Enfnts Terribles

How was your show today at Sónar Lisboa, did you like it? How was the vibe for you?

The vibe was amazing. I love the Portuguese crowd and I like the weather. Yesterday, we performed in the Finnish mountains near the Arctic line.

I saw you were skiing.

Yeah, we skied after the performance, and there was a blizzard. The concert was outside, and the snow was fucking on stage. It was crazy. We were flying from there to here in like seven hours. So, we spent seven hours on a plane, arrived here, had 30 minutes in our hotel to wash our asses, and then we came straight here to perform. But it was amazing. The vibe was good, and there were a lot of people. It was cool. Yeah, it was nice.

I often run into you at fashion week. Can you tell me a bit more about the process behind your outfits, and how it all comes together? 

Well, we have meetings. I have a couple of people on my team, my stylist Liza, and photographer Dima. We brainstorm and everyone brings something to the table. If there’s crazy shit I want to do—for example, I want to do a custom look inspired by the Lady Gaga meat outfit—I say, “Let’s maybe do something like this,” or let’s say Liza is like, “Oh let’s do a metal outfit”.

Sometimes it’s in levels as we did with the MSCHF campaign. At first, there was the idea of a Paris fanatic outfit. Then I said, “Let’s make him into a mime”. And we made him into a mime. We kind of build it up from there; that way it’s always different. Sometimes I see something or I want to collaborate with someone like we did with Harri for the Vetements show. Usually, we get invitations, and once we have the invitation we go, “What can we do there?” Or vice versa; we have an invitation, and we figure it out. But sometimes I see something and think, “I know one day I want to do this”.

Do you have a favorite look so far?

I think the Balenciaga paparazzi look because it’s so natural. It’s my favorite because of how it happened on the spot and also because people didn’t understand it. Photographers thought I was a photographer, and it was so crazy and so new. I’ve done so many great looks. We might stop for some time. I went to Vetements because I wanted to go to Vetements and see Guram’s work. I wanted to see what he does. I think I’ve already proved my point. What the fuck else can I do? I’ve already done such crazy shit. I want to surprise myself and feel as if I’m doing something exciting. So if I take it to the next level, people will not be ready. It will come with new bells and whistles that would be way more shocking.

These fashion week stunts have created some viral moments. Do you think it’s important to push your music, is it linked to your music, or not at all?

I think it’s linked to me, and it’s linked to different aspects of what I do. In general, as I get older, blah blah blah blah, and I put out more work, my body of work will become stronger and bigger. I just want to have a gallery like Lady Gaga does. And eventually, in ten years, I can have all my looks in a row on display. Now, Gaga dresses pretty normally when she goes out, so it feels like this is a legacy thing.

Do you think maybe it’s more of an era? The looks?

I think it is more of an era. Eventually, you need to take a break to make it exciting or to find a higher level. But I am afraid that if I take it further, it will get me kicked out.

Do you have any plans to release an album? It’s been a while since you released a full album.

Yes, it’s been a while. I have one almost ready, like 80%. I have a year mapped out, so I’m shooting a new video next in Barcelona. And there’s one going to be, right after, called ‘High Fashion’. It will be almost like a closing point to my outfits. It’s going to be about this fashion world thing. There’s a lot of strong music coming out.

Photos by Dries Vriesacker for ENFNTS TERRIBLES unless stated differently