Agnetha shows off her favourite clothes and talks about being 60!

From Swedish magazine M Magasin comes this article with fascinating fashion photos of Agnetha. Enjoy!

Amelia Adamao is the "Oprah" of Sweden and has of course an own monthly publication.
Amelia meets Agnetha Fältskog:

AA : The best thing with life is that life can start over and over again.Everything started with Lolo Murray. Lolo is a professional stylist who does fashion pages sometimes (sometimes for M Magasin) and works with personal styling and advice. One of ther customers are Agnetha Fältskog. It's Lolo who has done what we are proud and happy to present; our most famous fahion model: Agnetha Fältskog. The clothes Lola has chosen for the fashion photos are meant to represent 24 hours of a star's life (apart from the shiny negligée, it's not exactly what Agnetha would chose, but it looks smashing in the photo!).
- Why can't I interview her, I asked Lolo when she told us about the fashion section. I knew very well how uninterested Agnetha is being interviewed in a magazine. She wants to be alone. But a girl has got to try.
And the other day the world star was suddenly sitting on my yellow couch at Knivsöder (Hornstull) in Stockholm! Agnetha - far from a diva - didn't quite understand my excitement (myself I was sending severa text messages to my friends and wrote: "Guess who is sitting on my couch? Agnetha Fältskog!).
She was practically dressed, winterpants and real hiking boots. It's winter and she lives an hour from Stockholm City on a smaller farm. She has lived there for many years and has the pleasure of having her daughter Linda, an actress and her family all living there. Her son Christian who is a computer programmer lives a little farther away from his mom.
- You are an exception, she says to point out when we meet. I like Lollo a lot, and this is my way to thank her. And I like the M-Magasin, she says.
So this isn't the start of a new an more media oriented life then?

AF : Not at all. I'm not interested in being in magazines, tv and newspapers at all. A lot of people think it's just an attitude, that I want to create this air of insecurity. But I genuinely don't want it. I had an overdose. But I haven't retired completely, I have made three solo albums since the ABBA-years.

I never feel comfortable talking about my private life. I want to keep that to myselves, protect it. (Which of course means that she won't answer my questions about her private life.)

AA : Do you think you have been described in an incorrect way?

AF : I don't relate to the picture of me as a scared human being, or a victim of paparazzi or others. Natuarlly it's unplasant to be watched whereever you go. But that is not why I want to stay as anonymous as possible. It is a choice I have made, nothing I've been forced to do. I think I'm a very well grounded person and I see myself as a pretty normal person. I want to be left alone. Then of course there are limitations that has stopped me. I suffer from fear of flying, but I have been in therapy for that and it has become much less of a problem. When Agnetha celebrated her 60th birthday this year she and her whole family flew to Mallorca, three hours of flying. But she hasn't gone beyond that. Yet.

AA : What's it like to become 60. Is it harder and more difficult when you are beautiful and loved by so many people?

AF : In a way life has become more fun. It could have something to do that I don't see it as a curve going down, rather the opposite - up! I like thinking positively. Naturally your body's there to remind you of your age, I don't exactly jump out of bed as easily now as I did when I was 30! Ageing is natural and unavoidable. That is something I share with everyone else in my age group, and that's a comforting thought. Then there are some perks about becoming older; I have a lot of experience, I know myself, I know my body, know what works and what doesn't.

The most important thing is to be healthy and humble about the fact that you are "still in the game". For example; I can use both my legs, a lot of people my age can't. I'm a grandmother and I want to be around them as long as possible through their different phases. It's important to me to be in good shape. I don't want them to have a grandmother who hardly can move. This is so much more important than than how you look.

AA : (When I look at Agnetha Fältskog I think of the millions of girls from all around the world who wanted to look like her and Frida Lyngstad. How many haven't stood in front of the mirror wishing they were Agnetha or Frida. This is a long time ago now. But if you meet Agnetha on the street you would immediately know who she is. Agnetha usually wears large sunglasses to avoid to be recognized.)
How do you keep fit (you look fantastic in the photoshoots (and in real life too)?

AF : I walk a lot and I work out at a gym, I also try to watch what I eat, but I don't follow any diets. I'm not totally convinced about the GI-method and use my common sense instead. I gladly eat a sticky bun every day and I'm a total icecream monster, but I have better control over the icecream now.

AA : What's it like to be a photomodel, even if only for a day?

AF : Yes, I felt like trying something new and I have never done this before. So when Lolo suggested this I thought it was a fun idea. I've become more interested in clothes and fashion as I've grown older. Maybe it's because I have more time on my hands now. I like to follow trends in magazines, see them come and go. I enjoy dressin up now, even though I'm not a red carpet diva. I wouldn't have the stamina!

AA : Sleep is incredible important to Agnetha. She needs at least eight hours to make the following day be a good one. She is also addicted to silence. She chooses what to do, she doesn't run around doing a thousand things at once. She did more of her share of that during the ABBA-years. At home on her there's a gold record proclaiming that ABBA has sold 374 million records world wide! And she has talked enough about that time.
Back to the fashion...

