Whether she's defending Kim Kardashian's NSFW Magazine cover, straightening her hair into mysterious and wonderful vixenhood or becoming your new feminist role model, Lorde can basically do no wrong. The 18-year-old (yes, she truly is a teenage dream) New-Zealander has stolen all our hearts with her fierceness, her cover of "All Apologies" as Nirvana got inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and her love of Hilary Duff. But amidst all the amazing-ness that is Lorde, we mustn't forget her style: the darkness, the gloom, the goth-chic thing that makes you want to trade in all your pink sequins for black and mesh tops. Lorde's never been afraid of deviating from the norm -- from whatever's usual in the crazy form of existence known as the celeb life -- so we knew her AMA ensemble was going to be killer.
Being that this is Lorde -- whose trademark is that incredible, so-dark-it's-almost-black burgundy lipstick -- we knew her outfit would have to feature a darker side to the prototypical color wheel. But the simplistic wonder of this outfit. Oh, the minimalist white crop top and black treggings and all the head banging! No one could have predicted how wonderfully she would perfect the whole Chanel thing. Her curls are as goddess-like as ever, adding the ideal accompaniment to a statement lip, patent platforms and bedazzled collar. With that hair, and that pant and top set, she takes edgy to a whole new level. And it's beautiful and magical and stupendous.
When fellow millennial and feminist superstar Tavi Gevinson interviewed Lorde earlier this year, the singer reflected on the expectations people in the fashion industry seem to have of women:
I have found that there is a lot of stuff, particularly on photo shoots, that people expect of girls, like, "Pop that hip out a bit more! Can you just give me a wink? Can you look a bit more sexy?" Or if it’s an outdoor thing they’ll be like, "Oh, you’re in a long, beautiful dress? Let’s get you sitting in this field and looking confused." Some of the stuff, I’m like, no one would ask this of a guy.
If there's one thing this AMA ensemble (and grungy, dirty, mystical performance) has proven, it's that going against all these expectations and notions of "real" beauty, "necessary" sexiness or "ideal" femininity has always worked in Lorde's favor. And will continue to make us love her all the more. And Taylor Swift, don't think we didn't see you join in the aforementioned head banging!
Images: Getty
