London electronic duo AlunaGeorge are a seriously stylish two-some. Aluna's stylish credentials have clearly been noticed; she was on the front row of Stella McCartney's Paris fashion show yesterday, in a banging Stella snakeprint sweater. But just before she hopped across the channel - in between Saturday studio sessions, recording the follow-up to their debut album Body Music - we pinned Aluna down for a quick chat about her monochromatic, sporty style - for this, our latest in the series of The Debrief Dissects.
**Lesson 1: Forget the trends - wear something that says something about you
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'I am not in the 'hub' of the fashion world, but I do keep my eyes open for designers are working in the area that I am interested in,' Aluna tells us. 'Last year I was really into sportswear, particularly boxing clothes and Just Cavalli were doing cool shorts with bands of gold and blue. The Brits was our first live performance of 2014 and it was as an opportunity to showcase the look I wanted to channel for 2014. I opted for a sheer Richard Nicoll blouse as at the moment, I really like the idea of seeing things through a gauze.' (NB: The sporty lines of this Sheer Sleeve Crop Shirt, £38, from Topshop would also work.)
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Lesson 2: Don't always aim for the sexy
'I like to look appealing on stage, rather than sexually appealing. My clothing is not highbrow intellectual poetry. But if I am going to choose to expose my bra, it has to be interesting rather than straight up sexy. So I will wear a white bra, rather than a black one.' Try this Mesh Soft Bra, £25 & Other Stories for a minty fresh take.
Lesson 3: See the potential in monochromatic dressing
'When AlunaGeorge started, I was still learning about what looked good, so I focused on black and white to make it easier. Limiting the colour palette enabled me to think more about shapes and materials, but the restriction of black and white also makes me use my imagination more. I love to see how far you can go with just one colour – using interesting shapes. I am saving colour for some point in the future.' Make like Aluna's nineties sporty vibe with this Molveno Dress, £425, Sportmax at Matches Fashion.
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Lesson 4: Add statement accessories to a humble T-shirt dress
'I do wear a lot of white dresses. My white t-shirt dress, which I wore in The Drums, Your Love is a favourite, as you can chuck it on and it gives you that square shape dress. When I wear a simple dress like this [try this Detachable Belt Dress, £34.99 Mango] I will rotate my accessories. The square necklace I wore with that dress is really close to my heart. It's by Shimell and Madden, a jeweller in East London that I stumbled upon.'
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Lesson 5: Offset the masculine with feminine and vice versa
'I wear brogues with mini dresses a lot because I like to mix things up. If I am wearing shorts and a bra top I will pair that with trainers so you have got 'cute girly' with that masculine offset. But when it comes to the red carpet, I will wear a floor length gown. For me, the red carpet is a calm place where I take a minute to celebrate. That said, my favourite item of clothing is still an ancient black of black ripped Topshop jeans!' These Murphy Brogues, £45 ASOS will give you golden toes just like Aluna.
**Lesson 6: Have fun **
'Live TV is so nerve wracking; when I am on stage I think of it as a sport. I tailor those designs to be practical (with elasticated waistbands!) but I do love an element of playfulness, which is I wear a lot of Ashish. I like developing relationships with designers and visiting showrooms. He recently made me a sexy backless sequin top, but then he made me a pair of weird man shorts to go with it - which I loved!' If you fancy a touch of Mr Gupta himself, this Polka Dot Tank, £105, at ASOS gives good shimmer.
**Follow Pandora on Twitter **@pinsykes
With many thanks to Aluna's agents at NEXT Model Management.
Pictures: Getty, Rex
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.