Maya Nilsen
Well-rooted in the digital age, 22-year old Swedish-Filipina Maya Nilsen goes from creating style vlogs to moving back to the homeland and starting her own business of all things vintage
One search query of Maya Nilsen on the internet and you’d instantly get aesthetically-pleasing, well-curated visuals and style inspiration both from YouTube and Instagram. “I started early. I got into fashion aged 16,” she reveals. “My mom used to work as a buyer for SM Department Store’s women’s line and growing up, I would be exposed to a lot of clothes.” Starting out as a hobby, Maya and her friend started the then unknown Sweden-based style vlog The Line Up six years ago. It instantly became the go-to for fashion enthusiasts looking for style inspiration and now the channel has racked up 526K subscribers and counting. “They used to tell me the easiest way was to write a blog but I thought my life wasn’t that interesting to write about so my friend Julia and I put up videos on YouTube and only a few people were doing that before,” Maya gushes. It opened a lot of doors for Maya, allowing her to work with big brands and exploring the possibilities in store for her. But recently, she revealed that she has left The Line Up. “I thought maybe I was just in a creative dip and I lost the passion for filming and editing videos.”
Moving back to Manila with a clean slate, Maya had so many questions but there’s was one thing she was sure of— finally working on her curated vintage store which she calls Rag Renewal. A friend brought her to Makati Cinema Square one time and her eyes definitely watered. “That was the exact moment I knew I wanted to put up my own business.” Coming
from a trip to Baguio recently to source more vintage pieces to be reworked, Maya plans on launching her brainchild very soon. “I guess I’m just sentimental. I like investing on things I can no longer buy again.” She may no longer be actively doing vlogs but one thing’s for sure, we’ll see more of her in the near future. Perhaps not only as a style enthusiast, but also as a DJ and a business woman, thriving and growing.
STYLE TALKS
APART FROM FASHION, WHAT OTHER THINGS INTEREST YOU? I love music. I don’t sing but I deejay! I’ve actually been getting gigs here recently. I just play the music that I like, so that’s a lot of hiphop and RNB. You know, chill vibes. I started in Sweden just for fun but I’m not professional, I don’t know how to scratch.
WHAT IS YOUR STYLE
PHILOSOPHY? I would say it’s very tomboy and comfy but also ladylike. It’s a mix of different things.
ARE YOU A PLANNER OR A SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT
DRESS ER? I like planning but I also like having a semi-idea. That’s the thing with me because when I used to do videos and shoots, I would think about the outfit beforehand but I wouldn’t try it on. Then sometimes when I wear it the next morning right before I leave, it doesn’t fit so I have to think of a whole new outfit. So I guess I’m a bit of both but lean towards planning more, especially when I travel.
DO YOU HAVE ANY STYLE ICONS YOU LOOK UP TO? Ilove looking at Cher. She was so ahead of her time. I also like Aleali May—who I found out is half Filipino too. And of course, I also get a lot of inspiration from my friends.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FASHION INVESTMENT?
My first was a yellow Chanel vinyl tote that I bought three years ago. It’s only been a few years since I decided to invest on stuff because back in high school my mind was set on quantity over quality but it’s the opposite nowadays as I started learning.
PICK YOUR POISON. BAGS OR SHOES? Definitely bags. I love bags. Because I feel like it would be cool to invest on quality bags that would last forever that I could eventually give to my kids.
WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNERS? I actually like Bottega Veneta now. I mean, I can’t afford anything but I like staring at their stuff. I also love Acne Studios and this Swedish brand called Eytys and then Araw the Line.
QUICK! YOUR CLOSET’S ON FIRE. WHAT TOP THREE THINGS WOULD YOU S AV E ? My vintage leather jacket that I thrifted from New York, my Prada fanny pack, and my vintage Harley Davidson sweatshirt. Basically anything vintage that I can’t buy anymore.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? Honestly, I don’t know. This whole year has been full of question marks and I’m just really going with the flow. I’m not planning to go back to Sweden anytime soon because I feel like there’s so much in store for me here. But I want to launch my upcoming vintage store, Rag Renewal, in the near future and I’d love to get into styling here too.