Coat Check is a column combining our love of fashion and music, exploring how both are used as a form of self-expression. Each month, Fran Barclay will speak to a band or performer in Aotearoa about their on-stage wardrobe and the making of their trademark look.

Ladi6 has seen the highs and lows of making music. As the world went into lockdown in 2020, the multi-award winning hip hop artist was caring for her mother in her Auckland home-turned-studio. A year after her mother passed away, Ladi6 was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her service to the music industry.

This is why her fifth, forthcoming album is what she has described as “crying on the dance floor” music. The first single, Alofa, will be released next week on November 7 (also known as Ladi6’s birthday) and to celebrate, she and her band are setting off on tour soon after. With the help of her sisters, honest friends and faithful stylists, Ladi6 says her wardrobe both on-stage and off is a homage to the fashionable “gumption” of her mum.

• Ladi6's Alofa: The Heartbeat Tour starts in Christchurch on November 8, before visiting Leigh, Wellington, Mt Maunganui and Auckland later in the month. Buy tickets here.

‍What was the last thing you put in a coat check?

I'm really big on coats – I think they’re my comfort zone. Auckland weather doesn’t really allow for them, but it’s out the gate how many I have!

You’ve been performing now for multiple decades. How would you describe your tour aesthetic?

If I'm on stage, the process is: the bolder, the better. I don't always have the wardrobe to make that happen, but I do love to go all in with hats and accessories. It gives me the courage to really embody this extroverted girl that I never am usually.

Who do you work with to craft the Ladi6 look?

I’ve worked with my stylist Sammy Salsa for 15 years now. I think we had our first photo shoot when I was 26! I still have the same makeup artist too: that’s Darren Meredith. We've built this trust where I'll just go with whatever they think will suit me. I'm like their doll – and I love it! They see me in a way that I would never see myself, which is always so encouraging. It really does give me a sense of safety and confidence. 

You’ve made huge gains for women in the traditionally male-dominated world of hip hop. Does clothing play a role in expressing your gender in this space?

The hip hop that I was introduced into was very androgynous. Everyone was wearing super baggy clothes – nothing form-fitting – so that you could dance and be comfortable. I got into a more gendered sense of style once I met Sammy. He was like, “Cinch this! Your hourglass figure is worth showing.”

There’s a lot of pressure to look the part as a performer. Have you ever had a major fashion faux-pas?

Are you kidding?! That just happened recently. I was on the Shapeshifter tour and someone very close to me was like, “oh, is that what you're going to wear?” when I was in the greenroom. After the performance, she basically said, in a nice way, “people really expect you to wear better clothes.” So I knew that I didn't quite hit the mark with those outfits! 

In fact, half of my career has really been trying to live up to my stylists. Sammy and Darren have put me in this position where I am seen as sort of a fashion “someone”. I see that as an extra layer of potential, because I'm not that girl, but I would like to be.

Where are some of your favourite places to shop in Aotearoa?

We just went shopping recently at Commercial Bay mall because we were given some vouchers when we played a show there. We got some shoes from Suprette and the Asics store (my husband is really into Asics at the moment.) But mum was really massive on secondhand shopping, and she influenced my whole family. So it's usually a chill day of getting fish and chips and then going secondhand shopping. 

What’s one item of clothing you always take on tour?

I literally always take Dr Martens. In a platform Doc, you really feel like rock star material. No one can pay me enough to be in the agony of wearing heels any more.

Which crowd will be best dressed on your upcoming tour?

Wellington always has it going on – there's just no competition. It’s got the most distinctive individual style per person, and whoever's coming is going all the way. But my most interesting show was actually in Kaitaia. Everyone turned up in Swannies and gumboots – every single person – and I've never seen that at an outdoor gig before. I thought it was the coolest thing, but I felt left out!

What would be your fashion advice for Ladi6 listeners? 

Don't be afraid to step out of what you would normally wear to find your style. I do that all the time because I don't really have a style myself – honestly, I'll wear whatever! I know there's something really liberating about changing how you see yourself in different clothing, and it can be so empowering. So yeah, just go for it!