An Interview with former UvA student and Influencer Nathalie Fengler
By Laia Fernandez-Areste and Maria Clara Santana | Soft News / Culture | January 22, 2026
Cover Illustration: Nathalie Fengler, 2025
With over 57,000 followers on Instagram and a growing presence across TikTok and YouTube, Nathalie Fengler, a former University of Amsterdam student, turned her own experience in the city into a platform that reaches and inspires thousands of people. She’s a co-founder of Amsterdam Girlies, a community whose events have brought together over 2,000 attendees, fostering friendships and a sense of belonging in Amsterdam. Last week, we had a chance to speak with Nathalie about her journey from UvA student to influencer and community builder, reflecting on the lessons she’s learned along the way.
Like many UvA students, Nathalie’s idea of home has never been tied down to one place. Born in the United States to German parents, she grew up moving all around the world – from Indonesia to Kenya, from Austria to the Netherlands. “I’m German, but I’ve actually never lived in Germany,” she explains.
When it came down to choosing a university, Amsterdam was not the only choice. “The Netherlands wasn’t really on everyone’s radar yet,” Nathalie recalls. Like many international students she considered London, but what swayed her towards the University of Amsterdam was an open day she attended. “I fell in love. The professors seemed kind, the people seemed super international, the university felt like a good fit, and the city felt comforting. It checked all of my list of what I was really looking for.”
Looking back, she opens up about the initial struggle of moving to a new city all on her own, showcasing the behind the scenes reality of her life in Amsterdam which now often appears perfect online. “I always tell people it didn’t start out like this.” Moving here in 2019, the city did not instantly meet the standards she had. She lived in student housing in Amsterdam Noord, which at the time was not as vibrant of a neighborhood as it is today. “So much of what exists now just wasn’t there yet,” she says. Many of the common things students struggle with – like the pressure of starting university and the cold and rainy weather of the Netherlands, – made her adjustment challenging. Additionally, COVID-19 disrupted her first year. “There was definitely a moment where I questioned if I’d made the right choice,” she admits. “I didn’t hate Amsterdam, but I didn’t love it either.”
Over time, that changed. As Nathalie settled into her studies and built friendships, the city slowly began to feel like home. “You find your footing,” she says. It is comforting to hear that this feeling of uncertainty is not uncommon and only temporary, and that finding a sense of belonging in a new city is something that slowly falls into place.
If you’ve ever searched online for a realistic glimpse of student life before moving to Amsterdam, chances are you’ve come across Nathalie’s day-in-the-life videos – yet when she was in the same position, seeking reassurance online, there was little content to guide her. “I remember being like, I would love to just share because I’m sure there’s people in my situation that want to see what life as a uni student at UvA is like,” she says. Documenting her life was something she always enjoyed, from filming holidays as a child to editing short videos on iMovie. “Honestly, nostalgia will literally kill me,” she laughs. “But I have my videos now, and that’s the best part.”
Balancing university and content creation blurred the line between a work-life balance, but her passion made it possible. “Uni was uni during the week and then my weekends would be my time to edit or make videos. So I really just didn’t take a break.” During her master’s she structured her days around classes and editing, often working into the evenings. “It never really felt like work,” she reflects. “I was just excited to share and to have something to look back on.”
That’s where Amsterdam Girlies came in. As Nathalie’s social media presence grew, so did her network within the content creation community. Alongside co-founders and long-term friends Miriam Melenchon, Karina Glennon and Isabella Mayer, she started the platform as a space to “bring girls together”. What began as a small cafe trial event where Nathalie recalls praying for an attendance of “maybe 20 girls” has now grown to a community of over 18.5k followers.
Nathalie attributes much of the project’s success to the true friendships behind it. What better way to inspire genuine connection than by starting a platform on the basis of it? “One girl […] had her birthday party a few months after she started going to Amsterdam Girlies events and she showed us a picture [from the event]: more than half the girls she invited were girls she met through Amsterdam Girlies,” Nathalie recounts.
Amsterdam Girlies, beyond providing plenty of opportunities for putting on pilates princess outfits, going on matcha dates and taking aesthetic Instagram pictures, is a platform for fostering meaningful connections. Nathalie describes the “damn good” realization that this sense of community was “really not just a thing that happened at events”. To her, the project became exactly what she felt she missed as a young woman moving to a new city; “I wish there was a place I could have gone,” she shares. For so many girls like her, there is one now.
The median age of attendees is around 25, but can range anywhere from “early professionals, girls that are just starting their first job”, to “students”, to those “up to 30 years old”. Most attendees tend to have an international background and appreciate the opportunity for connection in an unfamiliar city that events can provide. In fact, “a lot of girls have found their job through our events,” Nathalie explains.
Nathalie has gathered a whole list of favorite memories since co-founding the project in 2023. A summer trip to Croatia which hosted 15 girls, marks a special highlight. She likes the idea of expanding the project’s reach, making it “not just an Amsterdam thing.” Amsterdam Girlies has also adopted a Patreon program, where subscribers get exclusive access to dedicated tickets for a set fee, hoping to ensure they can attend their now sold-out events. This comes as a response to the enormous success of even the group’s earliest events – some of which sold out in “minutes”. Clearly, the interest is there.
The goal for 2026? “Regrouping” – for now. “Quarter 1 is more of the brainstorming, so hopefully in quarter 2 we can execute”. Nathalie, Karina and Isabella have teased big changes coming in the near future, for a surprise project. “We get asked a lot of questions about life in Amsterdam,” Nathalie explains. “We wanted to put that in a format where girls can get their information […] in a more casual, fun, relaxed way.” For now, that’s all she can tell us.
Nathalie’s closing piece of advice to young girls is to put yourself out there. “People are so friendly – especially in Amsterdam”. And while moving abroad might never get easier, we are happy to know Amsterdam’s girlies are in such capable hands.
Laia Fernandez-Areste and Maria Clara Santana are university students in Amsterdam. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Amsterdammer.
