Maria Hjortdal Veng Larsen

Maria in Cecilie Bahnsen and jewellery from Sophie Bille Brahe.

Back on track with my favorite project. For those not familiar with the concept, I started the Chic Ladies interview series whilst I was working under Styleby to highlight sharp and inspiring women who work in the fashion space.

Next I would love to introduce you to Maria Hjortdal Veng Larsen who coordinates PR and Sales at Sophie Bille Brahe, the chicest jewellery export from Denmark. I met Maria in Paris a bit over year ago, as I had been invited to view their new collection privately, and was completely smitten by her low key yet strikingly fashionable appearance. But that is no wonder, as she comes from center of the Danish fashion scene. As told by Maria:

Tell me about your style. 

I love to wear uncomplicated, loose clothing I can move and bike in, but it needs to have a well-groomed touch. For instance, if I wore a simple pajamas, I would prefer that the touch and look of the fabric are of high quality. Or if I wore a loose hand-me-down shirt, then I would add a pearl necklace like the Peggy or a pair of diamond earrings such as the Boucle Ensemble, both from Sophie Bille Brahe.

I have a wide taste and I love to wear Cecilie Bahnsen, Acne Studios, Supreme in addition to vintage pieces, so I tend to buy into a lot of no-brand, pre-owned clothing.

Why do you think the Danish look is so appealing?

I feel we have a different take on how to dress, as we are not afraid of “not being on point” or “not being dressed properly”. We take chances and I feel we are deeply inspired by each other’s looks, but I would never do a copy-paste. You would create a look with a similar feel which is why trends evolve quite fast, as we all have our own interpretation.

The 4 ever love known as the Croissant de Ensemble ring.

What's on your wish list?

My wish list is ever-changing and I am addicted to Etsy and Vestiaire, where I love to browse, find old gems and then heart them as my favorites. It almost feels like buying the clothes when I heart them, and then I can always look back at all these amazing pieces every time I feel like I need something.

At present, I am looking into furniture because I am trying to make my home a comfy place - where you want to stay for a while. However, I love this amazing silk pajama set from a New York based label, Olatz, in fuchsia. I would wear it on the set on a workday or just wear the pants with a washed-out t-shirt.

My forever love (besides my boyfriend lol) is the beautiful Croissant de Ensemble ring from Sophie Bille Brahe! Can we all just agree on how amazing it is! 

Also, I often travel to Paris to do PR and sales, and we always showcase at the beautiful, old historic L’Hotel in Saint Germain. Right next to it you will find a Buly store. If you haven’t heard about this beauty brand, you have been left in the dark! Established in 1803 on Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, Buly is only working with natural products and their packaging is so extremely adorable. I would love to add their scented cleansing oil to my beauty regime for the cold winter months in Denmark. HUILE DE SAVON, Scented Cleansing Oil, 190ml. Available for 6 scents.

Favorite beauty products?

I am a die-hard fan of retinol and acids (so geeky), so I love to go down the rabbit hole on YouTube whilst trying to understand which element actually does something! What has an actual scientific proof behind it?I love the Retinol Crème and Oil by Ren, Buly’s Face Crème, Citron Douche shower cream by Weleda and my Karmameju lip balm.

How would you spend a day off in Copenhagen?

I only have days off during the weekend, so I would start the day with a morning walk with my dog, and then go to the local bakery called ‘Verdens Rummet’ to buy a simple bun or a piece of bread. Head home and make a simple classic breakfast for my boyfriend and I, and then we would normally spend the day hanging out with our friends. 

I spend a lot of time in the center of Copenhagen, Paris and New York when I work, so for me the true pleasure in a day off is spending it on the coach with my man, dog and friends. Perhaps at the end of the day we would go to a nearby bar that makes their own draft beer. The place is called Kølsters 12 Haner and they make this very special light IPA.  

If my boyfriend is working, which he often is during the weekend since he is a chef, that is when I go to the place where he works and order my favorite dishes with friends! The place is called Restaurant Safari and I can highly recommend it!

Maria wearing the upcoming Sienna Grand earrings - available in June.

Do you have any special plans for 2020?

Rebuilding my kitchen and hopefully seeing new places in the world!

For now I only have plans for a lovely week in Portugal with my friends and a weekend trip to Germany, where I will join a big summer party held in the woods by a German family that I know. Each year they build their own little festival in a way. You spend the first days building the outdoor kitchen and then throw a huge party, and lastly you take everything down again. It has grown a lot and I think over 200 people will join in on the festive this year!

You can follow Maria here and find Sophie Bille Brahe here.

On My Mind

sunglasses BOTTEGA VENETA, ‘Barzio’ dress TOTÉME, ‘Viveiro’ body TOTÉME, ‘Calder Corail’ earrings SOPHIE BILLE BRAHE, ‘Ginza’ flats THE ROW

Bottega Snake Sandal

This Bottega shoe might old news for those in the business, but since I have been enjoying the beach life instead of spending hours and hours on Net-a-Porter, I am only now letting you know how much I am obsessed with this shoe. They way they’ve styled the pair at Bottega - by wrapping them around the cuffs - is genius. I also prefer the flat style because, lets face it, they would be way more comfortable.

snake-effect shoe BOTTEGA VENETA

The Row Fall 2020

New York Fashion Week is in a full swing and it feels quite nice to be able to browse through Vogue Runway by the pool in my Matteau onepiece. Not bad at all.

I am already quite satisfied with what the fashion week has delivered so far. The Row dropped yet another beautiful collection earlier today. I was meant to post images from their Pre-Fall collection, but my MacBook took its last breath while I was living off the grid in Western Australia. Back in business now though.

