Machine Gun Kelly on walking Dolce & Gabbana and turning off social media with Megan Fox

Your last record was a huge hit, but you’ve also successfully gone into acting and modelling. When you think of yourself today, is it still musician first?

Yeah, man. It could be encapsulated with “entertainer.” Also a bit of a shit starter, if we’re being honest.

It seems like everything—movies, music, fashion—is moving towards a more hybrid idea of entertainment, in general. You made a movie for your last album, and today you played a couple of songs on a catwalk.

Yeah, fashion and music have always gone together. I love it when it’s genuine, and I hate it when it’s fake, when it’s… styled. I’ve been guilty of having looks where I’m thinking, “I’d never wear that.” Emphasis on the “I.” Other people have told me, “you should wear that,” and, you know, I did. But that’s necessary growing pains in developing your style, you got to figure out what you don’t like before you know what you do.

How about fashion in general these days, what turns you on?

Personally, I enjoy what’s happening with fashion today, because actually, it’s the opposite of something fake, of people over-extending themselves to look a certain way. I think a lot of people are doing it just to really express themselves. There’s just so much personality, so much character in people’s looks, in their non-traditional hair colours, hairstyles, in their nails, and tattoos. But you know, you’re from GQ, what do you think about it?

I completely agree with you.

I attended my first fashion show maybe eleven years ago, walked in a fashion show for the first time eight years ago. Just like with music, I’m very hesitant on people who just started out and it’s their first year doing music and they’re front row at the fashion show, being dressed by the designers. It’s just like, are you a flash in the pan or are you for real? I never had a campaign, you know, before 2017, and I’d been showing up for years before that. I studied a lot, in fashion. I’ve always been a student. I’ve probably been to a hundred fashion shows, just absorbing everything. And not always in the front row!