Cleo Sol has featured on songs with Tinie Tempah, Wretch 32, Roll Deep, Bashy and long- time collaborator DaVinChe – that’s some track record. Her exotic looks are a show-stopping blend of Jamaican, Spanish and Serbian – the ‘Sol’ in her name pays homage to her sunny heritage. With the release of her sexy new single ‘Never The Right Time’, the singer’s music and style is taking a more mature direction. While on a shoot at ICandy Studios, Cleo Sol tells Flavour how she has fun with fashion, from dressed-up diva to chilled-out chic…

What are you up to at the moment?

Every day is different, it’s fun. Some days, like today, I’ve got the photo shoot; maybe another day I’ll have
a studio session, which might start
at one in the afternoon and end at one in the morning. I’ll be writing and going through songs with a producer. Another day will be a rehearsal, a performance, a festival or interviews.

What’s your next release?

I’m not sure yet, I’ve just been talking to my PR about it. Just working on ‘Never the Right Time’ at the moment.

You’ve got a section on fashion on your website, why?
It’s something that interests me and I felt it was something I could express in a different way apart from singing. I felt if I had a section like that, people could get to know that side of me too.

Describe your style.

Experimental – because some days

like today I come to the shoot in all black, and another day I’ll come in loads of colours, bright bold lips and my hair all mad. But it depends how I feel; it depends on my mood.

In some of your earlier videos you had a pixie crop – do you prefer the longer, big hair or the shorter look? Both, you know; I’ll say it now, sometimes I have to wake up and start my look all again, wash it, put treatment in it, blow dry it, you know,tame it! But when I had short hair I would wake up in the morning, wash it, run my fingers through it and that was easy. Especially in hot weather. I liked short hair but I like longer hair because you can do more styles.

Is your hair naturally curly?

Yeah.

Your look’s made quite a transition so far during your music career… Just me growing as a person, with my music as well, finding out who I am. I can experiment and have fun with my looks because it’s me and it’s my life, so even growing my hair was a big thing for me. I only experimented with big curly hair a few years ago.

Are you a natural beauty or would you find it hard to live without fake tan, eyelashes, nails…?


I’d say I like to do both. Loads of
days I like to go without make-up and chill, but then other days I like to do eyelashes – I don’t do fake nails, but I do put some extensions in my hair, go

all out with the make-up, especially for the stage.

Are you a high street girl or a designer diva?


Both. I always say to my stylist who I work with, ‘I don’t care if it’s designer – if it doesn’t look good on me, then I’m not going to wear it.’ The same with the high street. I like to mess around with all different things, like vintage stuff as well.

 

Any favourite places to shop?

Do you know what? I don’t. I’ll literally go anywhere. I do like Topshop and Zara for the staple pieces; nice blazers and stuff like that. But I just walk past different shops and see what I like.

What would you consider a timeless piece of fashion?


I think things like a tailored suit for a woman always looks good, without a doubt. A tailored blazer, a white shirt, high-waisted flattering jeans. Like Levi’s 501s, classic pieces are

always timeless; you can’t go wrong and people will always wear them.

You have had some comparisons to Beyoncé – how do you feel about that? Does it apply to your style?


I think it’s cool, but obviously I’m a new artist and people automatically want to put you in a box. I’m excited just to put more music out there. My style is experimental and I just want
to have fun.

You have great skin, how do you maintain it?


I always wash my face before bed, don’t drink a lot of alcohol and I drink lots of water. Moisturise and put lots of cream on my skin all the time.

I wash my face at the end of the
night because I know so many of my friends who don’t and then their skin’s breaking out two days later. I also use aromatherapy oils because my mum is a beauty therapist.

Follow Cleo Sol on Twitter @CleoSol or visit cleosol.com

Photography by James Burton

 

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