Nomad Stories with
Maya Njie
Welcome to the inaugural Nomad Stories. I had the privilege of chatting with Maya Njie, who graciously shared some of her cherished travel tales. This marks the launch of a new series where I connect with creators I deeply admire.
Maya Njie, the creative mind behind her eponymous perfume brand, drew inspiration from the beautiful images of her family’s life in Sweden. Her passion for perfumes, capturing moments in time, ignited her journey to create a brand rooted in the decades before her birth.
Her fragrances are born from the memories of family life in Sweden — summers in a quaint forest-surrounded Swedish cottage, Sundays spent at her grandparents’ home, and the wedding of Uncle Lars and Aunt Erene. Each bottle encapsulates the essence of 1970s Scandinavia, fused with the soul of her esoteric Gambian heritage.
_Where do you call home?
I currently live on the Isle of Dogs in East London but my heritage is Swedish and Gambian. Two places I also call home.
_Which of all your homes over the years holds your most treasured memories?
Gambia is treasured as it’s where we would holiday as a family when I was younger. It’s a part of my heritage that I didn’t always have access to so when I got to visit it feels extra special.
_Where was the first place you travelled to and fell in love with?
After moving to London I went to New York for the first time. It was everything I had expected and some. I loved the energy, I found it really inspiring. I haven’t been in quite a few years but looking forward to visiting again.
_Which of all your homes over the years holds your most treasured memories?
Gambia is treasured as it’s where we would holiday as a family when I was younger. It’s a part of my heritage that I didn’t always have access to so when I got to visit it feels extra special.
_Where was the first place you travelled to and fell in love with?
After moving to London I went to New York for the first time. It was everything I had expected and some. I loved the energy, I found it really inspiring. I haven’t been in quite a few years but looking forward to visiting again.
_Which of all your homes over the years holds your most treasured memories?
Gambia is treasured as it’s where we would holiday as a family when I was younger. It’s a part of my heritage that I didn’t always have access to so when I got to visit it feels extra special.
_You are of Gambian and Swedish heritage, did you grow up hearing positive stories about Africa?
Yes definitely. I had first-hand experience and loved going to both Gambia and Senegal and this sort of shaped my own perception of Africa.
_Do you collect any objects from your travels If so, what has been your favourite find and why?
From Sweden I tend to rummage in charity shops and at flea markets when I go, I have brought back vintage table lamps, ceramics, and even a cooking pot! It’s a great place to make vintage homeware bargains. This goes for everywhere I visit to be fair. From the Gambia I always make sure to bring back incense, I tend to burn it at home most days.
_What was the first trip you took as an adult with friends or alone, how did it feel?
It was to London when I moved here, I had never actually visited but knew I would love it enough to commit to it for the foreseeable. We loved our first year here.. we found our first home in South London but moved east fairly soon after. I got my first job in a Covent Garden and we spent our spare time discovering the city’s many crevices.
_ Where do you long to travel to and why?
I’d love to visit Japan. I have never been but it’s been at the top of my list for quite a few years. It looks like such a beautiful place and I think it has parallels with Scandinavia in its simplicity in design and general style but so different too.
_ Memory is a key part of your brand, tell me about your favourite travel memory?
Transitioning from a dark and cold Sweden and landing in tropical climates in Gambia is pretty hard to beat. The temperatures and smells that hit you as you exit that plane is pretty special. On the other spectrum I would choose my trips to Iceland because there is nowhere like it in the world.. it’s just magical! Everyone should go if they get the opportunity to.