DESCRIBE WHAT YOU'RE WEARINGThe suit is by Viktor Rolf - they approached me about wearing their clothes and the hat is by Christophe Coppens. I was just shopping in Brussels and went into his diffusion line store and this old lady insisted on my seeing all his hats and then he came out and said, 'So you've met my mother'. The little shoes are by Giuseppe Zanotti.
WERE YOU ALWAYS INTERESTED IN FASHION?I've always been interested in fashion and over the years music and fashion have melded together. It's natural for me to pick up props and I use clothes to say things rather than hide behind.
HOW DID THE INTEREST START?My mother and I used to watch old films at home, the black and white ones, the MGM musicals, and afterwards I used to draw the dresses. I always wanted to be an artist, or a photographer like my uncle [Matt Kavanagh].
HOW IMPORTANT ARE CLOTHES IN PERFORMANCE?I think clothes reflect complexity. I wore a very 1940s-style Gucci dress for Fashion Rocks and then started headbanging with it - it is easy to express these extremes. I am not interested in costume. If you are going to be creative, you have to look at what you have got.
DO YOU BUY CLOTHES FOR PERFORMANCE OR OFFSTAGE WEAR?Both. Sometimes they cross over. Yeah, I do my own styling and most of what I have is my own.
YOU USE A LOT OF DESIGNER CLOTHES?I have a relationship with a lot of designers. I have called in and borrowed things for shoots, so I have a long standing direct relationship with many of them. I love Viktor Rolf, Martin Margiela and Vivienne Westwood because their vision goes all the way right down - you feel everything of theirs has a little bit of them in it. They are people, not a brand.
WHAT ABOUT BIG BRANDS?You can love pieces by Gucci and Dior - they employ thousands of amazing artisans. I had the head seamstress of Gucci fitting me for a dress - a little old Italian lady who was treated like a queen. I don't promote high street disposable fashion - I don't really like it.
WHERE DO YOU SHOP?Every single place I go. In Dublin recently, I went to the Georges Street Arcade and bought a beautiful silver chunky ring with garnets from New Moon.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM YOU'VE EVER BOUGHT?A watch. I was in Las Vegas in a studio and didn't gamble for the whole week and was very proud of myself. So I bought a little white gold Cartier bracelet watch - they get money out of you there in the end!
WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST FANS?I have a big gay following - they are a bit mad about me, especially since my last album. The more gay guys in the audience, the more screaming there is. I think they have made me into a diva. Yeah, I am a diva now!
FAVOURITE DESIGNER?Martin Margiela, more than any other. Because he is uncompromising and visionary and also because of his practicality. I wore a dress of his for the Let Me Know video - a cape dress like a shirt with a body top and that gave me such a strong silhouette and was so unbelievably comfortable it was like a second skin.
HOW DO YOU RELAX?I grew up by the sea and love swimming. I am a real water baby and am not very stylish on the beach. I plug my ears, use a swim cap and go straight in.
DESCRIBE YOUR STYLEI am very boyish during the day. It's important that the jeans are the right jeans rather than those costing hundreds. I am quite mod - pork pie hats, little shirts and blazers. Going out, I might just wear a simple Balenciaga dress and high heels.