Gwen Stefani: Fashionista

The blonde dynamo seems more like a sister or girlfriend, rather than a star who has sold more than 30 million CDs.

Click here to view a photo gallery of Gwen Stefani.

Unless she's on stage in one of her spangly costumes, chances are Gwen's garb is from her upmarket L.A.M.B. label, an acronym for "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." Her most recent pieces were inspired by Michelle Pfeiffer's '70s gangster-moll look in Brian De Palma's 1983 classic Scarface.

The eclectic collection is full of Guatemalan and Japanese prints, Rasta colours and military looks, including bags and shoes.

"It's all comfortable and wearable," Gwen says. "Right into my late 20s, I never wore high heels. I was always in my Doc Martens and baggy pants. But as the years go by, you get more comfortable with looking more like a woman... Designing is an extension of your personality. It comes from inside you. And when you get into that creative, more sophisticated mode, it always costs more."

That's why there's also Gwen's lower-priced Harajuku Lovers fashion line, named for her quartet of Japanese dancers, the Harajuku Girls, who have silently accompanied her on public appearances and photo shoots, appearing as a figment of her imagination. Named after Tokyo's Harajuku district, they represent Japan's hipster teens' stylish, mix-and-match fashion flair.

"I first went to Japan with No Doubt," Gwen says. "I love their naive recycling of cultures, the way they suck everything in and make it their own."

Scott Tepper, a former fashion director at Manhattan's upmarket Henri Bendel, told The New York Times, "Gwen Stefani has a very elegant sensibility. Even when she wears couture, there is something natural and authentic about her. You don't feel she's taking hours of direction from the stylist."

As a result, Gwen's four-year-old clothing franchises have surpassed $123 million in sales and that doesn't include her upcoming lines of watches and shoes. Eyewear, denim and innerwear will be added this year.

"It's great, now I don't feel I have so much to prove," she says. "I have a huge ego, let's face it."

Coty Prestige recently announced Gwen Stefani's first fragrance, called L.

"It's the first letter in L.A.M.B. and it stands for love," Gwen explains. "It's always going to remind me of this time in my life, of giving birth to my son. It's always going to be special to me."

Created with fragrance firm Firmenich, the scent has top notes of green freshness, water hyacinth, white freesia, fresh pear and violet leaves. There are also jasmine petals, rose, lily of the valley, sweet pea, orange blossom and hints of frangipani, peach, heliotrope and musk.

"My mum had sweet peas in the yard when I was growing up," Gwen recalls. "I wanted this fragrance to be light, fresh and clean."

Inside the box of L is the tag line, "I want you all over me," from her song "Crash".

Gwen, who admits she's obsessed with scented candles, is working on five additional fragrances to add to the Stefani collection.

"It's sort of amazing to go from selling fragrances behind the makeup counter of a department store (as she did before hitting it big) to having one of my own."

To publicise her first fragrance, Gwen filmed a 30-second commercial which involved being immersed in a chilly swimming pool from 9am to 7pm (check out the finished commercial below).

"I'm kind of embarrassed by how much I enjoyed creating this fragrance. It's another way to say who I am."

Gwen credits Marilyn Monroe as her style inspiration.

"I have always loved old movies and when I realised who Marilyn was, I just related to her. I always wanted to change my brown hair to blonde, but I could never afford it. One day, I just had the drummer's girlfriend bleach my hair and it hasn't been its natural colour since.

"My life is unbelievable," the style princess concludes. "I never dreamed this life... I never even knew it existed."

Click here to view a photo gallery of Gwen Stefani.

Go to the official L.A.M.B site

Go to the official Harajuku Lovers site

More Girlfriend Style articles