MISTY RABBIT

Former French fashion journalist-turned-DJ Misty Rabbit is a fixture at parties held by top brands such as Prada, Acne and Dior Homme.

The 30-year-old, whose real name is Mimi Xu, has also worked on catwalk soundtracks for French labels such as Vanessa Bruno and Devastee.

The bachelorette of French-Chinese descent grew up in Paris and was a fashion journalist for indie French magazines such as Citizen K in the mid-1990s.

'I was fascinated by the fashion shows and the excitement of watching designers send their newest creations down the runway,' says Xu, who counts the likes of Marc Jacobs, Lanvin and Alexander McQueen among her favourite designers.

She was in town last week for a one-night gig at The White Rabbit.

Her move from catwalk to console came in 2004.

'I got bored writing about yet another deconstructed outfit or a designer's inspiration, so I decided to pursue my passion for music by DJ-ing,' she explains.

But she found out she could not shake off the world of fashion that easily.

'I used to write about fashion. Now, designers dress me and I work with them to create soundtracks for their shows and spin at their parties.'

Describe your sense of style.

Tomboy with a taste for elegance. I wear pants a lot but I also like dresses. In the past few months, I've been going through a gothic phase, where I wear only black.

When I DJ, I'll wear a crazy outfit with lots of glitter or sequins as what I wear is part of the show.

When I spin for fashion designers, they usually dress me, but I try to accessorise to personalise the outfits.

What fashion-meets-music project are you currently working on?

I am working with French brand American Retro, whose clothes I am wearing for this shoot, on a collaboration called Tees For Fears. We are working with musicians to create limited-edition clothes that are inspired by their sense of style.

Where is your favourite place to shop?

Guerrisol, a massive vintage shop at 29-31, Avenue de Clichy in Paris. It is in the 18th Arrondissement, which isn't a very good neighbourhood, but you will see stylists with designer bags and shoes going there to shop.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.