DUA LIPA IN LOVE WITH HER LIBERTY

I am Dua Lipa and I am a singer songwriter from London via Kosovo
What quality do you have that makes you feel the most free?
My passion makes me feel invincible! When I’m on stage and I get to express myself and show my creativity, it’s my passion that always allows me to be the truest form of myself.
What does the expression ‘tout terriblement’ mean to you?
‘Tout terriblement’, at least the way I understand it, is to allow yourself to be creative, to be yourself without any limits, to express yourself in your most natural way. I feel that’s something we should all live by, every day.
What should we let go of in order to live fully and freely?
It’s important to not be scared of the things we sometimes experience in life, but instead to allow ourselves to fully partake in everything. Although sometimes it can be tempting to live your life on auto-pilot, it’s important to appreciate and be grateful for the things we get to do on a daily basis.
What do you try to preserve that might be affected by your huge success?
My authenticity. Knowing who I am and what I believe in. I never like to compromise things that feel true to me. I have a clear idea of the way I see myself and what I want to do in my career and because I have that, although I am still learning, I am able to take certain decisions without any regrets and to know what’s good for me at what part of my life and what isn’t.
What inspires you about the people you like?
Compassion. Kindness. An ability to keep a strong mind, be patient, and still show love in spite of things not going the way they were planned. Without these qualities there’s no hope for us as a society, or culture. It’s always nice to see people treating others equally and with love. I get inspired when I travel and by hearing the stories of people that I meet. Everyone has a different journey and we should always take the time to learn about the people around us. That’s pretty amazing.
As a brand YSL has a message; as a singer what message would you like to give to your fans?
I’d like to inspire them to be fearless, to be bold, to never take no for an answer, to always follow their dreams and… to be nice.
Do you think women are more or less free nowadays?
Women for a very long time have been oppressed by the media. What’s happening now at the moment is sort of revolutionary – we only stand up for what we believe in, what we feel comfortable in doing, what rings true for us, and what makes us proud of ourselves. We’re not taking any bullshit from anyone.
What does it mean to be free for any woman in 2019?
To be free for a woman in 2019, goes without saying. We live life by our own rules.
How do you wear fragrance? And how will you wear Libre?
For me, when I choose a fragrance it becomes my every day fragrance, by which I mean I don’t necessarily change between a day and night perfume, which I know some people do, but instead I pick something that I feel describes me the best. Something that when my friends are around they’re like, ‘oh that’s Dua’. With Libre, I feel it sits well with me, feels very natural, so yeah, I love it, and it smells really good and I have already been using it, which is great. Fragrances sit differently on every one, some work and some don’t, but this one is is a floral with some stronger accents, it works for anytime of the day or night and it’s a perfect match for most women.
What do you like about the name of the fragrance?
The name really stands out and fits well with the legacy of this French brand. To be free is something that we all need to be reminded of, it’s something that we all deserve. And I feel proud to be a part of this fragrance, because ‘to be free’ is what I stand for. For women in 2019 it’s such a big part of who we are-we just want to live our lives the way we feel we deserve to. And that’s why I think the fragrance is such an amazing way to introduce this concept to the worlds of fashion and music and make it really resonate with the people around.
On the bottle of Libre, the famous Cassandre logo is twisted, while the fragrance itself is based on a classic flower (orange blossom) subverted by a masculine note of lavender. What do you like about the way Libre breaks the rules?
Mr Saint Laurent liked fluidity, he didn’t like to label people, which is more important than ever today. A fragrance is something you wear, it shouldn’t be something that wears you. I love the juxtaposition between the lighter, more feminine scent and the way it’s mixed with a flower that’s more generally used in a male fragrance. It’s a really cool way to break the rules but it still keeps its classic touch.
YSL chose you as the LIBRE woman embodied in their fragrance; why do you think you were chosen?
Well first of all I should thank YSL for choosing me, it’s such an honour. I connect so much with this brand because of its fearlessness. I stand for the importance of being confident, strong and powerful over anything else, of not compromising on who you are, what you do and what you believe in, of always being proud of the things you put your name on, and I feel that goes down very well with the same philosophy behind Yves Saint Laurent.
What makes the campaign for Libre such a standout movie?
Everything we’ve shot has been so epic, really breathtaking and I think it shows beauty and strength in more ways than one, from the views we see in the film to the message behind it, to the clothes I am wearing. It’s all very simple and elegant and strong and it allows more conversations to open up.
What message do you want to convey through this campaign?
My message is basically that if I can do it, you can do it, too. And to show young women, young adults, young people all over the world that whatever you set your mind to do, whatever your goal is, you should always focus on the things that mean the most to you. Whatever you are most passionate about, make sure you work really hard at it. Make sure that you take pride in the things that you do, so that you put 100 percent into the art that you create – and by the way that applies not just in the music or fashion or creative industries, but in whatever industry you work in. And although I know that in so many industries, women have to work a lot harder than men to get to where they want to be, but I would say, don’t be discouraged. That climb to get there is what makes us who we are, it makes us a lot stronger, and it’s an incredible thing that fills you with so much gratitude and pushes you where you want to be.