Summer Music Style Special: Marina and the Diamonds

Singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis isn’t easy to categorize. The striking, Welsh-born brunette (aka Marina and the Diamonds) is a versatile, left-of-center performer who applies her range-defying voice and skillful piano playing to everything from atmospheric ballads and hauntingly ethereal indie-pop to new-wave glam-dance. Her debut album, The Family Jewels (2010), is an appealing cocktail of wit, soul and playful irreverence—also characteristic of her personal style. She favors bold colors, angular silhouettes and wild prints, and counts designers Vivienne Westwood, Pam Hogg, Christian Lacroix, as well as artists Erika Somogyi and Jenny Holzer as influences. Or basically, she says, “anyone who is not afraid to risk success and popularity.” We checked in with Marina, who is midway through her world tour, to find out what keeps her distinct style intact while on the road. Click to view Marina’s packing staples and catch the video for her Americana-themed single “Hollywood” below.