Nile Rodgers: ‘Madonna was the one who told me to get dreadlocks’

I remember that when I first saw this suit, I thought it was absolutely stunning. I stopped dead in my tracks. It’s Kim Jones for Christian Dior and it is basically an organza suit. I wore it to the Brit awards in February [where Nile Rodgers & Chic were nominated for their first Brit award for international group] and it was as light as a feather.

I called Kim over and over – I hounded him – and he kept saying: “It’s not even available yet: it’s only on the runway right now!” I was like: “I don’t care!” I had to have it.

I met Kim when he hired me to do the music for a collection when he was at Louis Vuitton and we became really dear friends. We had so many people in common – our mutual friend Marc Jacobs lived in my building!

I think my own style is totally juvenile. I’m 66 years old and, when I walk into a store, I like the same stuff I would have liked when I was 16 or 17. I still like all of my old clothing – the editor of Vogue Paris wanted to do an article on just my jeans collection; I still have my jeans from Woodstock. I have the biggest closet you can imagine for a person who was poor – I saved everything.

I used to have the fadeaway haircut, which is what Grace Jones was wearing at the time. It became something that was worn by 80s hip-hop artists and I never wanted to appear to be part of a movement I wasn’t a part of. I’m a hippie: I associate myself with the movement of black power, gay rights and women’s rights. Madonna was the one who told me to get dreadlocks.

My Kangol hats are practical because my hair has gotten so long. Every so often you’ll see me without one on, and that’s because I know I’m not going to dinner. You have no idea how embarrassing it is when I’m having tea or curry with someone and they say: “Nile, your hair is in the bowl.”