A L L I GUER FEMME Nostalgia may be all the rage right now, but GIRLI–the selfprofessed samurai princess–ain’t here for your outdated views on politics and feminism. By Sue Leong
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hallenging Britain’s practical haircuts and tailored ensembles is a teenager named GIRLI. Toughening it up in the streets of North London, most girls her age are still navigating the awkwardness brought on by the transition from teenage years to young adulthood, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for the 18-year-old. From an early age, she wasn’t one to shy away from attention. “I wanted to be an actor, a vet, and even a prime minister. I’ve always loved performing at school, and I’ve always been into singing,” she shares. “I didn’t want to end up with a nine-to-five kind of job, so I decided early on that I wanted to do music.” But as soon as puberty hit her, GIRLI also discovered that her love for music could be given a new purpose, making it as a tool of combat to battle the tight-lipped sensibilities of her environment. To aid in transforming herself into the kind of entity she is now, GIRLI has turned to famous style chameleons as her messiahs. “David Bowie would be one of my musical influences. I love all the characters he has played and the way he experimented with them. He was the ultimate theater performer.” She goes on, “I also like Blondie, Lily Allen, and M.I.A. They’re female musicians who are in the pop scene, but if you look at their lyrics, they really mean something strong.” Apart from picking up tips from established icons, GIRLI has created her own trademark. One can unfailingly notice the abundance of the color pink in her persona. “It’s the color that makes me
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