Claire Boucher (aka Grimes) straddles the line between counter and pop culture in a way few iconoclastic talents (think David Bowie, Kate Bush, Freddie Mercury, and Björk) have ever achieved. In just a short time, the compelling 27-year-old small-framed innovator has captured the hearts of indie misfits, college coeds, and fashion mavens alike—all the while staying in control of her career and image without compromise. Designer and not-so-secret-admirer Stella McCartney was very much drawn to Grimes and cast her in the campaign for her buoyant new scent Pop, out in April. Under a canopy of lemon trees behind Stella’s pristinely manicured Los Angeles boutique, the two budding comrades reunite over vegan breakfast tacos before Grimes embarks on her tour with Florence + the Machine. With similar gumption and ethical viewpoints, the pair prove business and pleasure can overlap, and it’s a beautiful thing when they do.

Stella McCartney: Do you want to be Claire, or do you want to be Grimes?

Grimes: Oh, I’ll be Grimes. I did “kill” Grimes in my video “Flesh Without Blood.” But now I’m actually OK with Grimes again. I just went a little crazy for a minute.

SM: She’s reincarnated?

G: I guess she’s reemerged. It’s just a little weird for me because in real life I would say I’m quite bro-y. I mostly wear sweatpants.

SM: It’s also funny — Claire is sort of a conventional name.

G: I know — tell that to my parents! When you Google it, it means, like, “empty and shallow.” It says something like “clear light through an empty pool of water.”

SM: That’s a wrong interpretation. It sounds very spiritual. For my Pop campaign I wanted to represent young women in a way that is not normally seen in beauty. That’s why I was drawn to you. Were you torn doing this?

G: I wasn’t too torn. It’s definitely something you have to think about, because I’ve never endorsed anything.

SM: Do you find it hard selling yourself at times?

G: I do think it’s an odd thing when you start realizing that people are buying your record. It’s kind of a loaded interaction that affects the art you make.

SM: You become conscious.

G: In a good way, because I’m like, “Oh, someone’s gonna pay for this — it better be really, really good.” It motivates me to do a better job than I’ve done in the past.