Maya wears a GANT trench coat, a thrifted button-up, a PRADA tie, ADER ERROR pants, and G.H.BASS shoes. Photo by Aida Adem. Courtesy of Maya Nilsen
From Margiela to Y/Project, Paris vintage stores to Quezon City flea markets, Stockholm-based stylist and content creator Maya Nilsen takes Vogue Philippines through a week of looks.
Swedish-Filipino content creator and stylist Maya Nilsen is unafraid to say that she’s slow to trends. Don’t get her wrong, she’s still a self-professed “fashion girlie,” but she’d like to define her style with a wardrobe curated with intention: a button-up from her mother’s closet, easy layering pieces sourced from Paris and Quezon City flea markets, luxury purchases made sweeter by scoring them for half the retail price on Vestiaire Collective. “I just want what I’m wearing to always reflect who I am,” Maya tells Vogue Philippines. “I feel like you can see when people dress and it’s not a reflection of who they are. It’s a reflection of what is popular right now.”
Half a decade of her style is documented online, in lookbooks she had done with her friend and long-time collaborator Julia Dang for their shared YouTube channel, TheLineUp, which is regularly posting content again after a five-year hiatus. She doesn’t have a hard time going through TheLineUp archives—her style, for the most part, has held up since then—but it’s the outfits that were “heavily inspired by trends” that feel the most off. “I tend to notice that those are the outfits I’m like, ‘Oh my God, girl, what are you wearing?’” she laughs. “I think for me, especially now, I want to be able to look back [at an outfit] in 10 years and still think it’s wearable.”
Whether in Stockholm or Manila, Maya takes a comfort-first approach to her style, building off of easy layers and adding statement pieces to elevate a look. “If I leave my house and suddenly I feel uncomfortable outside, I’ll go back and then I’ll change,” she laughs. “I like going back to like basic ideas of a regular trouser and a blue pair of jeans, but then I would try to find ways of how I can spice it up. My go-to outfit everyday is just like a jeans and t-shirt, but then I try to [like] think, ‘What can I do with jeans and a t-shirt to spice it up?’”
She has the same comfort-first philosophy when she’s styling personalities and artists. “It’s really important for me that they are comfortable in what they’re wearing, because if they’re not, that’s going to translate on the camera,” she explains. “When you like your outfit, you feel like a 10 out of 10.”
Maya walks Vogue Philippines through a week in her wardrobe, fit for Stockholm winters and spontaneous nights.
Monday
“Usually on Mondays, I have a set meeting in the morning where I go through everything that needs to be done during the week. This is also the time Julia and I will work on any concepts for YouTube videos, and I do rough edits on videos that have already been filmed. Since Mondays are usually the hardest day to get up in the morning, I like to save time on picking an outfit. That’s when I usually go for a matching set since it is a no-brainer. I’ve been living in this set from Ader Error all winter since it’s made of wool and the winters in Sweden can be rough.”
Tuesday
“I feel like once Tuesday comes around, you start getting into the flow of the week, and I can spend more time picking out an outfit. I usually dress based on what I’m doing during the day since my days vary quite a lot. I love this outfit and have been wearing this exact look for over a year. I just switch up my shoes and jacket depending on the occasion. Also, it is quite a nostalgic outfit, since every piece comes from a different country and they all hold really nice memories.”
Wednesday
“Wednesdays are fun! There’s always something going on on a Wednesday. It can be a pre-planned event or a spontaneous one. So I like dressing for the unexpected, while still being comfortable and making sure it works for both day and night.
This skirt has been one of my all-time favorite secondhand purchases! It is from a Swedish upcycling brand that has really catapulted into the fashion scene over the last few years. I was lucky enough to score it for a great price on Vestiaire Collective.”
Thursday
“By the time Thursday comes around, I’m tired and want to wear something solely for comfort. This outfit is an homage to my younger tomboy self; all of these pieces are from the men’s section. I usually find great pieces in the men’s section, especially when it comes to jackets and button-ups.
This button-up is actually from my mom’s closet. She thrifted it at an ukay (secondhand shop) back when we lived in Manila. What I really love about this specific piece is that it’s a non-iron fabric! Also, I really can’t get over these black and white loafers. They really elevate an entire outfit.”
Friday
“This particular Friday, I actually had a dinner that required me to dress up a bit, but I did wear this outfit with a pair of black trousers underneath the skirt during the day and a pair of black boots. I simply took off the trousers and switched out my shoes right before I left the office. The star of this outfit is definitely the shoes; they make me feel like a fairy when I wear them—also a great conversation starter! These are also one of my favorite pieces in my entire closet. I’m always a little late with the trends and completely missed when they dropped, so I spent almost a year scouring the internet and found them secondhand for half the retail price.”
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