Tess Maylo Blom

Pirate: Princess Alfhild

Embodied by: Tess Maylo Blom (model & UX design student)

I had a rocky start. Born a month early, I spent a week in an incubator, struggling to breathe. But my mom says I was a born fighter. ‘Maylo’ is my second name; it means ‘winner’ in Hawaiian. I still fight for what I believe in; I never mindlessly follow the crowd.

One of my earliest acts of piracy took place when I was 4 years old. Right before getting my school picture taken, I decided to cut a fringe. It was super short and completely lopsided and everybody was horrified. But I loved it! It was ME. I still smile every time I see the framed picture in my gran’s house: a portrait of my defiance. I felt similarly about my hairstyle for the shoot. It was pure art; gorgeous, intricately braided patterns coming together in a savage ponytail. Worthy of a warrior princess. I wore it like a crown.

I love the fact that the story of Alfhild is a fairytale. I’m very down to earth, but I do believe in fairytales. When my portrait was published by Italian Vogue, it looked just like the Vogue mock-ups I had been making myself using my pictures. It was like I had manifested my dream! I truly believe that you should never stop dreaming.

To get into the role of Viking princess Alfhild, I channeled her anger at not being allowed to choose her own love. My mother is my heroine. Raising 4 children by 2 different men, mostly on her own, she made many sacrifices to always be there for us. But she had chosen love, and it made her incredibly strong. That’s what I thought about, posing on the beach: the indomitable power of love.

Follow Tess on Instagram.