HER outfit posts and photoshoots, starkly coloured and steeped in mystery and old magic, are an inspiration to her 65k followers.
Sometimes chic and sexy, sometimes baggy and grungy, often layered with delicate lace and always steeped in an elegant and feminine aesthetic, Danish fashion blogger Mai Magi borrows stylistic elements from gothic Victoriana, Japanese lolita fashion, cosplay elven warrior costume, long lacy lagenlook layers, dark fae and even the folklore of her country.
In fact, folklore has played a very important part in how Mai dresses. She explains: “The first established style that drew me in was goth and it mostly appealed to me through music. It quickly mixed with my passion for fantasy and historical fashion.
“My appearance is greatly influenced by my country’s landscape and history. As someone who’s interested in history and fantasy, Danish folklore and it’s creatures have always had a big impact on how I dress.
“The weather dictates lots of layers and black is generally a colour favoured by many Danes. My style wouldn’t be the same if I lived elsewhere! My heritage is an important part of how I express myself.”
She mixes new and pre-loved garments to sublime effect and this is what gives her style it’s unique edge. “I grew up almost solely wearing hand-me-downs,” Mai tells us. “I remember looking through the bags of second-hand clothes like they were treasure chests.” Now, she has turned thrifting into an art and many of her outfits include at least one thrifted piece.
You can’t help but notice that many of her outfits contain another message. She paints crescent moons on her forehead, wears moon-shape headdresses and jewellery that signify a reverence that connects her with the sacred feminine and, therefore, to women worldwide.
“Sisterhood is unity, across divisions,” she believes. “It’s what ties me to all women, regardless of factors such as culture, religion or differences in appearance.”
It is precisely this inclusive attitute and open mind that has allowed Mai’s style to develop beyond genres and come into it’s own. To share this wonderful daily creative process with the world, she has become adroit at social media and, after years of experimenting, can do a full shoot, including the styling, in about an hour.
“All my outfit photos and selfies are taken on my phone,” she reveals. “It’s a OnePlus 5t and has an awesome camera and makes the process of posting so much easier. My shoots – the ones I do myself – are taken with a Nikon D3200 and a single softbox.”
This self-professed “elf goth from the dark north” is rooted to her own to history, landscape and lore by the way she expresses herself but connected to the wider world by digital as well as emotional means.
She cultivates a mystical presence but lays herself bare with a cheeky sense of humour. She is at once witch, fairy, moon maiden, gothic queen, elven warrior, Scandinavian shamanka, kooky nerd and wistful muse.
Altshop.co.uk recommends you check out Mai Magi’s Instafeed here.
Interview by KATIE LAMBERT
co-founder of Altshop.co.uk