James O'Neill, singer with Dublin band Bitches With Wolves, talks to Deirdre McQuillan
Describe what you're wearing:The blazer is vintage YSL, bought in New York. The tank top is from Topman, and the jeans are Citizens for Humanity. The belt is Gucci, the shoes by Lanvin, and the bag is Prada.
And the jewellery?The tortoiseshell glasses are by Kala – a handmade eyewear company in the US – which I bought in New York. The bracelets were designed by my mother, Abigail O'Brien, who is a contemporary artist.
Your hair?I have always been a massive fan of high hair – it's an Upper East Side-inspired Jewish hairstyle. Think Johnny Depp in Cry Baby. I do it myself – it takes five minutes.
You're obviously a hard-core shopper:I shop so much, I can't stop. My room is covered – everything is compartmentalised and there are rails of stuff outside the room as well. Some years ago, I decided I should invest in quality rather than quantity. New York totally opened my eyes, and then London made me realise that there was so much out there to do and play with.
Favourite shops?Circus in Dublin, Beyond Retro in Shoreditch and Selfridges in London, Seven Store in Soho and Fabulous Fanny's in New York for vintage. I love vintage shops because they are more interesting. It's hard for an Irishman to find interesting clothes, because they are so boring here, which is why I do most of my shopping in foreign fields.
The most you've ever spent?€1,800 on a Prada deerskin bag. I spend more on bags and shoes, and I hang on to everything. I love collecting things.
How do you describe your style?I dress differently every day. One day rockabilly, the next day cycling shorts and a vintage Versace jacket. That's the amazing thing about fashion – you can do what you want, there are no parameters. I don't believe in dressing for your size or shape or any of that rubbish. I'd feel strange in bootleg jeans and a v-neck jumper.
What about stage gear?I dress differently for the stage. It is always sharp and never sloppy. I work with two NCAD graduates, Kim Gilbert and Grace Mangan of Attack on Humanity, who make my stage clothes. We created crazy things for Oxegen – I had three changes of costume and the last outfit was black-sequin knickers with white tights and American football shoulder pads.
How does music influence fashion?They complement each other, and as a singer and entertainer it is my job to take my listeners away from the humdrum reality of their lives into a magical world, and it is the same with fashion. Fashion is playing at dressing-up.
Is the club scene changing?Irish style is changing and at club nights people are getting into dressing-up. The banality of the Noughties, based on how much an outfit cost rather than how nice it was, has gone. Now there is more a sense of community, and it has happened in the last year.
What do your clothes say about you?I only dress for myself and nobody else. I would hope that they would say that I am not mediocre. I have never been afraid of being different, and I happen to love the way I look in the morning.
Bitches With Wolves will be appearing at Electric Picnic on September 5th and 6th. www.myspace.com/bitcheswithwolves