Pint-sized Nelly Furtado stopped by our offices last week to tell us about her new Spanish-language album Mi Plan, out September 15. And of course, we had to talk fashion.By Louise Denny
We knew we'd love Nelly Furtado when she showed up at the Harper's Bazaar offices wearing a pair of smoking studded Miu Miu stilettos. It all ended up with a tour of our fashion closet, where she and our accessories director, Ana Maria Pimentel (pictured, with Nelly), shared their obsessive love of shoes. Turns out Nelly is an equal-opportunity wearer when it comes to shoes — she loves a great pair of Louboutins as much as rubber fisherman's boots. Yup, you read that right. Read on to learn more about Nelly's sense of style.
Louise Denny, Harper's Bazaar: Describe your style.
Nelly Furtado: I'm always changing my style. I wear whatever feels right that day. I have everything in my closet from sneakers to flip-flops to high heels and all kinds of jackets and sweaters and handbags. Twenty dollars or $2,000, I'll wear it. It doesn't really matter as long as I feel good in it.
Nelly Furtado: I'm always changing my style. I wear whatever feels right that day. I have everything in my closet from sneakers to flip-flops to high heels and all kinds of jackets and sweaters and handbags. Twenty dollars or $2,000, I'll wear it. It doesn't really matter as long as I feel good in it.
LD: Day to day, what are you wearing?
NF: When I'm on stage I wear a lot of high heels, a lot of sparkles, a lot of jewelry, a lot of hair extensions — it's very theatrical. But at home I'm a mother. I like to cook and do laundry and drive my daughter to school. So you need double-duty clothes. You need clothes that are comfortable to wear all day but maybe you could also show up at a parent-teacher in the same outfit. So you have to always think about versatility. I also went through a horrible phase about two years ago — it wasn't horrible for me, but it was almost like my little internal rebellion against all the superpolished fashion looks I had worn for two years on tour. I got off the road from my last album, Loose, and we had an arsenal full of beautiful dresses and designer clothes and shoes and bags and jewelry, and so when I got home I took a year off. That first year I wore mostly fisherman's rubber boots and velour track pants tucked into the boots. I was showing up at concerts — like a rock concert — and my friends had to stop me. They were like "Look, you've taken it a little too far with the rubber boot thing. There are cool rubber boots out there. You don't have to wear the black ones. You know? Up to your knees." So yeah, there's that inner Canadian in me.
NF: When I'm on stage I wear a lot of high heels, a lot of sparkles, a lot of jewelry, a lot of hair extensions — it's very theatrical. But at home I'm a mother. I like to cook and do laundry and drive my daughter to school. So you need double-duty clothes. You need clothes that are comfortable to wear all day but maybe you could also show up at a parent-teacher in the same outfit. So you have to always think about versatility. I also went through a horrible phase about two years ago — it wasn't horrible for me, but it was almost like my little internal rebellion against all the superpolished fashion looks I had worn for two years on tour. I got off the road from my last album, Loose, and we had an arsenal full of beautiful dresses and designer clothes and shoes and bags and jewelry, and so when I got home I took a year off. That first year I wore mostly fisherman's rubber boots and velour track pants tucked into the boots. I was showing up at concerts — like a rock concert — and my friends had to stop me. They were like "Look, you've taken it a little too far with the rubber boot thing. There are cool rubber boots out there. You don't have to wear the black ones. You know? Up to your knees." So yeah, there's that inner Canadian in me.
LD: How important is comfort to you?
NF: I'm very detail-oriented when it comes to getting dressed for stage. I have dresses on tour that need ten pieces of Topstick for the thing to stay on me. And then I have three pairs of fishnets on and my shoes are taped to my feet. My last tour, I did wearing designer shoes — 4-inch, 5-inch heels — and I went through six weeks of one-and-a-half hours on stage dancing in these massive heels. I ended up with plantar fasciitis on my foot. So we had to buy the kind of shoes you see on Dancing with the Stars.
