Elle Australia/Interview

> We chat to musical force Grimes about music, fashion and art—and how they all play together.
>
>
> MAR 31, 2016 12:13AM
>
>
>
> BY ELLE TEAM
>
>

There’s nobody quite like Claire Boucher. The 27-year-old Canadian is better known by her pseudonym **Grimes**, and her most recent album—2015’s *Art Angels*—has been called ‘boundary pushing’, ‘slick and gritty’ and ‘impossible to resist’. On top of her multiple musical accolades, Boucher plays a muse of sorts for Louis Vuitton and its creative director Nicolas Ghesquière—at least she did for his SS16 collection. Here, her off-kilter sartorial vision—a mash-up of anime, goth and pure ‘90s pop—gets a luxury label upgrade.

**What was your reaction when Louis Vuitton invited you for the first time to their show?**

I was really excited. Nicolas always goes in a totally new direction with every collection, and it's obviously amazing to see it firsthand. Plus, I had never been in a helicopter before.

**What is it that you like about Nicolas Ghesquière’s work?**

I think Nicolas' work straddles the line between fantastical and elegant. There are always crazy references—he told me they were watching a lot of *Evangelion* [a Japanese anime series] when working on the last collection—but the work is always very stylised and sophisticated. The clothes themselves are extremely high quality. I think I try to accomplish a similar thing in my work, so we vibe.

**How does fashion inspire your creativity?**

Visuals are important to me, whether it be videos, shoots, etc. Designers and stylists can be my biggest collaborators in many ways. I don't have time to make clothes, nor would I be very good at it, but it's integral to the project. I want to create a world. Grimes should be escapist, so the visual and performative aspect is important to how the music is received. It's important not overtly sexualise myself, or spend too much time on straight-forward 'beauty.' Finding a balance that’s unique and interesting without resting on tropes is difficult but also fun.

**Do you have any fashion guilty pleasures?**

I've always been into fashion. I think my guilty pleasure is trench coats, because if you have a sick coat, you can wear pyjamas under it, and no one would know.

**How would you describe your new album, *Art Angels*?**

I think it's a rock album, created by aliens.

**You did everything on *Art Angels* yourself: you produced it, play the guitar, the violin, the drums. Is that a way to retain control over the creative process?**

Control is important to me. If I didn't make it myself, then I wouldn't consider it fully a Grimes song. I hate it when people don't credit producers and things. That’s why I always have 'featuring' if I haven't done 100 per cent of the work. But at the end of the day, DIY is just how I work. I think a lot of people see it as inherently political, but it's honestly just a personal preference.

**We hear you’re a huge *Game Of Thrones* fan…**

I think it’s just good. Like, the plot is complex and incredible. The acting is fantastic, the writing is good, the costumes are great. I always prefer long form narrative, so obviously it has that. I like that they aren't afraid to kill off characters. It's sort of like the *Lord Of The Rings* I always wanted, because there are protagonists I can relate too, not just a bunch of dudes. I like the dudes too though. Also the villains are excellent. Joffrey and Ramsey Bolton are awesome. I also like characters like Melisandre, or the Faceless Man. We're so many seasons in and we still don't know if they are good or evil. It keeps me on my toes.

**How do you use social media, and do you see it as a necessary evil?**

I share almost nothing about myself. I hate social media; I think it will be ruinous to society. I would delete it if it wasn't important to promotion. But I need to use it to speak directly to fans, because I distrust the media.

**Where do you see yourself in 10 or 20 years?**

I'd like to go back to school one day. I'd like to become a marine biologist. I would also like to get an internship on a movie set, because I'd like to work in film in any capacity. Colourist, editor, actor, casting, costumes. I love it all. I'd also like to build an elite school for underprivileged girls, or start an environmentalist cooking show.

1. ↑ https://www.elle.com.au/culture/grimes-interview-7735