Solange Knowles on Fashion Week and Why Her Heart Belongs to New Orleans

“Only a Texan girl like me would step out in weather like this wearing open-toed shoes!” says Solange Knowles, laughing. “But I do love that I could curl up and fall asleep in this dress—that’s what’s dreamy.” The singer has flown in from Mardi Gras in New Orleans for Fashion Week, and the warm claret red dress she’s wearing for Rodebjer’s cocktail party–cum-presentation is a cozy asymmetric look that’s been plucked from the label’s new Fall collection. Knowles admits to having “a love-hate relationship” with the shows, but her enthusiasm for cool, under-the-radar fashion is real: As well as supporting some of her close friends on the front row, including Humberto Leon and Carol Lim of Opening Ceremony, Knowles likes to sniff out new indie labels whenever she gets the chance, and right now Carin Rodebjer’s arty Scandinavian designs are among the top on her list. “I put together the music for the event tonight,” she says. “Obviously I’m immersed in R&B culture, and there’s a lot of Saint Heron on here.” What originally started as compilation album three years ago has morphed into something of a cultural hub, and between Saint Heron events and the talent-spotting, it’s tough to imagine how Knowles finds time to work on her upcoming new album. “I’m finishing my record, and I think I’m going to be the happiest person alive when it’s done,” she says. The singer sat down with Vogue.com to talk about her current fashion obsessions, the challenges of life as a working mom and artist, and why she loves to call New Orleans home.

So how did you discover Rodebjer?
It was actually at Art Basel. I saw someone wearing one of the abstract art–printed pieces and asked them who made it. Then a friend of mine mentioned that I should meet Carin [the designer]. I went and looked at her clothing online, and I was completely blown away. Her aesthetic is feminine, it’s romantic, but it’s not about a girl dressing up for a man.

Well, we’re a few hours away from Valentine’s Day. What does sexy mean to you now?
I have redefined sexy so many times in different eras of my life—I’ll be 30 this year! Everyone forgets that until I say it.

Would you say you have an old soul?
Well, my friends are older, my sister is older. I got married for the first time at 17, so that might have something to do with it. I’ve been with my current husband going on eight years, and it’s interesting to me how I’ve redefined sexy through my relationship, in terms of becoming the woman that I am now. If I had to define sexy now, as Disney as it sounds, I would have to say it’s about complete and utter confidence. When I first started dating my husband, I wore so much color and print, and whenever I would wear black, he would be like, “Oh, my God, you look so sexy!” Now I have learned to understand the elegance and the sexiness of black. Living very publicly and going through all of these intense phases when you feel like that is truly who you think you are, I think that’s a part of your 20s.

What are you feeling for fashion-wise these days?
I’m feeling for duality these days because I live in New Orleans, and when I’m there, my style is different than when I’m anywhere else. It definitely brings out your inner bohemian.

I loved the way your wedding was so bohemian!
Believe it or not, we planned our wedding in two months. We did everything! Humberto [Leon] literally put that dress together for me in two months, and made a backup dress in case something got messed up. What’s funny is that he made them in two different fabrics—one a little bit structured, and the other more fluid—and I ended up wearing the backup dress; they were the exact same silhouette. I had to get it hemmed by the tailor and he ironed it and it put a little bit of a stain on it. Humberto was like, “See, that’s why I made the backup dress!” When I think of that day, I can’t even put it into words. Everyone says it goes so fast, and there were some people that said you’re going to be happy when it’s over because it was so much work, but I could have lived the rest of my life in that wedding.

Do you love your life in New Orleans?
I really, really love it there. It is also one of those things you can’t put into words, you can’t really put your finger on what is so magical about it. It was just Mardi Gras there.

How do you prepare for Mardi Gras?
Mainstream media tends to showcase a very specific kind of Mardi Gras, but my experience of Mardi Gras is very different, it’s very cultural. It spans over the course of two weeks, the kids are let out of school. On Fat Tuesday there is a huge parade called Zulu, and it’s really interesting because way back in the city’s history, black people were only allowed to be in the parade if they were in grass skirts or other stereotypical costumes. So Zulu satirizes that, and those stereotypes are taken back. There’s a big ball with 30,000 black people in ball gowns. You get your table and hang with your friends—it’s awesome. Charlie Wilson performed this year. I wore a Rosie Assoulin dress. And then there’s the red beans and rice parade, where everyone makes costumes out of red beans and rice. We had a craft day when we made all of our costumes.

Speaking of music, I saw you perform at the Apollo with Dev Hynes recently.
Yes, I had had a show at FYF and I wanted to do a rendition of “Young, Gifted, and Black.”

I think Nina Simone feels so right now.
She’s a hero, and so many people are drawn toward her messaging right now.

I think there’s a lyric in “Formation” when Beyoncé says, “My sister told me I should speak my mind.” It sounds like the kind of advice Nina would give.
I have always had tremendous respect for my sister as an artist, as a woman, and now as a mother. It’s been very interesting to see the impact that video and song have made globally, the connectivity that it had, and the power that it had. Honestly, I was just blown away as everyone else, because solidarity means so much, and there are so many different ways to communicate that. I think actually she has always communicated that.

Is fashion a vehicle for that message?
For sure, fashion can be incredibly powerful. Overall from top to bottom, I think the entire messaging was heard loud and clear. The thing that I loved about it as well was that it gave a lot of homage to my parents, and the older I get, and the older my son gets, the more and more I recognize how much my parents primed us to make politics and social messages in our work. A lot of people don’t realize this, but my mom was super radical as a teenager, out there with the Panthers. And my father was definitely in the thick of the civil rights in Alabama. For the world it might seem like some new statement-making occurrence, but for me, I heard this every week at dinnertime.

I like what you’re doing with Saint Heron.
I thought it was going to be a side project. It’s a lot of work!

Is it rewarding?
So rewarding. We’re about to do a big presentation at SXSW. We just got done with our Crush on You ball, which we put a lot of love into, and the best part of it all was that Lil’ Kim reached out to me and was like, “Call me, girl, we gotta talk.” So I’m hoping we can do something with her. We’re just really trying to build and nurture a community, a safe space to celebrate diversity, and innovation within diversity. It literally came from me being frustrated with the way that I was seeing young black creatives represented, specifically in R&B music. I think to make change happen, you have to start it yourself, rather than complain about it. Now [Saint Heron] is just a cultural hub and lots of events that connect with the icons that inspire. We had a Missy [Elliott] tribute event at the Essence festival and she came and it was the most humbling experience. I mean, this woman changed my life. To have her in a space where she felt celebrated, I felt like I can fall back on everything else now, Missy is a fan of Saint Heron.

And you’re recording new music yourself these days, too.
I think this time, from a production standpoint, I really tried to start from scratch and create the songs on my own. I took a lot of time to figure out where I wanted it to sit sonically. I think my husband and son will be glad to have me back. As an artist mom, that’s something I think people rarely speak about, but I know it’s something that other female artists face, too: The internal conflict that happens, and how to switch it off—when you’re a mother, it’s challenging. I’m really grateful that I’ve found a rhythm, but it took some time to find it. Now, if I’m going to be part of a project, then I really have to feel it, because there’s a sacrifice that I have to make to be away from my family. When [my son] was younger, he came everywhere with me, so there was a lot more freedom with that. Now my son is 11 and about to go into middle school. They grow up so fast. That’s my heart and pride, and when I go home, that’s all that matters.