Dana
Korstenbroek

Dana’s modelling story started whilst out shopping with her mum in her hometown of Haarlem, just outside Amsterdam at just 12 years old. Being a bit of a tomboy. The world of modelling felt completely foreign, but it turned out to be the beginning of a rather unexpected journey.

Growing up in Haarlem, Dana had the best of both worlds — a beautiful Dutch town with the beach and dunes just a bike ride away, while Amsterdam was on her doorstep. Since then, she’s swapped bicycles for a few more boarding passes, living and working in Paris, New York, Milan and Berlin, as well as spending plenty of time in her second home, Cape Town. Of all the cities she’s experienced, Cape Town remains her favourite: “There are few cities that combine natural beauty, cultural diversity and city life all in one.”

And modelling is only one part of Dana’s story. She took a decidedly academic route alongside her career, studying History, International Relations and Philosophy at UCT before completing an honours programme in Justice and Reconciliation, with a focus on Human Rights. A few years later, she was awarded a scholarship to complete an Executive MBA at the Amsterdam Business School.

That interest has since turned into quite the collection of projects. In 2019, Dana founded The Conscious Kitchen, a plant-based café born from her belief that conscious consumerism should be more accessible and uncomplicated. In 2022, she launched two sustainable fashion businesses: Amani and WOMXN. Most recently, in 2024, she opened Libertino, where Italian dining meets disco and romance.

Her entrepreneurial spirit comes from a bigger passion for social entrepreneurship and moral philosophy. Dana is fascinated by the question of how we can create more impactful ways to repair broken systems and bring people from different walks of life closer together.

Away from all of that, Dana is happiest with a good book, a long run or her rather enviable collection of pets. She has completed two marathons, considers bedtime reading an essential part of her daily routine, and is the proud owner of two golden retrievers, Zon and Champ, and Sasha, a very old cat who has clearly earned her place as the household matriarch.

When it comes to modelling, two experiences stand out in particular: shooting for Icon magazine in Cambodia and working with photographer Russell James in New York. Both offered completely different experiences, but perhaps that’s what makes Dana’s career so interesting - she’s never really stayed in one lane.

From a tomboyish 12-year-old being scouted while shopping with her mum in Haarlem, to international modelling, marathon running, multiple businesses and a dream of one day writing her own book, Dana has certainly taken the scenic route. And somehow, it all seems to fit together.