Artrocker Style Icons Presents: Emmy The Great

Back with a new album, ‘Virtue’, and single ‘Paper Forest’ released yesterday, Hong Kong born star and past ARTROCKER intern, EMMY THE GREAT has in her own right become something of a fashion inspiration.

A chic and yet cutesy style featuring oriental twists, Emmy has created a style of her own. Artrocker interviews the great one, about Buddhist jewellery, Hong Kong and her key influences in fashion.



Firstly, and most importantly, who is Emmy the Great?

Former Artrocker intern and doorgirl, going through the motions while clinging to the glorious memories of that time. Memories include: trying to find Paul Artrocker’s desk under CD promos, and discovering an undiscovered early Franz Ferdinand demo.

Tell us a little bit about the music you make, what influences you?

I scrapbook mentally throughout the day. Sentences or images pop into my head and I write them down, then when it comes to sit and write I tend I have a direction for the next record without really thinking about it. Our first record was very lyrically driven, and mainly about the idea of ‘England’, and the second one is more introverted. It came out of six months of enforced meditation about life the universe and etc.

Do you think that the music you make influences what you wear?

On stage, definitely. My clothes as a performer change from record to record, and from tour to tour. I think what you look like is a big part of a performance. When we first started we were really lo-fi, and we wore basically what we wear every day on stage, but with this one, the production is bigger and our clothes have to reflect that. Especially mine, as the songs are about my fictional life.

How does fashion inspire you?

I like flicking through fashion magazines. I like the look of textiles. I guess if you see a piece of clothing, or a photograph, and have a reaction to it it’s as good as anything else for inspiration. For our second album I collected pictures that I liked from various sources while I wrote it, and amongst those photos were a series from Vice magazine about a Chinese albino model who lives in Sweden and models for Gucci. I was obsessed with the way she looked, and it fed into the music, I suppose, in a way, though I couldn’t tell you how. The cover art is an important part of the whole process too, and that is definitely fashion-related.



Who are key inspirations for you when you dress?

Roisin Murphy, MIA, Polly Harvey, Patti Smith, Joanna Newsom circa 3rd album. I’m really into Asian textiles at the moment, and I’m wearing a lot of stuff that is inspired by the tops of Thai temples, or Balinese ceremonial cloths. I also recently noticed that Jaime Winstone looks awesome.

Tell us about your hometown. Has it inspired the music you write or the clothes you wear at all?

Hong Kong in the 90’s was basically the film Mallrats. That’s where I first bought a checked flannel shirt, band t-shirt, Doctor Martins. I’m kind of done with dressing like a boy these days, but I wasn't two years ago. These days I’m more feminine. I’m still inspired by growing up in Asia, but it’s the traditional Asian things that I remember, like said temples and textiles, that I’m interested by. I wear a Buddhist charm day to day that a monk gave me at Putney Bridge station, and my most recent jewellery purchase is a necklace with the head of Shiva on it.

Do you have a favourite item of clothing?

I have a bracelet that my Aunt Sula gave me for my 21st birthday. She was a jewellery designer who made her jewellery in Bali and then sold it on a stall in Portobello during the summer. She used the most unusual and beautiful, Balinese beads that she’d collected her whole life. Last year, my mum bought me a bee necklace too, because I love bees. I don’t wear it as often as I did but it’s precious.

Favourite place to shop?

Foyle’s.

Anything you would like to add...

I am undecided on whether or not I seriously believe that we are a computer simulation.

Lastly, where would you like to see yourself in the future?

I have thought about this a lot and the answer is: Hover Air Jordans.