Bonnie Langedijk, founder of the digital media platform HURS, shares insights into her dynamic career, from her early exposure to the world of advertising to launching her own platform. With a deep passion for fashion, design, and culture, Bonnie talks about her desire to redefine storytelling, the role of cross-cultural collaborations, and how HURS is filling a crucial gap in the media landscape. In this conversation, Bonnie Langedijk delves into the power of niche publications, the challenges of digital media, and the evolving role of social media in connecting with global tastemakers.
hube: Could you tell us a little about your personal journey — how did you find your way into the creative and publishing industries?
Bonnie Langedijk: My parents both worked in advertising. My dad was an Art Director working with Jaguar, Marlboro and IKEA, and my mom was a copywriter at the same agency. Growing up around creative parents, I think you develop a certain way of looking at the world. They taught me that work, personal interests, and passions can be combined. My dad would take me to a magazine store in Amsterdam called Athenaeum, and I would bring home a collection of titles that included everything from Japanese architecture magazines to French Vogue. I developed a deep love for publishing and magazines, particularly those focused on fashion, design, art and culture at large. That led to a career working across publishing and fashion, including Hearst Magazines and NET-A-PORTER, as well as consulting brands across fashion and design. Three years ago, after walking around with the idea for about five years, I finally took the leap and launched HURS.
h: Looking back, what pivotal experiences shaped your approach to storytelling and brand building?
BL: I think growing up with parents working in advertising, I always understood the intersection of art and commerce. I think many individuals working across cultural disciplines still see commerciality as a dirty word. I think there’s a great challenge in creating something that’s interesting or provoking yet also commercially viable. Secondly, I have always moved between the worlds of luxury and commerciality, “high and low culture” for lack of a better term. Growing up in the Netherlands, there’s a certain groundedness. I’m interested in contrasts, and I think if you grow up in too much of a bubble, it’s hard to find and appreciate those contrasts. It’s important to not take yourself too seriously. Thirdly, the blend between the digital and the analogue, while growing up, has always made me question our experiences digitally and how they can be a reflection of the real world. I loved magazines, creating collages, drawing, but I was also an avid Tumblr user, and loved going down these digital rabbit holes, trying to figure out who designed something, or where something came from. In a world where nothing is truly new anymore, I think there’s real value in finding the intersection between the digital and physical, in terms of communication and storytelling but also design.
h: What inspired you to launch HURS, and what gap did you feel needed to be filled in the cultural/media landscape?
BL: I grew up loving the traditional style titles, as well as the niche independents, but everything became more and more homogenous. The advertiser came first, and it seemed that there weren’t many titles left that put the reader first. The people who were featured, and the questions they were asked, were all so similar. Additionally, I felt like, particularly the way women were portrayed, was still extremely archaic and one-dimensional. It wasn’t at all a representation of the women I had met in my career or personal life.
With the rise of social media, I saw a cohort of women working across fashion, art, design, music, food and culture who followed the same restaurants, brands, and most importantly, each other. But there was no title that represented their interest, and there was no place for them to connect. These were women who were real cultural connoisseurs, who didn’t need to be told what to buy or where to go, but who were looking for a specific filter on culture. I wanted to create a space that brought together best-in-class people, brands, products and places through a distinct aesthetic lens. Where people could connect and get nerdy about their favourite things, whether that was talking about their favourite restaurant or having an in-depth conversation on the state of their industry.
Additionally, digital media had really fallen behind. The experience of scrolling through a publications’ website often left me feeling uninspired. I wanted to create a digital media brand that felt inspiring, elegant, yet approachable and timely. Something that gave you a similar feeling to browsing your favourite print magazine or book.
h: What are your goals for the platform in the coming years? Are you planning any new directions or collaborations?
BL: We are focusing heavily on building more space for connection and dialogue, both in-person and digitally. Our goal is to build a best-in-class community-led publishing house that connects and inspires global tastemakers through culture, content and curation.
h: In your view, what makes a niche publication truly influential in shaping culture rather than just reporting on it?
BL: In my opinion, there are three key elements. One, you have to have a point of view. You can’t be for everyone, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you’ll actually add value for your reader and collaborators. Secondly, you can’t just be behind a desk. You have to go out, meet people, see things, and experience things. It’s very easy to report from behind a screen, but failing to understand what’s actually happening in the culture. Lastly, you have to put in the time and effort to find the people, brands and places that are actually shaping culture. Today, it’s so easy to follow what everyone else is talking about, but to be truly influential, you have to find those who no one is talking about yet, or find a completely new angle of covering something. Showing someone or something in a way it’s never been seen before.
h: In your experience, what makes a cross-cultural collaboration truly successful?
BL: When there’s equal value created for both parties and the intention to collaborate in the first place has to come from a place of authenticity, not ego or relevance.
h: In your opinion, what are the key elements that brands often overlook when engaging with artists from different cultural backgrounds?
BL: I think there are a few things, depending on what the engagement between the artist and the brand looks like. I think brands often want too much control, while the reason you work with or engage with an artist is for their creativity, their point of view. If you limit them too much or introduce too many guidelines, you lose that element of chance or surprise. I also think sometimes brands like the idea of an artist, without truly understanding their practice. They try to commodify their work through a luxury lens without underpinning it with in-depth storytelling. I think many consumers would love to have more context and information, and I think often these collaborations remain superficial.
h: Are there any red flags you immediately notice when you see a brand trying to enter the cultural space?
BL: When there’s no specificity. I think brands understand they need to take part in the cultural space, but that doesn’t mean you have to be everywhere. Pick three or four areas where you excel and can authentically take part, whether that’s art, sports, design or music. Add depth, do less and do it well.
h: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing independent media platforms today, particularly in the digital space?
BL: Many brands still see print as the more valuable experience compared to digital media. In some ways, they aren’t wrong. I think digital independent media platforms have to find a way to change the experience of consuming content online to make it more engaging, creative and inspiring.
h: How do you see the role of social media evolving for media brands like HURS?
BL: I think social media will remain a key element for storytelling and connecting with readers and consumers. I do think there’s an increase in individuals and brands building their own platforms, so they can own their own data and audiences.
h: Are there any emerging trends in storytelling, collaboration, or technology that you’re particularly excited about?
BL: I’m curious to see how the relationship between luxury and women’s sports will play out. There’s real potential for brands to move beyond surface-level campaigns and build long-term narratives by investing in the people and communities that have shaped the space from day one. I’m also watching AI with interest. There’s no denying its influence, but I still believe in the irreplaceable value of human perspective. Algorithms can’t replicate intuition — and they shouldn’t try to.
Photography courtesy of BONNIE LANGEDIJK