AF : I think fashion is fun, I don't have any absolute favourite brands, I like browsing the stores. Particurlarly in another city. She has no problem driving down to Copenhagen (Denmark). That's a city with lots and lots of beautiful clothes. I think it's fun to see how much you can change your appearance from just changing clothes. Lolo is great at bringing out my personality and make it just right. I'm quite fascinated by that.

AA : What kind of fashion girl are you - business, casual or party?

AF : Pretty but comfortable. Good quality clothes and shoes is a much when you live in the country. I don't feel like a glamourous person.

AA : But the glamour, don't you miss it today?

AF : Hardly, but it does happen that I got to openings or parties. I went to the "Mamma Mia!"-opening and it was a lot of fun.

AA : Where do you sing today? In the shower, to the horses?

AF : The horses are Lindas, I don't ride them, but I like watching them. Incredibly beautiful and interesting animals. I sing by the piano, I was able to play Bach when I was only 12. I like playíng the piano. For a while I though I should become a cantor after I turned 50. I felt like doing something completely different. But it never happened.

AA : Don't you have any unfinished songs?

AF : Lots! I have a suitcase with half finished songs. I invent these really beautiful melodies, but then I don't follow through.

AA : Why not?

AF : I really don't know. I was 15 when I started singing in a band. At 18 I made my first recording. When I was 25 ABBA was formed. After ABBA I have done three solo albums. Perhaps I've been creative enough?

AA : Do you ever listen to the ABBA songs?

AF : It took quite a long time before I listened to any kind of music after the ABBA years, I was just fed up. But sometimes I listen to what we did. And when i listen to "The Winner Takes It All" I think, that one we did really well!! I sometimes listen to that song when I feel a little depressed or have low selfesteem.

AA : Do you have low selfesteem?

AF : I wish it was better. But it has become much better during the years. Don't all us women suffer from low selfesteem sometimes? Not you Agnetha, I think. The whole world loved ABBA and all the love we fans gave you it should be enough for a full long life. What would a party be without ABBA-songs - a complete nothing! But I guess it's probably not that simple.

AA : Is "The Winner Takes It All" your favourite?

AF : There are several, among them one Frida sings; "Our Last Summer". It's so good it should have become a mega hit!

AA : Is there anything from that time that you would like to go back to?

AF : I liked the work uin the studio. But I do not miss meeting the audicence on a stage. Naturally I'm eternally grateful for them liking us. Some people love being on stage, feeling elevated by the applauses and they never want to get down from the stage. I enjoyed that too, but the real fun for me was the work in the studio. But standing in the spotlight, no. A different life. I'm living exactly the life I want to live today.

AA : Your daughter Linda (dad: Björn Ulvaeus) is an actress. Have you tried to deter her?

AF : No, she was convinced that she wanted to be an actor even as a little child. Both my children have very strong wills and they both walk their own ways. I have been a mother hen and suffered from a lot of fears - but they have not affected my children. They live their lives and have their own interests and have turned into individuals with good, healthy lives, which is a relief for me considering I was away, and working so hard when they were small.

AA : You have so much money that you could spend the rest of your days at the beautiful and luxurious Bora-Bora Islands. Just laying there in the sunshine, reading and relaxing. Is that a dream of yours?

AF : Not at all. I really like it here at home. I have some problem with the wintertime, but I definitely don't want to stay in a hotel more than temporarily. I had a flat in Paris, but I have sold it. I don't have any more dreams of owning homes abroad. I'm a real homebody.

AA : So what do you find interesting then?

AF : Periodically I read a lot, I've juste finished "The Wedding" by Danielle Steel which I though was excellent. I'm also interested in medicine and alternative medicine. If I hadn't pursued the music maybe I would become something within sciene. Perhaps a doctor.

AA : And what do you think is really important?

AF : Being there for the people I love and be a good fellow human being.

AA : This unearthly famous celebritiy sitting on my couch keeps a very low profile. I bring her tea and Lussebullar. There is nothing Garbo-mystery about her. She is more of a genuinly shy Swede. Nah, I'm not that special, she seems to think when I get star-struck.

AF : I'm very shy, not very social, already as a kid my mother said that I was happier when people left than when they arrived-

AA : And naturally I have to ask the mandatory ABBA-question: Will you ever reunite? It's a dream I and millions of others are hoping for. Can you think of ABBA again?

AF : No and yes. We will hardly ever be reunited for a tour like the Rolling Stones and other big bands. But I don't hold for impossible that we do something together in the future. Please note that this is not something I have discussed with the other three members, it's more of a feeling I have that it would be great to come together and talk a little about old times and maybe make a performance together. But that would only take place once, perhaps for a charity of some sort. Now I almost fell off the couch. ABBA reunited. But Agnetha assures me again that this somethings she hasn't discussed with the others and nothing has been decided.

AA : Is there something that you haven't done that you would like to do?

AF : Yes, there is actually. I would love to sing the theme song for a huge movie, think "Titanic!"

AA : At last, what would you like to tell in an interview ?

AF : The best thing with life is that it can start over and over and over again.