Maye Musk opens up about risks, struggles, dreams and real luxury in an exclusive interview with L’Officiel.

My new dreams are to continue traveling and helping people live a better life...

You are a real change maker in so many fields of our lives: ageism, singleparenthood, beauty standards, freedom, fashion, health. And, finally, It feels like the world is ready for the changes you are bringing. How does it feel to be heard and supported?

As a nutrition scientist, I was always booked to talk about health issues or entrepreneurship. I didn&rsquo;t speak about single-parenthood, beauty, or fashion. However, because those issues are in my book, women are relating. I did not expect my book to be a worldwide success. Many women say that certain stories resonate with their life. I am very happy that I shared my struggles. They are now inspired to make a plan to change their personal or business life.

Shirt: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/psycho_clothes_shop/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">PSYCHO</a>, Earrings: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tasaki_intl/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">TASAKI</a>

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At the age of 73, Maye Musk looks playful, resourceful and light. And that, whilst being one of the most wanted influencers in the world with an extremely intense schedule.&nbsp;Did you always have this attitude to life or did you learn this skill?

Many times in my life I was tired and sad. I wasn&rsquo;t burnt out as I had responsibilities and could not slow down otherwise I couldn&rsquo;t feed my children. I should&rsquo;ve made a plan to improve my life quicker, but when you are in that dark tunnel, you cannot see any light ahead of you. We need to talk to family and friends and move out of a bad situation. When you have been through hardships, and they repeat themselves, you recover quicker. Now I am in a great space. This also gives me a playfulness which I enjoy.

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With your bestselling book &ldquo; A Woman Makes a Plan&rdquo; you empower millions of women around the globe to dream big, be brave and act. That&rsquo;s beautiful. Although it looks like &ldquo;all your dreams came true&rdquo;, do you have new dreams to be fulfilled?

You are right. All my dreams have been fulfilled. I don&rsquo;t know if I dreamed about the situation I&rsquo;m in now, because people would&rsquo;ve thought I was crazy. How could I tell people that when I&rsquo;m in my 70s I will travel the world as a supermodel, speaker, and best-selling author? No one would have believed me and they probably would have run away. My new dreams are to continue traveling and helping people live a better life.

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Being 73 years young, what is the definition of &ldquo;youth&rdquo; and &ldquo;beauty&rdquo; for you?

The definition of youth is that you are as young as you feel. I feel I am younger and more energetic than I was as a teenager, or in my 20s, 30s, etc. I also keep my weight under control to stay healthy, energetic and the same size. I plan my meals and snacks every day and every hour as I am not naturally lean. When it comes to beauty, people will find you beautiful if you are positive, happy, kind, interesting and considerate. If you are grumpy and complaining, at any age, even as a teenager, you will lose your beauty.

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If you were to name 5 most important life values for you, what would they be?

Family, kind, considerate, honest, hard-working.

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Dress: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maisonmjz/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">MJZ</a>, Jewels: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tasaki_intl/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">TASAKI</a>

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&ldquo;The biggest mistake you could ever make is being too afraid to make one&rdquo; - you are the ambassador of &ldquo;mistake making&rdquo; and it&rsquo;s fantastic how you talk about them. Do you think you would be the same personality without all that suffering you&rsquo;ve been through?

It was very hard for me to talk about suffering, but my children insisted I talk about my struggles. They have lived through the hard times. They often joke about how we lived in a one bedroom apartment and ate at the hospital cafeteria while I was studying. They also laugh about the soggy hamburgers they would have for dinner. When I read through my book with my publisher, I asked her to remove all the sad parts, but she wouldn&rsquo;t. She was right. Women do relate. Also, many men relate. They don&rsquo;t need to live an unhappy life as well. They should make a plan to change their situation.

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The best decisions in your life - are they the result of rationality or intuition?

The best decisions I made was to move away from a bad situation, or to plan to move to a good situation. This sometimes meant moving to cities or countries. Each move was filled with unexpected disasters, but it was still worth it. 

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What&rsquo;s the riskiest decision you&rsquo;ve ever made? 

The riskiest decision was to run away from my husband with three children and no money. The fear was, that he would come after us and hurt us. He tried but then I had a restraining order. The only way he could take revenge was by suing me. This would keep me poor and under a lot of stress. He sued me for nine years in nine court cases. That is a hard way to live, always in fear of a child getting a bruise on the knee, or forgetting their lunch for school. This would lead to lawsuits and possibly losing custody of my children. However this fear is so much better than living in hell and misery.

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It was very hard for me to talk about suffering , but my children insisted I talk about my struggles. The best decisions I made was to move away from a bad situation, or to play to move to a good situation...

What lessons has last year taught you?

Last year taught me that I can sometimes relax and read, or watch TV. However, I had so many virtual book interviews and talks, that I was kept very busy.

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How would you describe your relationship with yourself in one word?

Happy.

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What are the simple things that makes you happy?

My dog gives me joy every time I am with him. My grandchildren are delightful. My children are great fun. Those are actually not simple things, as some families are complicated.

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You&rsquo;ve been in fashion for so many years. What does &ldquo;real luxury&rdquo; mean to you?

Real luxury is new to me, as I always had to be on a budget. As a teenager I made my own clothes, so that I could be ahead in fashion. In the 60s it was mini skirts and bell bottom pants. Now, real luxury means flying business class and having a car service pick me up. In the past I would research really hard to find the cheapest economy seat, and would take the bus to the airport because a shuttle was too expensive.

You are an innovator in every little thing even when it comes to style. We have seen you wearing Ukrainian designers lately. What do you love most about them?

Post pandemic, most designers are struggling. However, now with the war, I want to support Ukrainian designers. Fortunately I&rsquo;ve been to Kyiv twice to give talks, and the designers gave me clothes. This means I can wear them for interviews and talks. They appreciate me supporting them, and supporting all Ukrainians. We cannot imagine how horrifying it is. That is what happened to my Ukrainian publisher who moved and is hiding underground. It is hard to imagine their lives.

Jacket: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maisonmjz/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">MJZ</a>, Bodysuit: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thecoat_official/">THE COAT</a>

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Credits:&nbsp;

Talent: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mayemusk/">Maye&nbsp;Musk&nbsp;</a>

Photographer: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mariyanicolemvp/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">Mariya Nicole</a>

Fashion Editor: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/annatet.style/">Anna Tet</a>

Photography Assistant: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jeaedman/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">Jea Edman</a>&nbsp;

Stylist: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alinakotsiubka/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">Alina Kotsiuba</a>&nbsp;

Executive Producer: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vera.koova/">Vera Kamenkova</a>

Production: GOGOLA AGENCY @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pagava/?hl=ru" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Pagava</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;@<a href="https://instagram.com/gogola.agency?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">gogola.agency&nbsp;&nbsp;</a> @<a href="https://instagram.com/gogola.productions?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">gogola.production</a>

Producer: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/samofalova/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">Olga Samofalova</a>&nbsp;

Make up: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/harkoff_makeup/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">Tatyana Harkoff</a>&nbsp;

Hair : <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hairbyeloise/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">Eloise Cheung</a>

Studio:&nbsp;@<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pier59studios/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">pier59</a>

Retoucher: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lucaszalmas/">Luca Szalmas</a>

Strategic partnership: TRUSTevents.me

Written by: Eugenia Havrylko

Editorial Cover Story: Powerful Elegance by Maye Musk

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