A Life in Style: Lulu and Angelique on Friendship, Fashion, and Finding Your Uniform

Meet Lulu Verbeek and Angelique Janssen—roommates, collaborators, and close friends living together in Amsterdam. Lulu works across creative strategy and content production, known for her sharp eye and ability to shape strong visual identities both online and off. Angelique, a web designer originally from Aruba, brings a distinct, detail-driven aesthetic to every project she touches—often working with Amsterdam-based, female-led brands. Together, they turn daily life into a quiet, stylish collaboration.

You’ve mentioned that you don’t really know how you became friends—can you tell us the story anyway?

Angelique: It’s the one question we never know how to answer.

Lulu: It just… happened. But if we have to pinpoint a moment, I remember meeting An at a couple of PR events. We didn’t really know each other, but we had quite some mutual friends. I mentioned that I was moving to Barcelona for a while —

Angelique: And I was like, “Oh, cool!” But did not really think too much of it. Then Lulu immediately said, “You can come visit, and stay with me.” At that point we didn’t even know each other that well, but something in me felt the need to take up on her kind offer. I booked my ticket the next day.

Lulu: That’s when I knew this was serious! After that week in Barcelona, we have been inseparable ever since. It kind of fast-tracked everything. We discovered that we were actually quite aligned in our backgrounds, in how we see the world, in our humor and even how we dress.

Did you click instantly? Or was it more of a slow burn?

Angelique: There was definitely a funny, friendly spark at the beginning. I wouldn’t book a ticket to go visit just anyone. But there was this sense of, “Oh, this feels right.” We had so many overlapping interests—it just flowed.

Lulu: I think because it wasn’t forced. We didn’t sit down and define the friendship. It just unfolded naturally. That trip gave us this foundation, and ever since, it’s been this easy, ongoing collaboration, friendship, sisterhood.

And now you live together. Do you ever collaborate professionally, too?

Lulu: Not officially. We’re not business partners, but we do get involved in each other’s work every now and then. I’m more strategic —big picture— and An is super visual. She sees things I don’t. She’s amazing with aesthetics and design details.

Angelique: We don’t often work on the same exact project, but we’re helping each other. Sharing ideas, moodboards, thoughts, even clients. We’re like creative co-pilots. We strengthen each other’s process just by being around.

Lulu: And honestly, just living together feels like a collaboration sometimes. Even making the house feel like “us”— that takes time. But we balance each other so well. I’m more organized, minimal, classic. And An brings this softness, this eclectic energy. She’s all about the little odd objects, fun textures, warm light. Purple candles suddenly appear and at first I’m like, “What is this?” And then after a few weeks, I’m like… wait. That’s actually cute.

You both have such a strong sense of style—what does “style” mean to you?

Lulu: It’s something that grows with you. I think style is a lot of testing. Just trying things. Making mistakes. You bring something into your home, or put something on, and a week later you’re like, “Why did I think that table was a good idea?” But that’s part of the process. It’s how you learn what fits—not just your body, but your life.

Angelique: Style is definitely a lifestyle. It’s in how we live, the music we play, the candles we light. Lulu’s very clean and classic — she brings a certain kind of calm and structure. I’m a bit more chaotic, in a good way. More playful, maybe. I love weird little things that surprise you. But somehow it works. Our styles don’t clash—they really complement each other.

Lulu: And we’re constantly influencing each other. We borrow clothes all the time—but we’ll wear them completely differently. You kind of grow by seeing how someone else approaches the same item. It’s like, “Oh, I never thought to style it that way.”

Angelique: Yeah, or suddenly you start liking things you thought you didn’t. Like Lulu didn’t care much for colour, and now there are these little, strange, colourful trinkets all over the house. You subconsciously start letting go of these fixed ideas. That’s part of finding your sense of style too.

You mentioned you both dress in “uniforms”—what’s yours?

Lulu: My work requires me to move all over the city. I’m biking from meeting to meeting, carrying bags, gear, all kinds of things. So it has to be practical—I’m Dutch after all! But I still want to feel put-together. So my uniform is usually black jeans, a great pair of loafers (ones I can actually walk in), a quality top, and maybe something extra—a good belt, a bold earring, something that makes it feel like me.

Angelique: It’s simple but elegant, and still thought-through in a way. And comfortable! That’s key. For me too—our uniforms aren’t boring, they’re grounded. They’re the foundation. It’s all in the material, the fit, the texture.

Lulu: And for the record—minimal doesn’t mean basic. Basic sounds like something flat, lazy or boring. Minimal for me is about clarity. It’s about knowing what you love and sticking with it. You can still have a powerful, sexy and chic look when dressing minimal.

What’s your take on trends? Do you follow them?

Angelique: I love seeing certain bold trends on other people, it’s inspiring and sometimes challenges me to try something different. But I rarely buy something new just because it’s “in”. I’d rather find pieces that last—and wear them again and again and again and again.

Lulu: Yeah, we always laugh about not owning any “party tops”. We’ll be getting ready for a night out and realize… we have nothing that feels over the top, dramatic or flashy. But that’s okay. That’s kind of our thing and we love it.

Let’s talk sustainability. Is that something you actively consider when shopping?

Lulu: It used to be very front-of-mind—especially when I was studying at AMFI. My graduation project was all about sustainability. Now it’s been built into my habits. I don’t even think about it anymore, because it’s automatic. I only buy vintage or quality pieces I know I’ll wear for five, ten years. If something doesn’t feel timeless, I don’t buy it.

Angelique: We’re also not big shoppers. We went to Japan for a month, and didn’t buy a single piece of clothing. That says quite a lot, I think.

Do you think that restraint has shaped your sense of style?

Lulu: Definitely. Having fewer pieces pushes you to be more creative. You stand in front of your closet and go, “Okay, what can I make with what I already have?” And that’s when you start mixing textures, pieces, and suddenly, you’ve made a look you’ve never combined in that way before.

Angelique: Yeah. It’s fun to challenge yourself like that. I love checking in with myself at the beginning of every day, feeling out the character I want to be that day, and every so often end up making outfits that surprise me.

Lulu: If An stood in front of my closet, she’d probably make something totally different from what I’d put together. That’s the fun of it. It’s not about needing more, it’s about seeing things differently.

Final question: any advice for readers still figuring out their personal style?

Lulu: Try everything. Seriously. Don’t be afraid to mess up. Your style lives in your choices—what you buy, what you keep, what you let go. You only find it by doing. Just try.

Angelique: And repeat outfits that make you feel good! That’s cool. That’s your uniform. And that’s real.