I still remember the first time I was introduced to Mimi Elashiry. As an impressionable adolescent navigating her place in an increasingly digital world, seeing Elashiry’s presence on social media left an enduring mark. Unafraid to speak her truth and continuously transparent with her followers, Elashiry’s humility was a refreshing dynamic – her daring and covetable style a bonus. Although her platform has evolved significantly since its whimsical and wanderlust infancy, she has continued to maintain that same ‘girl next door’ charm. As we chat over Zoom – Elashiry sitting in her light-filled home in Collingwood, and I, in my parked car in Sydney’s Paddington – she speaks candidly about what she describes has been a ‘natural evolution’.
“When I first entered the social media landscape, I really was just focused on creating a very fun, relaxed platform where I would share photos and make them look ‘cool’ with the overlay of a filter. It was easy and it was simple.”
“...But before long, I was operating my accounts in a space where it felt like the prospect of growth was at the expense of my personal information and personal life. For a long time, I was extremely transparent and open with those details, but in the last couple of years, I’ve really pulled back from the beast. It took me some time to be reminded that those sacred and intimate moments are personal for a reason.”
PACO RABANNE top, earrings and necklace from Parlour X.
Now, with a growing audience of over one million followers and some of the most extensive experience in the social media game, Elashiry feels as though she’s finally able to focus on her creative and aesthetic development. Transitioning her platform from a revolving visual and spoken diary into a workspace, she shares, was one of her best decisions to date.
“As more editorial opportunities came my way, my approach to creativity and how I wanted to use my platform evolved. I had always dreamed about producing really elevated material and then to be able to realise that dream working with my very talented friends who also happen to be creatives has been incredibly fulfilling.”
“For me, family is a very broad term and represents so many different people in my life. I have been really fortunate that my work has afforded me opportunities to travel and work overseas – and even more grateful that I have been able to establish a ‘family’ in each of these places. My rocks, my friends that ground me...”
PACO RABANNE top, earrings and necklace from Parlour X.
While she might not be the same open book on social media, Elashiry hardly hesitates when I ask about her family. Currently, Elashiry’s parents and her two younger sisters are based in Sydney; and while she tells me the interstate bond is trying at times, she’s grateful that her connection to family extends beyond the biological.
“For me, family is a very broad term and represents so many different people in my life. I have been really fortunate that my work has afforded me opportunities to travel and work overseas – and even more grateful that I have been able to establish a ‘family’ in each of these places. My rocks, my friends that ground me...”
JACQUEMUS dress; PACO RABANNE bag, earrings and necklace from Parlour X.
Describing her mother as “an absolute superwoman” and her eternal fountain of inspiration, I quickly learn where Elashiry’s affinity for grandeur stems from. “My mum is the person that initially sparked my interest in fashion. She actually studied at RMIT here in Melbourne before moving to live in and work in Tokyo for Yohji Yamamoto. So, as you can imagine, she has a very Avant-garde sense of style.”
Her mother, hailing from Scotland and her father Egyptian, Elashiry’s heritage has always been intrinsic to her daily practices; regardless of whether she was inherently aware of it or not. As she shares with me her non-negotiable morning ritual – which involves lighting her oil diffuser and incense to signal the start of a new day – she delves into her early experiences in spiritual cleansing. First introduced to aromatherapy and Palo Santo by Rita Balshaw; Elashiry’s mentor and the woman affectionately known as ‘Hippies in the City’, these small holistic practices laid the foundation for a deeper exploration into feminine magic.
PACO RABANNE top, skirt, earrings and necklace from Parlour X.
“No matter the decade, time or place, a Paco Rabanne creation is unmistakable. There’s something empowering to me about really understanding who you are as a creative remaining true to that.”
PRADA top; PACO RABANNE skirt from Parlour X.
“It’s extremely powerful and self-assuring when someone affirms and puts a name to things or feelings you are already inherently experiencing. For me, this moment came when I was living in London and was introduced to a woman called Semra, or if you’re searching on Instagram, @mamamooncandles.”
“She really helped to guide me through the discovery of my own feminine magic, and by having someone recognise and almost call out this layer within me, it allowed me to tap into this magic and gain a sense of control over it.”
It’s a connection that Elashiry naturally associated with her Ancient Egyptian ancestry. But after several afternoons spent tucked into Semra’s books and teachings; and conversations with other women about their own methods of divination married with her own research and readings, she uncovered that the practices of Paganism and Wicca were as deeply rooted in her mother’s lineage as her father’s.
Elashiry tells me, “After learning this and now watching her behaviour, how she moves around the kitchen and her magic and spell casting and manifesting even when she doesn’t realise she’s doing it, I can’t believe I hadn’t noticed it before.”
Above all, discovering her ability to harness the divine has played its part in reminding Elashiry of the power that is afforded when you lead with transparency and honesty. It’s something she thinks about often; which is understandable, given that the space between the personal and professional is ambiguous. It also speaks to her admiration for legendary designer, Paco Rabanne – a man, she describes, who has been unwavering in his commitment to preserving the true Rabanne spirit.
JACQUEMUS dress; CHANEL belt and earrings; JACQUEMUS bag.
“No matter the decade, time or place, a Paco Rabanne creation is unmistakable. There’s something empowering to me about really understanding who you are as a creative remaining true to that.”
“I’ve always drawn inspiration from designers like Rabanne who have such strong integrity around their own brand, and it’s something I strive to continuously maintain for myself. There’s no doubt that my style has evolved, but at its root, it has always remained inherently mine,” she says.
“I have gotten to a point of honesty within myself that makes it really uncomfortable, really painful and really draining to hold onto anything that doesn’t feel like me. Without this freedom, there’s no magic.”
PHOTOGRAPHER Stephanie Cammarano
FASHION Emma Boseley
TALENT Mimi Elashiry @ Kult Australia
HAIR Shannon Bunn using Wella and Olaplex
MAKEUP Rob Povey using Tom Ford Beauty and Hourglass
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Nathan Stolz & Daniel Congerton
STYLIST’S ASSISTANT Kane Desfontaines
