Beth Ditto: "I'm Still That Little Girl Who Make Things Work for My body."

Hairstyle, Shoulder, Pattern, Style, One-piece garment, Dress, Day dress, Fashion, Neck, Waist,

Ezra Petronia

This article originally appears in the May 2016 issue of ELLE.

"Sorry, I can get a little mouthy," says Beth Ditto in her trademark Southern twang, apologizing for a particularly verbose answer to a question—what inspired her to design her own plus-size collection?—for which her response is a lifetime of anecdotes. Born Mary Beth Patterson, a self-described "chubby kid" living in a trailer in Searcy, Arkansas, Ditto went on to become the badass, bodacious lead singer of the dance-punk trio Gossip (they disbanded in 2012), known for hits like "Standing in the Way of Control" and "Heavy Cross," which was featured in a J'Adore Dior commercial. She opened a Jean Paul Gaultier runway show in 2010 wearing a frill-covered corset, and played the muse—along with Sandra Bern-hard and Bette Midler—in Marc Jacobs's spring 2016 campaign. Yet Ditto says she often still feels like the odd girl out in fashion. "I've been this size my whole life," Ditto says. "When I get invited to a fashion show, I'm still that little girl who has to get creative and make things work for my body. Like, they'll send you a T-shirt and you have to make it look front-row ready. Luckily, I've been practicing for years." Her eponymous clothing line, launched earlier this spring for women sizes 14 through 28 (the singer is a size 22), features body-con femme fatale–style dresses, vibrantly printed separates, and a lamé jumpsuit perfect for dancing to Ditto's powerfully soulful tunes. "I felt like it was time to act on all these ideas that have been in my head for so long," she says. "This is the brainchild." Ditto is driven by a "be the change you want to see" ethos. "I'm from the 'We Are the World' generation of the '80s. That really left an imprint on me, that nothing's going to get done unless someone does it." Her clothes are made in the U.S., priced from $65 for a curved-hem T-shirt to $395 for a printed-silk jumpsuit, and are currently sold on her website, bethditto.com. Making clothes, she has found, is not all that different from making music. "It's pretty easy to shit out a pop hit," she says with typical brio, "but I can't imagine doing something without meaning or substance. It has to have a body; it has to have a life." Luckily, fans will soon be able to enjoy total Ditto immersion: She promises she's at work on a forthcoming solo album. True to form, the singer had much to say about breakup songs, footwear preferences, and what even she won't share.

How is the music you make influenced by what you wear?

When I'm in the studio, I'm always dressed as if someone could come in at any time and take a photo. I believe in dressing for the job you want. But I want to be a respected singer who doesn't take herself too seriously. I look at old photos of, say, Aretha in the studio, wearing a wig and full makeup, and I'm inspired.

How do you get hyped up before a show?

"The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac was always our pump-up jam. We'd drink sugar-free Red Bull and some whiskey, and then go off to play.

What's your ideal venue?

I always prefer small and intimate. I need the exchange of energy. In a large venue—a stadium or festival—it's so hard to be a good host.

What instrument do you play?

I can play the spoons, but that's it. I wish all the time I could play a lick of anything! It's my one real regret thus far.

You started designing last year with a corset-print T-shirt collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier, who knows a thing or two about working with musicians. How did it come about?

He's a good soul! We needed help getting the word out about the collection and decided a simple T-shirt would be the perfect medium. Jean Paul was a given. He gets me; he gets it. We asked, and he came back with a design so thoughtful, smart, and creative. He exceeded our wildest expectations!

Musicians are always traveling. Do you live anywhere full-time?

I live in Portland. It's quaint and reasonable—for now.

Who's always on your playlist?

Cat Power, Missy Elliott, Loretta Lynn, Lil Wayne, Roberta Flack, Talking Heads, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Slits, Inflatable Boy Clams, Reba McEntire, Paul Simon…the list goes on and on.

What's a song that, when it comes on, you just have to dance?

"Let's Spend the Night Together" by the Rolling Stones makes me lose my shit!

What musician do you most look up to?

Bikini Kill, that entire band. And Mama Cass.

Which genre of music has most influenced your own?

Probably '90s country. Have you heard "Down to My Last Teardrop" by Tanya Tucker? And who can deny Garth Brooks?

Favorite drink/music combo before going out?

Coffee and David Bowie.

Best breakup/makeup song?

"I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt is probably one of the best-ever breakup songs. And, of course, Roberta Flack's cover of "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye."