The passion not the fashion

Ruth-Anne Cunningham is a singer, songwriter and producer from Dublin who co-wrote Jojo’s worldwide hit single ‘Too Little, Too Late’. It went to number three in the USA on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became a top 20 hit in more than 20 countries. So does this newly-earned attention make Ruth-Anne more attentive to the way she dresses?

“It doesn’t bother me,” she says. “I don’t think music should be about image and how you look anyway, so I tend to wear what I think looks both dressy and casual so that I can go to lunch with my friends or have a business meeting wearing the same clothes and feel comfortable in either situation.”
Ruth-Anne agrees that women seem to more obsessed with fashion than men. “I think it might be because women have so many more options to pick from,” she says, “like different types of jewellery, accessories and so on, which makes it more fun too. As far as I can see, most men seem to be happy with jeans and a t-shirt.”
What’s her own personal style?. “I just love wearing a pair of jeans, a tank top, funky shoes and vintage gold jewellery,” she says. “That’s me. It’s what I feel most comfortable in.”
Her favourite labels include Pinko from Brown Thomas, but she also has a fondness for Guess shoes. “My friends think I’m raking it in because I have Guess shoes which are very expensive if you buy them in Ireland. But I buy mine in the USA where they’re much cheaper. In fact, I should have a sponsorship deal with them, I support them so much!”
Her favourite shops are Topshop and Urban Outfitters.
“I have to admit I’m a shopaholic,” she says. “Shopping is a great way for women to bond together. I often go out to lunch with my girlfriends and then we’ll spend hours shopping afterwards. But when I want to buy something I prefer to do it on my own, otherwise we end up arguing over who saw what first, and I prefer to avoid falling out with my girl-friends!”
Among fashion mistakes Ruth-Anne has made in the past was forking out for padded navy waistcoat jackets which were in vogue once upon a time, but she was very young when it happened, so we’ll let her off with a caution.
She has definite ideas on the link between a performer’s musical style and his or her image. “I think they should be totally separate matters,” she says. “Fashion should be left to the models, and music to the singers and the musicians. But realistically, in today’s world you find singers and actors on the fashion pages. I think it’s wrong to try too hard. If you make the music you love, then I think you’ll automatically wear the clothes that fits the music without it becoming contrived.”

Ruth-Anne’s debut single 'Take Me Away’ is out in April. See www.bebo.com/ruthannemusic

Ruth-Anne is wearing:

Jeans: White skinny jeans from Topshop.
Tops: Tank top from H&M, pink metallic jacket from Pinko at Brown Thomas.
Shoes: Patent black and pink ankleboots, open-toed, platform soles and stiletto heels.
Accessories: Leather “superstar” belt from Diesel at Brown Thomas, Betsey Johnson bag, sunglasses from River Island and jewellery from Topshop and Urban Outfitters.