Anyhow, their Fall 2020 has all that I need really: delicious tailoring, turtlenecks styled under layers of key pieces… and take note of the way the models carry their clutches like it was actually fall - clutched onto their chests. Now you know how I will running around in six months time.

View the full collection here.

Image courtesy of The Row.

New Zealand

The picture above is from early January when I went to New Zealand for one of my closest friends got married there. It features a house that would be my dream home. Isolated, on top of a cliff… hell yessss. Anyhow, I loved every minute of hanging out with people I have known for years and just enjoying the scenery. New Zealand is so special and beautiful. It is my favourite place. If you ever get a chance, please visit the South Island and I promise you won`t regret it.

I was able to get some wear out of these bad boys too. They are the comfiest shoes I have ever worn, but definitely not ideal for hiking.

The Box

Even though I love being in Aussie, I might have a bit of a fashion week fomo… so many friends in Copenhagen right now!

Last year my Copenhagen highlight was a catch up with the lovely Sophie Bille Brahe ladies over some wine. SBB have just launched a new Trésor Velver jewellery box for all your beautiful pieces. It is a forever piece, no?

The Jewellery Box by Sophie Bille Brahe

New Chapter

Beach towel from Totême.

Hi from Sydney!

As Styleby discontinues blogging, I have decided to continue writing on my own platform.

But firstly, I am deeply grateful for the old team behind Styleby magazine - Jonna, Elina, Mikaela, Columbine - for they asked me to join such a talented group of women as an influencer and editor. It has been the most humbling experience and I don’t think my life will ever be the same. Cannot wait to see all of you soon!

Secondly, you might have noticed I have relocated to Australia since the last entry. I am currently in Sydney, where I used to live as an exchange student some ten years ago, and it feels nice to be back. I had been dreaming of coming back to live in Aussie for years and being able to do that feels very privileged.

Thirdly, as I start this new chapter, I want to continue posting only highly considered content. That means I might not post everyday. The thing is I am bit sick of stuff and I don’t think we should be wanting something new everyday in 2020. It is more about choosing well and caring for what we already have.

I will be adding selected posts from the old archives to the site over the next few weeks. Please be patient. Anyhow, hope you like it!

These photos are from the walk from Bondi to Bronte in Sydney.

On My Mind

Winter usually makes me want to dress cosy and pair up a cashmere knit with utility boots or a pair of comfortable sneakers. All of them are great essentials! I love these trainers, designed in a collaboration by Cecilie Bahnsen and Diemme, as they have that modest Copenhagen vibe.

cashmere hoodie VEN, 'Ladan' pants THE ROW, 'Emma' trainer CECILIE BAHNSEN, 'Bracelet de Tennis' SOPHIE BILLE BRAHE

Contains commercial links.

NYC Photo Diary

The Row on Upper East Side.

I had completely forgotten to post some more photos from New York. It was one of the best vacations I have had in a long time, as I got to catch up with a lot of dear people to me at the wedding, and I did not remember how much I had missed New York! That city has such a unique, vibrant energy, which I am still feeling a month later.

My stay was rather wellness focused, but one of the best things I did was to go see Betrayal on Broadway. It is Pinter's emotional masterpiece, which should still be running another week or so, and it stars Tom Hiddleston.

Shopping as per …

I did not want to dedicate the entire week to running around in stores either, so instead I checked out a few selected ones like The Row's townhouse store on Upper East Side and WARDROBE.NYC in SoHo.

I did end up ordering The Row's mesh flats from their online store after the trip, though I am still thinking of the Japanese inspired Ginza flip flops too. Maybe?

Hangs in Central Park.

I love long walks in Central Park and the weather was just perfect! Almost autumn with the trees covered in yellow leaves, but I could still wear a trench with a t-shirt and flats and stay warm.

Wino!

I stayed in a hotel near the Butcher's Daughter, which is a great place for healthier vegan dishes. That is why I had a lunch there almost everyday. Though I was recommended Babs and Cafe Mogador by the sweetest Cyndle, and both were absolutely brilliant! Babs has a chic atmosphere and they were very accommodating even though I was very late. Cafe Mogador is a lovely place for brunch and it is definitely popular among the Brooklyn locals.

The Row Mesh Flat

The semi-sheer mesh slipper by The Row embodies the minimalist ease with little quirkiness in the best possible way. Today I snapped the last pair in pale pink (bold I know) from the brand’s online store, so I believe we were meant to be. I had been eyeing this pair for about month, but the thing is I could not get them out of my mind and I’ve been incredibly satisfied with every The Row piece I own.

semi-sheer slip-on shoe THE ROW

Contains commercial links.

Mood 2020

For a millennial like myself the turn of the decade definitely feels like a new era. I have felt slightly stagnant in life for a while, so I have decided it is about time I make some big changes! To be continued… but lets just say for now the mood for 2020 is what I have longing for.

Images: Harper’s Bazaar Australia, Totême, Pernille Teisbaek, Sophie Bille Brahe & Gabriele Pauliukeviciute

Le Regina del Mare Adriatico

Yesterday Sophie Bille Brahe launched a new collection, which has been inspired by the Italian city of Venice and the close relationship between the land and sea, as the name ”La Regina del Mare Adriatico” suggests.

I was kindly invited to view the collection privately during Copenhagen Fashion Week back in August, so I got a sneak peek of the high quality Murano glass that is used in the collection, like in the Grappolo Diamant earrings. The glass originates from Murano where the craftsmanship has been practised for generations, and I think the glass looks very fresh and playful together with the more familiar pearls and diamonds. I also love the Sandro Nuit earring, as it is such a classic Sophie Bille Brahe piece.

Another favourite – the Venezia Diamant earrings that ”shaped like a lemon inspire thoughts of aperitivo under a hot Italian sun”. So good!

Image courtesy of Sophie Bille Brahe.