Dae Kim vocalist Katie Sullivan loves clothes, but being in a struggling Irish rock band doesn’t give her a lot of chances to splash out on high-end fashion.
“I’m into designer labels,” she says, “but I can’t afford it really – being in a band at the moment. I’m into fashion and all that but I can’t really afford to wear it. I can’t be going out buying an oul’ Vivienne Westwood!”
Katie describes her style as “very low-key and inexpensive,” but she does enjoy dressing up on occasion.
“I’d say I’d be more of a casual dresser really. But some days, I dunno, could be a Tuesday, could be a Friday, you just get in the mood for dressing up.”
Her budget means big-name shops aren’t always an option, so she gets most of her clothes in second-hand stores and thrift shops.
“I think you find gems in second-hand places all the time, and vintage shops and things like that. I usually get the odd pick from Topshop or something like that, but I suppose mainly it’s just hand-me-downs.”
Her love of all things vintage explains her habit of getting second-hand clothes off friends, like the jeans she’s wearing for today’s hotpress photoshoot.
One of her favourite places to shop is a small boutique in her home-town. “There’s a great place called Muse in Waterford, on the quays, it’s all sort of one-off pieces, I think the owner gets them made up and imported.”
As far as style icons, Katie favours off-beat musicians like the adventurously-dressed Björk, and the androgynous stylings of performance artist Laurie Anderson. “I love that kind of look,” she says of Anderson, “the kind of understated hobo look is great.” She’s also a big fan of actresses like the quirky Chloe Sevigny, and ‘50s style-icon Bridget Bardot.
The often-controversial style of these stars gives some insight into Katie’s own views on fashion – clothes are there to express personality, so the more unique the better. But while Katie dresses to reflect her individuality, she isn’t preoccupied with creating an image for herself or the band.
“Sometimes I think for certain gigs you would have to wear things that might be more appropriate to the sound, but what I play in the band reflects a lot of my individuality anyway.”
And Dae Kim are by no means the kind of band who co-ordinate outfits: “The lads don’t really take orders on what to wear,” Katie laughs.
As far as the rest of the band goes, frontman Terry Cullen (former drummer with Ten Speed Racer) “likes a lot of black,” but fashion isn’t a major concern for the group. At least not till they’re rich enough to buy designer labels.