Slovenian born Maja Malnar is breath of fresh air as she is always happy, smiling and oozing confidence. I met Maja through her partner in Instagram crime, Lorna Luxe who simply says that Maja represents genuine ‘goals’ with her mix of wanderlust, fashion and a touch of mystery. Maja is also a total denim babe, so she was the perfect choice to be snapped in the height of summer for DONNA IDA’s Style Insider (which you can see and read here). Shortly after that, I chatted to her about blogging and more importantly, her approach to life, so as we go into a fresh New Year, it is the perfect time to share Maja’s interview with you. Her ethos is simply one of positivity, of going with the flow and enjoying life yet that’s not to say she’s not hardworking, or ambitious. So how has she mixed the two sides together to become a successful influencer working with top designer brands with over 300k Instagram followers? Let’s dive into Maja’s world.
NakedPRGirl: I saw on your About Us thing that you had had some difficult times growing up. How has that influenced you?
Maja Malnar: I had some really bad times when I was really depressed so at that time, I started reading a lot. It was probably the hardest two years of my life but now I see it as a positive thing as it completely changed me. I became a different person in the way I see life so that I value what is truly important. I’m using my Instagram and blog as a way share what I have learnt with how I have changed my perception towards life. I want to help other people to be aware that the way they approach life is important.
NakedPRGirl: You’re the queen of inspirational quotes on Instagram and is it a USP?
Maja Malnar: Thank you, a lot of people like the quotes actually and I’m pleased because I want them to be inspirational. In this industry, you have to be different so it is good to give a little more than just fashion. I try to combine beautiful places with fashion and positivity so that people feel good when they look at my pictures. I translate this onto my website with my ‘Inspire’ section where I share positive quotes and stories because life is much more beautiful when you see it this way. The way you see the world reflects in the way we think, act and the way we are, it always reflects with what is going on in your life.
NakedPRGirl: Your other USP is your Wanderlust – you go amazing places and you share amazing photos?
Maja Malnar: Travel is definitely part of me and is my passion in life. I don’t just go for the pictures, I love exploring, meeting new people and seeing new cultures. I have lived in a lot of different countries to get the feeling of life and learn as much as I can. I especially love Europe, I love the fact that every single country is so close to each other, but they are so different. Each of them have a different language, culture, food and style – everything changes. Look at Spain, France, Italy, Germany – they are all next to each other and so different. I find this fascinating and I find we can always learn something from each culture.
NakedPRGirl: Do you go home a lot?
Maja Malnar: I try. This year was really hard as I was just always so busy and there was always something going on. I feel like I need a proper holiday back home.
NakedPRGirl: Do you plan your trips far in advance?
Maja Malnar: I am very spontaneous and always go with the flow. As soon as I started living my life like this, I felt totally free and I can do what I feel like. So whenever I take a trip, I just buy a one way ticket. That way, if I don’t like it, I can go somewhere else the next day, or if I like it I might want to stay. For example, in Mykonos I was supposed to stay a few days and I ended up staying for nearly two weeks. In Ibiza I was going to stay longer but I didn’t really feel it so I came back earlier.
NakedPRGirl: You are hard working and ambitious, is there any time when you do have to plan?
Maja Malnar: When I have work to do, for example with New York or London Fashion Week, I know I have to plan. In those instances I will be on a tight timetable with return tickets so I would be crazy to waste money.
NakedPRGirl: Tell me about your Instagram images. Do you use the same photographers all the time?
Maja Malnar: No I mix it around and work with different photographers. I really like Rebecca Botin and travel a lot with her but since she moved I am looking at replacing her. The last shoot that I did I was really happy with who was with a young guy called Charlie who has was a really similar style to Rebecca.
NakedPRGirl: Do you shoot a few outfits at once? Where do you like to shoot?
Maja Malnar: I schedule and shoot 3 outfits at once? It doesn’t’ really matter. It depends where I am. When I was living around Knightsbridge I shot a lot there. The other day I shot around Mayfair. The other day I met in London Hill and shot around there. It all depends. I don’t have a preference.
NakedPRGirl: But you do have a little bit of scheduling with your Instagram?
Maja Malnar: Yes I do, I used to be very instant but it has to be important how everything looks together so I try and plan how it fits. I use an app called Uno where you put a lot of pictures in and you can move them around and see how it is going to look.
NakedPRGirl: How do you manage all the admin associated with having a business and blog?
Maja Malnar: Recently I’ve hired an an assistant who is a friend of mine who is amazing at organising and always on top of things. For her she is great at keeping on top of admin, replying to emails to brands or negotiating for collaborations. We are a good fit as we are both really passionate and it allows me to focus on what I am good at instead of the organisational elements. I still do all the image uploading and admin all myself although it takes a lot of time because I am very picky and I know how I want it to look. I’ve got four different sections on the blog so I have to update them all and I like to do it properly. For example with the travel blogs, you want to make sure all your trips are descriptive and it all is nicely packaged up so it is informative and easy to read.
NakedPRGirl: For London when you are here, what are your favourite restaurants, hotels and bars? Where do you hang out?
Maja Malnar: I really like Chiltern Firehouse, I like the bar so it’s my most common spot. For restaurants – I like the food at Scott’s, I love Japanese so Nobu, Zuma and Roka is really nice. Sexy Fish has good vibes. I also love all my healthy places too so for breakfast I go to the Good Life and healthy coffee shops, like the Organic Kitchen. I am a bit of a health freak.
NakedPRGirl: You obviously have a lot of friends in the industry. How important is networking and your girl gang?
Maja Malnar: Yes in London I’m closest with LornaLuxe and Tatiania. It is important, for example, it’s good when we do projects together because we can exchange pointers. Also we all know what content we need so it isn’t awkward when it comes to taking pictures and taking ten photos instead of one! Normal people are always like – oh you and your pictures. They don’t get it’s a job and we have to do it.That is why we like to hang around because we all do the same thing and we all get it.
NakedPRGirl:: What advice would you give to a younger you?
Maja Malnar: Just work hard and never lose hope. Believe in it and make it happen.
NakedPRGirl: What is next for you?
Maja Malnar: More travel! St Tropez, New York, London, Milan, Paris, home and maybe Mexico.
Follow Maja on Instagram.
0 Comments