A - How long have we known each other?
N - All our adult lives.A - It’s hard to interview someone you know—will I know the answers to the questions?
N - Haha, yes, it is! And even though we are good friends, life is dynamic, and things change all the time, so maybe there will be some answers that surprise you. Who knows!A - How come we did the shoot/fitting in the first place?
N - The need to be creative during the darker times of the year, finding the light hours during the day. We live in Sweden. :)A - Involving you as an artist makes the clothing and the "why" more authentic, too.
A - What inspires you?
N - I get this question all the time, both as an artist and as a researcher. I find myself always changing my answer. Inspiration is such a huge and magical thing, and I can never put my finger on what really gets me going. It’s like a small snapshot of time, and you need to be ready when it happens—haha. But right now, I’m inspired by Lebanon and my family over there, how they cope with life and their resilience. It amazes me every day. A - You inspire me.
A - The goth is romantic, supernatural, dark, horrifying, and Victorian aesthetics. What is it about that genre that attracts you?
N - Oh, good question. I love darkness. I find it extremely beautiful, vulnerable, and mysterious. And of course, I’m drawn to the aesthetics, but for me, it’s such a huge part of my life to be amazed by the dark. I can’t remember not being drawn into gothic stories, the Victorian age, or feeling super connected to the Brontë sisters. It’s just more than aesthetics and literature. It’s the world it creates, the atmosphere, and the fact that I think darkness is more interesting than if everything was drenched in sunlight.A - Would you say that the clothing you wear is an extension of the music you make?
N - I would say that the music is something that inspires my clothing, and the clothing sometimes inspires the music. They go hand in hand. But I also read all the time, so I get a lot of styling inspiration from literature.A - Also, we were very happy about Nuit, who made the main design for the shoot.
N - YES! I’m blown away by NUIT and have been following them for a very long time. I still can’t believe that they wanted to collaborate with us and that we now have that connection. I feel so honoured. As a goth girl, I can’t think of any other brand that would make me feel exactly the way I want. I think they are amazing.A - If you had one superpower, what would that be?
N - I would love to make myself invisible.A - How would you use the power in:
A political way
For the art of music
In an aesthetic way
N -Hm. I would probably poison one or two politicians that come to mind.Visit PJ Harvey at her house in Dorset.Float around in a nightgown, into outer space, and just have a nice time.
A - How does the political environment affect you?
N - A lot. I feel kind of beat every day by the world right now. Especially Palestine. I cannot breathe sometimes. But I will do my best to keep my head up and fight until we reach peace and justice.A - Would you rather go back or forward in time to create music and art?
N - Back! I always feel that I was born too late, in the wrong decade. I think I would feel more content as an artist in the '70s or the beginning of the '90s, to be honest.
All clothes provided by NUIT
Photo/Words: Anna SundelinModel/Muse: Nicole Sabouné