NF: I'm very detail-oriented when it comes to getting dressed for stage. I have dresses on tour that need ten pieces of Topstick for the thing to stay on me. And then I have three pairs of fishnets on and my shoes are taped to my feet. My last tour, I did wearing designer shoes — 4-inch, 5-inch heels — and I went through six weeks of one-and-a-half hours on stage dancing in these massive heels. I ended up with plantar fasciitis on my foot. So we had to buy the kind of shoes you see on Dancing with the Stars.
LD: What is the one thing in your closet you couldn't live without?
NF: My jewelry drawer. I love gold and silver jewelry. It doesn't even have to be real. Some of them are, but I just love metallic. My parents are from Portugal and we would go there on summer holiday — they have the best silver and gold — and on every trip we'd make sure we ransacked the jewelry store before we'd head home to Canada. So it's kind of ingrained in me, this love of gold and silver accessories.
NF: My jewelry drawer. I love gold and silver jewelry. It doesn't even have to be real. Some of them are, but I just love metallic. My parents are from Portugal and we would go there on summer holiday — they have the best silver and gold — and on every trip we'd make sure we ransacked the jewelry store before we'd head home to Canada. So it's kind of ingrained in me, this love of gold and silver accessories.
LD: Who are some of your favorite designers?
NF: Stella McCartney's stuff is tailored and modern, sexy, fresh, and young all at the same time. It's very diverse the way she designs. I also love a lot of Canadian designers. There are these guys in Toronto called Greta Constantine, and their stuff is fabulous. It's really structured and interesting. Shoes...I've got a lot of Louboutin shoes and a lot of Dior shoes.
NF: Stella McCartney's stuff is tailored and modern, sexy, fresh, and young all at the same time. It's very diverse the way she designs. I also love a lot of Canadian designers. There are these guys in Toronto called Greta Constantine, and their stuff is fabulous. It's really structured and interesting. Shoes...I've got a lot of Louboutin shoes and a lot of Dior shoes.
LD: Looking back, is there anything you wish you hadn't worn?
NF: When you're starting out, it's hard to know what is flattering on your body. But at the same time it's kind of fun because you're rough and raw and unpolished and people find it charming — that's what's appealing about you. I remember performing with Aretha Franklin at this VH1 Diva Show and I wore this long jean gown with sneakers. But I loved it. I thought, "Well, at least it was unique." But sometimes I might wear something that's out of style just because I like it. And then when it comes into fashion I don't want to wear it because I'm sick of it. Like I wore a lot of fluorescent for my first album — fluorescent customized tank tops, jeans, everything. So when fluorescent colors really got into style I told my stylist, "Don't ever bring fluorescent! I don't want to look at it. Put that away in a box in my basement."
NF: When you're starting out, it's hard to know what is flattering on your body. But at the same time it's kind of fun because you're rough and raw and unpolished and people find it charming — that's what's appealing about you. I remember performing with Aretha Franklin at this VH1 Diva Show and I wore this long jean gown with sneakers. But I loved it. I thought, "Well, at least it was unique." But sometimes I might wear something that's out of style just because I like it. And then when it comes into fashion I don't want to wear it because I'm sick of it. Like I wore a lot of fluorescent for my first album — fluorescent customized tank tops, jeans, everything. So when fluorescent colors really got into style I told my stylist, "Don't ever bring fluorescent! I don't want to look at it. Put that away in a box in my basement."
LD: Let's talk about Mi Plan — why did you decide to do a Spanish album?
NF: After I got off the road from my last album I tried to write songs in English and I had no inspiration. It just wasn't coming to me. So it was an opportunity for me to explore my Latin soul — my more emotional, passionate side. When I started writing the songs in Spanish, my excitement for pop music came back in a flash. I love the results. And now I'm writing in English again, so it cured my writer's block.
NF: After I got off the road from my last album I tried to write songs in English and I had no inspiration. It just wasn't coming to me. So it was an opportunity for me to explore my Latin soul — my more emotional, passionate side. When I started writing the songs in Spanish, my excitement for pop music came back in a flash. I love the results. And now I'm writing in English again, so it cured my writer's block.