The Double Life of Philly Celebrity Stylist Anh Mai
Effortlessly cool and casual. | Lauren McGrath.
Anh Mai is the founder and face of Mai Style Pages, a Philly-based fashion blog on the rise. She works triple-duty as a blogger, celebrity stylist, and jet-setting private nurse for foreign royalty (You can’t make these things up). When she’s not taking care of patients in Europe, she’s either curating blog posts or catching the earliest train to New York City to meet with up-and-coming designers, searching for that perfect red carpet look for her high-profile clients. We met up over coffee to talk about the constant hustle of a stylist, her plans for the future, and style tips on all things versatile and endlessly cool.
I started off with the blog while still working full-time as a nurse. I went back to take fashion classes at Moore for a certification program in technical design; that’s when I started blogging. I’d go online and see what other bloggers were doing. They would get invited to these events, and I woukd just show up – and get in. You really have to put out the effort; it just doesn’t land on your doorstep. People are always like, “You’re so lucky!” and I’m like, “No, I really actually work really hard to get into the industry.” So I’d meet people in the Philly fashion industry at these events; they introduced me to people who needed a stylist for a shoot even though I wasn’t calling myself a stylist at the time. I would just say yes and pull stuff from my closet or go to a vintage store for things to bring along. It just kind of snowballed from there.
On styling celebs:
I style some of the girls from Orange Is The New Black – Diane Guerrero and Jackie Cruz. I’ve done red carpets with them, NYFW, and recently, I did Diane’s closet over. We threw out half her stuff, and we’re in the process of rebuilding her wardrobe.
Cutest puppy ever. | Lauren McGrath.
On getting in on the celebrity crowd:
Diane and I went to Regis College in Boston together, but we had spoken maybe three times. Diane was posting on Instagram about her acting, and I would post comments here and there. One day I just reached out and said, “I would love to style you,” and she had been following my blog! We have been working together for about 2 years.
On her craziest styling situation:
I recently styled Diane for the Emmys. I only had one day’s notice. I was in Italy working, made all these phone calls, and had stuff sent to her. We kinda did it virtually.
It sounds so cheesy, but you have to be authentic and really be you. You have to dress [IRL] the way you would on the blog. Sometimes I dress up for the blog, shoot it, and then have nowhere to go, so I take it off. But this is how I dress, and I need to show that, because my everyday wear is cool, too. I need to stop showing people what I think they want to see, and really just try and be true to myself. People like me for just being me, so why am I faking all this stuff?
On finding happiness through work:
This really just clicked with me like last month. I’ve been evolving for the past year or two, allowing myself to be more positive. I was like, “Why am I so unhappy when my life is so amazing?” I realized it’s because I wasn’t being authentic in something that I really love, which ended up making me resentful of blogging. I stopped blogging for a while, and every time I stopped, I realized how much I love fashion. I realized it was just me having to be authentic to myself.
On her style evolution:
I am more than just one thing. I do still have minimal in me, but I’ve evolved to simple. I style people all day, and I’m really tired of dressing myself at the end of the day – I don’t want to think about it anymore.
Tweak the shoes, hair, makeup and outerwear for an instant mood change. | Lauren McGrath.
On her uniform:
Jeans and t-shirt, but I’ll make it really cool with a hat, accessories, and always a nice pair of shoes – something that’s really out there.
On going blonde:
I was really bored of my long hair; it was holding me back. I was wearing this really edgy, cool stuff, and I’m like, “This hair is just too pretty.” Then, I chopped it off into a lob for a little bit, but that was too cute. So I went plantinum – now I’m just a little more edgy.
Diane and I are launching a blog together in the spring called Style Flight – it’s where style meets travel. We’ll share styling tips we’ve picked up over the years, like the secret to walking with heels on the red carpet, how to wear red lipstick all night long.
On packing light:
