world of flashing lights and international runways. It was glamorous, but it was also a chaotic maze. Standing on my own feet in foreign cities, I learned to build a quiet armor of independence.
Yet, the magic of that decade was undeniable—especially moments like traveling to French Polynesia to shoot for Italian Cosmopolitan. But I didn't walk through those years with unwavering confidence; I was actually deeply insecure. I constantly doubted myself, my look, and later, my own body during a painful struggle with infertility.
True confidence didn't find me until my late thirties and forties.
As the years went on, a shift happened inside me. Standing in front of the lens, I found myself envying the photographers—their vision, their eye, and their leadership. I realized I didn't want to just be "the pretty girl" being directed anymore. I wanted to be the one shaping the story.
chapter two
About Dee
The Magic of the Darkroom
At twenty-five, I traded the runway for the lecture halls of Amsterdam, spending four years studying photography. My dream was clear: I wanted to become an international fashion photographer. I lived out that exact dream, shooting for incredible global brands and magazines, culminating in a major feature for Vogue Japan in Tokyo.
What I loved most was the tactile, creative soul of analog photography. I would spend endless hours in the darkroom, watching prints slowly come to life under the dim red light. It was a world away from today’s instant, digital landscape—it was slower, intentional, and felt like actual magic.
But priorities change. Shortly after that Tokyo trip, my son Finn was born. I knew in my heart he would be my only child, and I wanted to be a full-time mother. Having worked nonstop since I was a teenager, I took a sabbatical.
Little did I know, during those quiet years of motherhood, a completely new chapter was quietly taking root.
2012
First market stall
2016
AndBloom is born
2020
100th wedding
The moment everything changed — I stopped arranging flowers for others and started growing them for myself.
summer, 2018
chapter THREE
About Dee
Finding Freedom in Thailand
Being Finn’s mum is a gift I love entirely, but the transition into motherhood was a profound personal adjustment. I went from being a fiercely independent woman who traveled the world at a moment's notice to someone caring for a tiny baby 24/7. It was beautiful, but a massive shock to the system. By the time Finn turned three, I felt I had lost a bit of myself.
I needed to feel free again and rediscover who I was becoming, so I packed our bags and took Finn to Thailand for a sabbatical.
Raising a son has deeply shaped how I view the future. I see it as an immense responsibility to raise a man who respects women, understands that true beauty is timeless, and will fiercely support the women in his life—whether that’s a future partner, a colleague, or a friend.
chapter FOUR
About Dee
The Birth of AndBloom
During those reflective days under the Thai sun, the idea for AndBloom was born. Facing my upcoming forties, I searched the media for style and beauty inspiration from older women. Instead, I found a ghost town. When a woman turned forty, it felt like she was expected to either try to stay young forever through Botox or quietly become invisible. It scared the hell out of me.
So, I decided to create the inspiration I couldn't find. I wrote out a business plan in a small notebook in Thailand. When we returned in 2018, I took the very first portrait for the project. My subject was my mother—one of my lifetime icons.
Initially, AndBloom was just a pure passion project while I was a full-time mom. I organized just one shoot day every three months, photographing a few women and sharing their stories on Instagram. But posting one striking, honest image a day was enough to spark a movement. Within a year, a hundred thousand women joined the community; by year two, it grew to two hundred thousand.
the early years.
CHapter 5
The Sky is the Limit
The turning point from passion project to a thriving business came in 2021 with the publication of my first book. Around the same time, I cleared out my wardrobe to sell vintage pieces online, followed by a custom AndBloom T-shirt that flew off the shelves. From there, the webshop naturally blossomed into the lifestyle space it is today.
I’m so glad I trusted my gut with the name. The moment "AndBloom" came to me, I knew our community would be called "Bloomers"—unaware at the time that bloomers were also old-fashioned underwear! But it already felt like family, so it stayed.
My latest labor of love is THE GUIDE, a book designed to feel like a comforting, honest friend, showing women that there is absolutely nothing to fear about getting older, only things to celebrate.
Today, the creative joy of AndBloom keeps me entirely fulfilled. In 2025, my husband Martin stepped in to help me seriously grow the business side. I always tell him that the sky is the limit, because the world is full of women over forty who are done with being invisible. At fifty, I know a beautiful truth that my modeling days couldn't teach me: I was pretty then, but I am beautiful now—just in a different, richer way. We only get this one precious life, and it is far too beautiful not to enjoy it fully.
— and I wouldn't have it any other way.
The Guide Journey
a story in five petals
2015
First flight to Paris . Bags packed, full heart and ready to take on the big adventure.
2017
Had my first image printed in Harpers Bazaar.
2019
Modelled in my first campaign in Italy.
2021
Finn was born.
2024
Took the first 'Bloomer' portrait of my Mum..
"AndBloom is still growing every day, evolving alongside this incredible global community of 2 million women.
What started with a single portrait of my mother has transformed into a movement that proves we are only getting started
Thank you for the overwhelming support, the shared stories, and the love you bring to this space - it is your energy that keeps us boldly blooming."
Dee
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