We re Fascinated by Lykke Li s Nomadic Lifestyle, Fashion Line, and Reason for Wearing All Black

In the October issue of InStyle, on newsstands and available for digital download now, musician Lykke Li takes on fall s cool-girl wardrobe—and paints it black. The following is an excerpt from the Swedish-born songstress and high-fashion minimalist s feature.
Judging from her structured all-black outfits and the exquisite heartbreak of her 2014 hit single, No Rest for the Wicked, it would be easy to cast Lykke Li as just another melancholic Swede. But the starkness is simply a layer of Li s no-nonsense sensibility. When you re always traveling, you can t wear color because you don t have time to wash clothes, explains the pragmatic chanteuse to InStyle. So you refine your style to the basics.
Li is certainly no newcomer to a life on the road. My mother was a crazy restless soul, she says. The first time I circled the globe I was 9 months old. Now the singer splits her time between Stockholm and Los Angeles. But between three acclaimed albums in six years, modeling gigs for Levi s and H&M, and a grueling performance schedule, she still leads a largely nomadic life. When it comes to style, Li prides herself on slicked-back simplicity: I like to travel with good perfume and a pocketful of gold jewelry, she says. This fall Li debuts her first fashion line, mostly black ready-to-wear pieces and accessories she designed together with the Swedish fashion house & Other Stories (available in late October). The collection is inspired by her lifelong wanderings.
Here, the singer shares some of the places that feel like home:
Los Angeles
Every American tour I did ended here. The city makes me dream and blossom. L.A. welcomes you: Here s a perfect avocado and silence so you can sleep.
Alagarve
We used to live in a small town on a hill in the south of Portugal. My parents still have a house there. Every summer I visit with the same bunch of friends to grill fish and just chill.
Stockholm
When you tour this much, you need to know that you can go somewhere and close the door. I don t think Sweden is that great for creativity, but I can just hang out in my sweatpants.
To see Lykke Li s full fashion feature, pick up the October issue of InStyle, available on newsstands and for digital download now.