NW (Oct. 19th 2009)

Grand Designs

The singing career, the fashion empire, the insanely cute rock-royalty family — Gwen Stefani's sitting pretty

You're looking pretty hot at the moment — have you been dieting like a demon since Zuma was born? 

I go through waves with food. I'm probably like everyone else. If something cool is coming up and I want to look good, I get into my healthy fitness rage and I take care of myself really good. And as soon as it's over it's like, "Hurray, let's go get pizza!" It's the best way to be.

You're always updating your look — do you come up with new ideas, or do you have a team of stylists? 

I have the initial inspiration and the ideas and then basically everybody that I work with now is just super talented. I'll come up with an inspiration and they will just run with it.

Have you always had a really strong sense of your own style? 

My mom loved clothes and I think it's in my blood! Every holiday we always got to go to the fabric store, look through the books and choose the patterns, the buttons and the zippers. I love clothes and fashion — it's an extension of my personality. It really isn't important in life, but it's fun.

What about when you started performing? Were you making your own stage costumes? 

I always made my own clothes, so when we first went on tour as a band I sat around and made three outfits — they were cartoonish, Disneyland dresses. Then I got more lucky making money and hooked up with a girl who made my clothes for me. So I'd be on tour and I could say, "Make the polka-dot pants in yellow with a top with black stripes," and she would send them out to me. Then I met this girl, [celebrity stylist] Andrea Lieberman, who was so cool. She's cooler than me and we really connected and she took all my ideas and streamlined them and made them better, and I was blown away.

You're touring with No Doubt for the first time since Zuma was born. It must be interesting being on the road with your band and your kids! 

Yeah, but I love going on tour. I get really excited and we have a blast.

What made you want to tour and not just stay at home being a mum? 

It was really done on a whim. The whole plan was that I was going to come out of recording [2006 solo album] The Sweet Escape, get pregnant, make a record and go on tour. But when I was pregnant, it was a little more consuming than I thought it would be. All I could do was eat and not write. Then I was sitting around after having the baby trying to write and I was like, "I just don't want to be in this room right now. Let's just go on tour and get inspired."

So where do you live now? 

We have a house in LA and right in the middle of London. You open the door and there you are — but all the houses in London are like that. We're right across the street from the park, so it's nice.

How is your fashion label L.A.M.B. going? 

L.A.M.B. is great. I love doing all that designing stuff — for me it isn't stressful, it is really fun and I get to have all the stuff, so it's just like a dream come true!

What are your plans for the range in the future? 

I want to do everything, eventually. It starts to get to be a lot and right now I feel spread a little thin. I can't really do everything at the same time, but hopefully some day.

How involved are you in the label's designing process? 

I'm really involved. I love fashion just as much as writing or music or performing. Design is something I would love to do forever. I've been asked to be the spokesperson for loads of beauty products, all sorts of different commercial products, and that was never anything I was interested in doing. I could easily go out and make tons of money cashing in on my fans, trying to do something they could afford at Target, but I'm not really interested in that.

Who's your favourite fashion designer? Who's inspired you the most? 

Vivienne Westwood. I'm a Vivienne Westwood maniac! The first fashion show I ever went to was Vivienne Westwood. Talk about stealing her ideas! I don't know where she stole hers from, but her clothes are so wearable.

What's your biggest extravagance when it comes to clothes? 

When I go to London I splurge on Vivienne's clothes and come home with bags full of her stuff. I'll buy whatever I can because I love her clothes and they fit me really good. They fit so well, she's spectacular.

Does your hubby Gavin Rossdale ever help you pick out new stuff? 

Gavin's got really good taste. I try to impress him so when I go out to buy something, I think, "Will he like it?" You want to look good for the person you're hot for.