Danish Musician MØ at Elie Saab Fall 2016 - Vogue 

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“This is the first time I’ve played one of these on my own!” says MØ, backstage at Elie Saab’s Fall 2016 show yesterday in Paris. “I’m excited, but a little nervous.” And while that’s a minor milestone for the Danish musician—who has been on a bit of a roll lately, with a jam-packed international touring schedule and a music video with Major Lazer and DJ Snake for their song “Lean On” collecting over one billion views on YouTube—her first solo performance for the fashion set beyond the odd front row appearance (which is, in itself, a type of performance) is not without stress.

MØ’s popularity comes first from her addictive sound, but her cheeky hip gyrations and awkwardly charming dance moves help, too. And luckily for fans, she knows how to put that same sort of hopped-up kinetic energy back into her clothes. It’s the type of hip take on athleisure that carefree kids like: Maybe she’s in Kiev for her video “Kamikaze,” riding on top of a car in a Nike sports bra, wide-leg cream cropped pants, and a face dotted with Givenchy jewelry. Or maybe she’s with Elliphant, a fellow musician, in “One More,” scurrying around town in Adidas track pants and ears jangling with fist-sized hoops.

MØ perfomring at the Elie Saab Fall 2016 show.

According to MØ, her thrown-together look hails from her early beginnings in a punk band. “I would dress in all black, always plain, but always in black, like leather boots and leather stuff,” she says. “At the time, I didn’t think about style that much other than I wanted to rebel and dress to make grownups go ‘ah!’ ” The same grime background has also led her to experiment with different accessories. Take it from her knack for headgear, with regular outfit additions ranging from Ukrainian-style floral wreaths to tassel-embellished hats. MØ considers the romantic-type toppers as evidence of her rebellious roots. “It’s something that started on the ‘Kamikaze’ photoshoot, and I just got obsessed with that,” she says. “It’s almost a little bit punk, to wear a headpiece like that, and mix it with a leather jacket or something a bit more sporty. I thought it was interesting to play around with that.”

MØ’s not-so-polished roots come into play even when she thinks about wearing one of those ethereal lace Elie Saab numbers. “I’d spice it up with some sort of grungy twist! Like with Doc Martens,” she says. “I think that is a fantastic combination. I hope to do that someday.” We have the feeling she’ll get her chance soon enough.