It makes sense that British R&B chanteuse Estelle, whose breezy anthem "American Boy" exuded funky class and timeless appeal, is fascinated by fashion's ability to make old tricks seem new, and the commonplace extraordinary. Call her urban pop's great retrofuturist, if you will. If Rihanna and Beyonce are the boldfaced cyberwarriors who've discovered Mugler and Pugh, and Janelle Monae is the space-aged gamine from a psychedelic galaxy far, far away, then Estelle is the 21st Century mod who brings ambitious style back down to earth. She's modern, she's classic and she channels Judy Jetson without looking ridiculous. With impeccable style intuition and a fervent interest in British design, Estelle makes a fine muse and spokesmodel for British accessories designer, Jonathan Kelsey, whose anticipated new "Belvie" handbag (a collaboration with Belvedere Vodka to celebrate the launch of Belvedere Black Raspberry) debuted yesterday. But it turns out this is only the beginning of the ambitious season Estelle has planned. In the coming months, the recent Grammy winner will focus on getting the "the hip-hop crowd to rock out," championing young London design talent and perfecting her Grace Jones meets Audrey Hepburn style persona. She tells PAPERMAG she wouldn't mind designing a line herself someday, although for now she's keen to watch her friend and collaborate Kanye West rival Raf Simons and Margiela. In the meantime, she'll be taking notes. And buying shoes. Lots of shoes.
Were you a fan of Jonathan Kelsey when he asked you to become his "muse"?
Yes, I've loved his shoes for awhile! They are actually really comfortable; his footwear is workable, and that's rare. So, when he approached me to represent the Belvie bag, I was like "hell yeah!" I love his designs, so I had a bit of a girly moment. And I have to say the design of the bag was pretty dope. I think it reflects the way I like to dress.
How would you describe your personal style?
Easy, for the most part. I think of it that way, at least. I know a lot of people think: "how the hell do you wear a dress with wings?" But when I do that, it's onstage, and for like two minutes at a time, so it's not too bad. Offstage, I'm mainly about being comfortable.
So you decide to add drama to your look onstage?
All the time. Like, I have the "Judy Jetson" looks I wore to the Grammys...
And who designed those infamous Grammy outfits?
Bernard Chandran. Both the dresses I wore that night are Chandran designs. I love what he does with sequins, jewelry, embellishment -- it's so unexpected. For the Judy Jetson outfit, we took inspiration from a vintage Mugler design from the '80s.
A designer who is suddenly everywhere again!
I know! I love it.
Who are your personal style icons?
Grace Jones crossed with Audrey Hepburn and Edie Sedgwick. During the day, I like the idea of keeping it simple: throwing on a cool jacket that makes me feel good and feel fresh. But when I'm feeling directional, I find myself channeling Grace -- like my little white Kristian Aadnevick dress that I wore in the "American Boy" video, with all its slits and angles.
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