This story is taken from the summer 2026 issue of Dazed, which is on sale internationally from June 5. Order a copy of the magazine here

Griff’s earliest memories of music are from going to church. “It’s a really tangible, visceral way to experience music, because it’s more than just passive,” says the 25-year-old musician. “You’re physically engaging with it in some kind of spiritual way.” Born Sarah Faith Griffiths to a Jamaican-British dad and a Chinese mum whose family moved to England from Vietnam, Griff grew up in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, in one of the few multicultural households in the village.

During her teenage years, she began taking the train down to London to have sessions with producers, uncovering an exciting and diverse new world beyond the “bushes, trees and white people” she was used to. Shortly after finishing her A-level exams, she wrote and released her debut single, “Mirror Talk”, a pop track about confronting your insecurities. The song was followed a few months later by an EP of the same name.

At 20, she became one of the youngest recipients of the Brits Rising Star award, putting her on the radar of pop’s biggest names, including her idol Taylor Swift, who wrote online after her win: “I’m so in awe of Griff [...] The music she makes is so unique and adventurous.” Since then she has not only opened for Swift at Wembley, but toured with Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter and Gracie Abrams. “It’s inspiring to see people at the height of their craft,” she reflects. 

Griff has drawn attention for her style as well as her music. Her viral videos demonstrate a DIY approach to fashion, centred on sewing and upcycling her own outfits. But before she made pieces for global arenas, Griff’s self-made style was a reaction against the social pressure to conform, which she felt from a young age. “There’s no point trying to wear skinny jeans and disco pants and a crop top, because I’m already the odd one out,” she says. “I think finding my style very early on was almost a defence mechanism against not being found conventionally beautiful in high school.” 

“I think I make my best stuff when I’m considered and introspective” – Griff

As she got older, her approach became more confident, and she began making voluminous, feminine tulle dresses inspired by designers like Molly Goddard and Simone Rocha. The soft femininity that has become her on-stage signature is at the heart of Griff’s new collaboration with ASICS. “I just felt like they were taking creative risks in ways I hadn’t seen other athleisure brands do,” she explains. “As much as it’s an active sportswear brand, the fashion element always cuts through in a really beautiful way.” Since partnering with the label at the end of 2024, she has taken an active role that goes beyond appearing in campaigns, travelling to its European headquarters in the Netherlands to work directly on developing new footwear.

Last summer, the collaboration came to life when she led the campaign for the latest ballet-inspired JOG 100S silhouette, which features lace frills influenced by her personal style. “For this collaboration, it was really about the colourways and fabrics, and less about redoing or designing a whole new shoe,” she says.

Two years on from her debut album, Vertigo, Griff has found herself in a quiet period, reconnecting with her teenage mindset. “I think I make my best stuff when I’m considered and introspective,” the artist explains. The music she is currently writing is more euphoric than you might expect, somewhere between “crying and dancing”, she says. “You want to dance, but there’s an undercurrent of melancholy to it all. When those two come together, it’s beautiful”.