Marie's Yellow

A Biography

Marie Axelsen

Marie Axelsen was born 30 June 1916 in the small town of Randers, Denmark. She grew up across the street from the local hairdresser, where she spent her afternoons serving coffee and biscuits for the ladies waiting for their 6-hours perm. Here, she began an apprenticeship at the age of 14 and after receiving her diploma, she worked in Uppsala, Sweden to earn money that would help realize her dream of opening her own salon. The local dance teacher and metalsmith in Randers, Holger Nielsen made Marie return to her roots in Randers in 1939 – the year she opened her own salon.

Marie stood out in a time where women were stay-at-home housewives. Starting your own business as a woman was unheard of in the 1930s. Nevertheless, Marie managed to combine family life with an entrepreneurial career running her own hairdressing salon in Randers with ten employees for 65 years until she retired at the age of 83.