Charli XCX Interview: Pop Star Talks 90s Fashion, Her Style Icons And What She Really Thinks Of The Daily Mail

Charli XCX: 'My Fashion Sense Wasn't Born To Be On The Daily Mail'
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From spending her teenage years performing at warehouse raves, to finding international fame by the age of 20, it's safe to say Charli XCX is a seasoned pro at being a pop star.

And she might just be the perfect one. Real name Charlotte Emma Aitchison, not only does the British-born singer write all her own songs, she's created a persona for herself that seems entirely genuine.

From using her MSN Messenger screen name as the inspiration for her on-stage alter ego, to her flamboyant personal style - Aitchison embodies the modern day zeitgeist in a way others would (and do) pay good money to.

HuffPost UK Style sat down with the star to chat all things fashion, in the hopes we might learn a thing or two...

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Charli XCX models her new clothing line for Boohoo

Your video for "Fancy" with Iggy Azalea was famously based on Clueless - are you a fan of 90s style? What 90s trends should we keep now, and which ones should we leave in the 90s?

Yes, I love the 90s! Platform shoes are a definite keep. Slip dresses as day dresses too. Body glitter 100% yes. To be honest I kind of love all 90s stuff. There's good things about everything.

Was your debut album 'True Romance' named after the film? Were you inspired by Alabama's style? Are there any other films that inspire your fashion?

It wasn't named directly after that movie no, but I do love that film. And yes, Alabama is incredible.

I would love to be in her wardrobe for the day. I've always been inspired by the outfits in 'Jawbreaker'. And recently I watched 'Legally Blonde' again and I was like ooh yeah, Elle Woods had some great moments!

You've mentioned Debbie Harry has inspired your music, who are your style icons and why?

My style icons are Marilyn Manson, early Britney Spears, Cher Horowitz and Fran Drescher from 'The Nanny'. They're all bold. I love that in fashion.

Do you think there's pressure on young girls to conform to a certain type of fashion look? What advice would you give them?

Just do you! Have fun with it. Make statements that feel right for you. Create a style. Fashion fades but style is forever.

How does it feel when places like the Daily Mail critique your outfit choices? (They recently compared Charli's MTV EMAs dress to a Quality Street).

Oh it's cool. My fashion sense isn't exactly born to be on the Daily Mail so it's just funny to me when the readers get so irked if I don't wear a bra or something. I'm not one for a bodycon dress and pristine make up so I don't seem to do so well on that website, but that's cool. Everyone has their own style, you know?

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When do you feel at your sexiest?

When I LOVE what I'm wearing. When it feels unique and fresh. I feel sexy on stage even though most of the time I look like a mess but - I dunno, punk is sexy to me.

What beauty products do you always carry in your bag?

Rose water, red lipstick and perfume.

What's one piece of clothing you could not live without?

I just got this awesome t-shirt that says 'Princess' on it from Illustrated People. It's really simple but it's my favourite thing ever right now.

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You've just launched your debut clothing range for Boohoo - have you always wanted to be a fashion designer? Do you have more plans to make more in the future?

We are currently working on the SS16 collection. I definitely went through my fashion designer phase when I was younger but I never thought it would be a reality. I've had so much fun with this and every piece in the collection is so true to my own style. I never wanted to just put my name to something and pretend I did it. It had to be things I created and would wear. I love it all.

Charli XCX will be performing at The Clothes Show on Saturday 5 December, the show takes place from the 4-8 December. For the full line-up visit www.clothesshow.com.

Charli XCX: 9 Facts In 90 Seconds
1. She's been going longer than you'd think(01 of09)
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Despite being just 22 years old, Charli's career has already lasted a lot longer than a lot of people realise. In fact, she first came to the attention of the industry when she uploaded her first self-recorded album on her MySpace page when she was still a teenager. Luckily for her, her career has lasted a lot longer than her MySpace page did... (credit:Jim Spellman via Getty Images)
2. Where does the XCX come from?(02 of09)
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It turns out the "XCX" part of Charli's stage name doesn't actually mean anything, claiming she chose at as her moniker when she was still a teenager because that was her MSN screen-name at the time.Retro. (credit:Jo Hale via Getty Images)
3. She's so fancy, you already know...(03 of09)
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You mightn't be totally familiar with her work as a solo act, but Charli has written and provided vocals on two of the biggest ear-worms of the past few years - Icona Pop's chart-topper 'I Love It' and Iggy Azalea's 'Fancy'. (credit:Joseph Okpako via Getty Images)
4. ...she's in the fast lane, from LA to Tokyo(04 of09)
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As a "thank you" to her supporters in Japan, Charli has showed off her impressive linguistic skills and recorded Japanese versions of her songs 'Break The Rules' and 'Boom Clap'.These tracks feature on the Japanese version of her third album, 'Sucker'. (credit:Alexander Tamargo via Getty Images)
5. She's here to "f*** things up"(05 of09)
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Charli has insisted in an interview that she isn't here to make things in the music industry "pretty", telling the Daily Star: "I just want to be written about in 50 years' time as someone who helped make pop cooler than it is now."I want to f**k up the music industry." (credit:Ray Tamarra via Getty Images)
6. She's given her fanbase a name, but it's actually a good one(06 of09)
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Yes, yes we know how irritating it is when popstars give their fanbases a name (yes, we're looking at you, Cheryl's soldiers and Jessie J's heartbeats), but there's no arguing that 'Charli's Angels' isn't a great name, is there? (credit:C Flanigan via Getty Images)
6. She's "livin' the dream like a London Queen"(07 of09)
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In her track 'London Queen', Charli sings about how her life has changed since working and recording in Los Angeles, but she's still representing London while she's abroad.She was actually born in Oxford, but we'll not hold that against her. (credit:Raymond Hall via Getty Images)
8. She's not going to cover up for you(08 of09)
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Weighing in on whether music had become too sexualised, she told Digital Spy last year: "Pop music has been sexualised pretty much since day one. Everyone suddenly turns into a nun and acts like they've never heard or seen someone being sexy before. I enjoy fashion and I'm proud of my body." (credit:John Parra via Getty Images)
9. She knows Taylor Swift(09 of09)
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But that's pretty much a given at this stage, isn't it? (credit:Kevin Mazur via Getty Images)