The Working Wardrobe: Neneh Cherry
Neneh Cherry has always had an independent spirit – something that shines through both in her music and sense of style. Here, she talks to COLLEEN ROSS about her new memoir, A Thousand Threads, and the transformative power of clothes
To Neneh Cherry, style is an attitude. “Who and what you see, just out on the streets, has always been my biggest inspiration – like when you’re sitting on the Tube, or on the subway, and you see someone and think, That’s it… you’re owning it,” she says, on the set of her PORTER photoshoot in East London. Cherry’s own relationship to style, and memories of the clothes she wore growing up, are documented in her new book, A Thousand Threads – a deeply personal memoir that stitches together the fabric of her life, from navigating fame, motherhood and friendships to finding her unique sound as a woman in music. “Making music is such a huge part of my survival instinct, cleaning my soul and being in the world, and writing a book is obviously a very different thing but it’s also a gift,” she says.
Born in Stockholm, Cherry was raised between Sweden and New York. Her career began in London in the early 1980s, when she started singing backing vocals in punk and post-punk bands. But it was her debut solo single, Buffalo Stance, released in 1988, that catapulted her to super stardom. The track – an eclectic mix of hip-hop, dance-pop and punk – was named after the Buffalo collective, a group of creatives formed by stylist Ray Petri, known for their radical and irreverent sense of style.
For Cherry, who was an honorary member of the group, it was an opportunity to carve out a look of her own, with the help of both Petri and fellow Buffalo devotee Judy Blame. The late maverick fashion stylist and designer was responsible for some of Cherry’s most iconic outfits, including the gold jacket, bra and mini skirt she wore for her very first performance on Top of the Pops (the now-defunct British music chart TV show) when she was seven months pregnant. “When we were working together, it was very much a collaboration – and about always using the space to say something, to send a message. Judy made that possible for me. He had an amazing eye.”
As for the clothes she likes to wear now, she loves a good jacket (as evidenced in this shoot) and has a thing for sneakers. “I think [my style] is quite ragga-chic. Me and my daughters, we invented this character called Raggy-O, like Jackie O,” she says. “It’s quite classic but also sporty.” Cherry is mother to Naima, Tyson and the Brit Award-winning singer, Mabel – and, when it comes to growing up with a mother who is a fashion icon, she shares that the style inspiration is mutual – “We inspire each other all the time – they might not necessarily be like, ‘Oh, I want to wear what you’re wearing’, but that’s not always how inspiration works, right?”
Read on for Cherry’s musings on street style and buying the clothes that you love…
“The nice thing about getting a bit older is that I don’t have to worry [about trends]. Things that are classic always stay cool
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Never underestimate the power of great outerwear
“It depends on the event, but if I was in a bit of a rush, I’d get a chic pair of wide-leg pants, a T-shirt and a nice jacket or coat. I’d probably just pull my hair up in a bun, get an earring, and a good sneaker or boot, but probably a sneaker. I think a coat is great because you can literally wear your pajamas and no one would ever know.”
Find your forever pieces
“The nice thing about getting a bit older is that I don’t have to worry [about trends]… Things that are classic always stay cool.”
“I think that clothes can be a very powerful experience when you put something on that’s very right in that moment
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Embrace how transformative clothes can be
“The first time I wore an Alaïa dress, I felt myself as a woman in a different way. It’s not that I’d never experienced feeling like a woman, but it was, like, ‘Oh, I can wear this, too’. I hadn’t seen myself as someone who would wear a dress like that, or that it would work, or that I’d ever get my hands on it. I think that clothes can be a very powerful experience when you put something on that’s very right in that moment.”
Be inspired by your surroundings
“When I came to London at 15/16, I allowed myself to let go and unfold and express myself, but I think the effect of both London and New York have been so significant. In New York, hip-hop culture was so important, and you were looking at people who were making major waves and changing mainstream culture – but also just using whatever [clothes] they could get their hands on… I love that spirit.”
Choose pieces that make you feel your best
“You just need to have a few things [in your closet] that make you feel really good. So, if you need a good pair of jeans, a good sneaker, it just depends on knowing what your comfort zone is – and then you can push from there. But I think it’s really important to know the things that make you feel confident – and know what those things are.”
A Thousand Threads by Neneh Cherry is out now