Luna surrounds herself with warm colours

Fine drops from the fountain land on the steps beside the pavilion where Luna (24) and her fellow students are sitting in the sun. They have just met, on the first real day of the master’s in Management. Luna looks relaxed, leaning back with her arms spread, while the wind blows her fringe out of her face and reveals her freckles.

She is wearing an oversized fuchsia blouse, almost completely unbuttoned and tucked into her high-waisted trousers. “This is an old Hugo Boss blouse of my father’s and I just took it out of his wardrobe”, she admits. She loves the bold colour and thinks the blouse still looks smart. “Now that I’m doing a master’s, I want to make a good impression, a bit formal but with room for creativity.” Luna previously studied Culture Studies and writes ‘ballads’ for guitar and voice. She wants to combine her knowledge of art with management, perhaps at a record label or a venue.

Unique school bag

Next to her lies a square shoulder bag, made of a thick Indian, moss-like fabric with geometric embroidery. Everything fits in it: laptop, books, metal water bottle. Luna shows that she can make the bag smaller by folding the sides with press-studs. She has many eye-catching green bags, but this one will be her new regular university bag. The bag was a gift from her boyfriend’s mother. “We were on holiday in Spain together when she gave it to me. I thought it was very sweet. I felt honoured that the bag made her think of me.”

In contrast with the cold concrete, the deep colour of her blouse and the warm green of her bag bathe Luna in a sunny glow. “The Netherlands can be very grey, so I try to surround myself with warm colours that I associate with home”, she says. “I am from Peru and grew up in Mexico. There you are surrounded by so much colour!” Her gold-coloured jewellery, such as her favourite earrings, add extra warmth to her look. That warm, inviting demeanour helps her make new friends. “I don’t dress deliberately to seem warm-hearted, but I do notice it has an effect. I don’t always find it easy to make new friends, but today I really feel a connection.”