Catching Up with Corinne Bailey Rae

Singer Corinne Bailey Rae recently sat down for an interview with Billboard. Here's what she had to say:

How long have you been wearing your hair natural?

"Before university, I got a crazy dye job and had to cut it all off. So I first went to university with my hair seven centimeters long and totally natural. That was challenging, because I’d never had my hair that way. But after it grew out, I never looked back. I’m not some kind of preacher saying “You have to have natural hair,” but for me it’s easier. When I was getting it relaxed, I almost wished my hair didn’t grow, because it was so expensive and broke easily. Now it’s simple to care for. I just wash my hair with Rahua shampoo and Liz Earle conditioner, use Olio Lusso oil by Rodin, put it in plaits and then take the plaits out."

Is buying ethically important to you?

"It really is. We live in a capitalist society, so our power as people who consume is significant. I boycott unethical companies and avoid buying stuff made in sweatshops and stuff that will end up in landfills. I don’t buy loads of clothing. But I do have a lot of vintage dresses and ‘80s one-pieces, which are quite fun."

How did growing up singing in church affect your style?

"My church wasn’t a “Sunday best” sort. People didn’t spend a lot on clothes, because it meant that money wasn’t going to refugees or orphans. There were a lot of Christian hippies who were into the indie thing because it was an alternative to getting the “right” trainers for hundreds of dollars. It was like, you had Doc Martens, that was your one pair of shoes, and you wore them till they wore out."

Does feminism intersect with clothing for you?

"Not dressing for the male gaze is something I got into really early. I was in an all-female rock band in my teens. We were too young for Riot Grrrl, but we admired that scene. We wore secondhand stuff and intentionally messed up our eye makeup. Courtney Love was the height of style for me. I loved Patti Smith and Justine Frischmann’s looks, as well. It’d be weird growing up now and thinking, “I can’t be a pop star because I haven’t done my bikini line.” The level of flesh exposure now is so massive and so presumed. One thing is what models do, the other is what musicians do -- they were never put together in the indie scene."

How do you think about your own clothing and hair as a woman of color in the spotlight?

"Being mixed race in Britain in the ‘80s and ‘90s, there weren’t loads of people who looked like me. I was also really skinny and self-conscious about that—I wore three pairs of tights at a time to hide it. Not having a lot of money made me feel like an outsider, too. I think it’s good to keep the spectrum as broad as possible in terms of representation. Oftentimes when black faces are shown, it’s in a gritty, urban context. Black models pop up in Vogue with graffiti in London rather than in a stately home or on a white horse. I like to be part of making the spectrum broader, representing a sort of romantic bohemianism. The world is a huge place for black women, and you can be in any arena—including gentler ones."