Lorde for Fashion Magazine May 2014

Photographed by Chris Nicholls

On being called the Sylvia Plath of pop music: "Never for a second would I put myself beside a genius like Sylvia Plath! I may have specific tastes but I’m not trying to be avant-garde with my approach or my music. I like indie [rock], pop and literature. I like to play with them but that doesn’t make me a genius."

On her love of menswear: "Jackets and pants are my power clothes. I agree with Annie Lennox when she said, “wearing a suit is like wearing armour.” I wore pants and a shirt at the Grammys because it made me feel confident. I remember looking at early photos of Patti Smith when she was wearing those men’s shirts she chopped off at the sleeve. That, to me, is the strongest look in the world."

On her preferred work attire: "A lot of my stage clothes are suits, jackets and trousers that come from designers like Philip Lim and Stella McCartney. I’m a fan of Céline and Comme Des Garçons too because the clothes don’t look contrived and they don’t look like they are trying too hard."