Fit Check, Food Check: Girl Ultra on Rewearing Clothes and Comida Chilanga

Girl Ultra embraces contrast. Born Mariana de Miguel, the singer grew up in the club scene of her native Mexico City, where polished dance music clashed with the messy nature of a great night out. It’s the environment that shaped her sound, and it’s where she met Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo, who co-produced her latest album, RRRomeo. The project is equal parts nostalgic and forward-thinking, a philosophy that’s also reflected in de Miguel’s fashion choices, which range from 80s silhouettes to the whimsigoth look that TikTok can’t get enough of.

We met de Miguel at Frijoleros in Brooklyn, where we shared chips, guacamole, and memelas. She recounted the five-year process of making RRRomeo, examined her personal style, and told us why she feels Osaka, Japan has the most exciting fashion in the world. Below, learn more about RRRomeo’s relationship to fashion, who’s on de Miguel’s moodboard, and where in the United States has the best comida chilanga, or CDMX-inspired food. 

Fit Check: What role did fashion play in creating RRRomeo?

Fashion has always been very tied to who I am at the moment. Now, as a 30-year-old woman, I feel like I’ve found my place in fashion. With playing shows and trying to be practical, I’ve found black clothes really work for me. I find repetition delightful in fashion, wearing things as if you were a cartoon character. For example, I really enjoy the jean and boot moment. It’s my thing right now. On this album, I was thinking about the New Romantic movement, straight-up blush that cuts across the face. I love a little drama, but I also embrace simplicity in my every day. 

Food Check: Where outside of Mexico has the best comida chilanga?

I think Pilson, in Chicago. It’s a very Mexican neighborhood. There’s a lot of chilangos in the midwest. 

Who is your style icon?

I have many. Grace Jones. Elsa Aguirre, who’s an actress from Mexico’s cine de oro and had a very lush, witchy look. I really love Monica Bellucci in general. I like contrast with purpose. Leigh Bowery is another great one. He’s one of my favorite artists in the world. My house is full of Leigh Bowery memorabilia. A little pop of color and structure usually catch my eye. I love a vintage Thierry Mugler moment, and a romantic, dramatic corset. I think personal style is like wine. It gets better with time. I enjoy lighter versions of 80s silhouettes.

What do you love most about working with Chromeo?

It’s reached a point where I really enjoy getting to know myself through that process. Their sound is very polished, and they’re enthusiasts of the prolific funk sound. Within all of these pop things, I like trashiness, so I had to think, how am I going to find a middle ground between [Chromeo] and me? I’ve been friends with Dave Macklovitch for a long time. I was out too late too young, which is how we met. Our studio dynamic started getting very interesting. It’s been an amazing playground. I was so invested in trying to find the right sound and include all of these influences in the same album. 

We spent five years working on RRRomeo. I’ve never spent that long caressing a project and doing other things in the meantime. I did my most experimental work at that time, like releasing my Blush EP. But I always knew where I wanted to take this album afterwards. It was all of my universes collapsing together. I never thought I’d be doing a full album with Chromeo, and in the meantime, I became a 30-year-old woman. 

If RRRomeo were a real guy, how would he dress?

Either he’s wearing very tight leather pants or a proper Wrangler dad jean. Or he’s wearing nothing. 

What does being chilanga mean to you?

Being from Mexico City, not only in my music, but as a person, means having a perfect balance between chaos and order. A balance between beauty and trash. Growing up there, I had a perfect balance of the grit and all of these crazy, noisy parts, and then you get the calm moments. I try to find both of those within myself and my music.