A style-icon in her own right, singer-songwriter Kate Nash is a women of many talents. Whether it’s regularly attending the major shows at Fashion Week or scoring an acting spot in an up and coming Brit-flick, there’s nothing stopping the London-based recording artist.
Now confirmed to hit the stage of one of the most stylish festivals of the year, the glitz and glam of LA organised Coachella, the Hit The Floor team caught up with Nash to discuss all things ‘Vogue’. From her major fashion-faux-pas, yes we’ve all had those, to her more memorable red-carpet moments, here’s what she had to say…
HTF: Hi Kate! You’re described as a British style icon. How would you describe your style?
KN: A blend of punk with 1950’s pin-up, and depending on my mood, sometimes I like to dress like a granny, or a seven-year-old who’s raided a dressing up box.
HTF: What would you consider to be your staple/most loved item of clothing and why?
KN: Black fishnets. I wear them all the time, with almost everything. When I’m touring a have a black mesh body that goes under a lot of the dresses that I wear.
HTF: Do you think music and fashion go hand in hand? How important are they to each other in today’s society?
KN: Music and fashion definitely go hand in hand. When I’m performing, there is a visual aspect to my performance that is communicated through fashion. Whatever I wear on stage or on TV for interviews or guest appearances has to communicate to the audience who I am and what I do. Fashion is art just as much as a piece of music is art.
HTF: What about those who make a name for themselves through fashion? For example Lady Gaga. Do you think it has helped people like her as artists or become a somewhat hindrance as it draws the attention away from their music?
KN: Music artwork, videos and performing are very visual, so fashion is a necessary tool for music. The use of fashion can often propel a performer to iconic status – as Lady Gaga is known for her music, as much as she is for her fashion. If an artist is interested in both industries, music and fashion can work together to really make a statement.
HTF: Couldn’t agree more! Do you have any fellow musicians that you look up to style wise?
KN: I love Patti Smith and Courtney Love and my hair is currently styled after Diane Lane’s character, Corrine ‘Third Degree’ Burns, a punk singer from the film Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains.
HTF: What made you want a career in the music industry?
KN: I played piano as a little kid and my parents had great taste in music, so my sisters and I listened to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Harry Nilsson,Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin and loads of other good stuff. I liked singing and writing songs at school, but when I got rejected from university and was working at Nando’s, and fell down the stairs and broke my foot, there was a moment that I really considered what I was doing with my life. I booked a gig and as soon as I played my first show, I realised that I was going to do music. I just loved it so much.
HTF: Have you had an public fashion faux pas?
KN: Who hasn’t? It’s part of the experimentation process. Remember those old combats with all the tassels from the early 90′s…
HTF: Oh no! What about the more memorable moments? What’s been your favourite red carpet look?
KN: I recently played a live set for a charity event in London and had to walk a blue carpet with Keira Knightley. I wore an Andrew Majtenyi black mini dress that had a high neck with fine fringing detail – it felt rock ‘n’ roll but demure enough for the event. I finished the look with Terry de Havilland shoes (my favourite shoe designer) and Mawi jewellery.
HTF: Do you have any favourite designers?
KN: I love Bora Aksu and Bas Kosters. I always want to wear everything right off the catwalk from Bora, and he recently made me a bespoke dress, which was really sweet. He and his wife are absolutely lovely. Bas Kosters is wildly fun. I’ve been wearing a lot of his pieces to perform in lately and they always garner a lot of media attention – picture layers and layers and layers of tulle to make a giant tutu dress! I like wearing Alice Palmer dresses for crowd surfing (the knitwear tends to stay in place). I also really like Miu Miu, Felder Felder, Rebecca Minkoff and Saint Laurent Paris.
HTF: And finally. As well as singing, you’ve modelled and scored various jobs in the fashion industry? Truthfully what’s it like?
KN: I’ve performed live on the catwalk for a Felder Felder’s AW13 catwalk show. It was my first time performing live at a fashion event and I was really nervous, but it went fine, my whole family was there at the show and I had a lot of fun.
I have done a lot of fashion editorials and modeled for several brands, but my primary job is that of a musician, so when people hire me, it is as me as a musician, not as a model. Everyone I’ve met and worked with is really friendly, and like music, it is a lot of creative people. It’s fast-paced and competitive so there is pressure, but I don’t think it’s all that different than music.
Interviewer: Emma Matthews
