KATHERINE McALISTER has an Absolutely Fabulous moment when she comes face-to-face with singer Rita Ora at the launch of a new pop-up shop at Bicester Village

It was an experience I will never forget. Not just interviewing Rita Ora, the country’s current favourite pop princess, but the circumstances surrounding the occasion.

The scene was Bicester Village. The brief – the opening of the UK Fashion Council’s six-week pop-up shop, The British Designers’ Collective, showcasing up-and-coming British designers. And the figurehead was fashion darling Ms Ora.

Which meant not only was the place crammed with fashionistas, bloggers, PAs, PRs, PAs to the PRs, PRs to the PAs and some truly wonderful outfits, but the press were there in full. Journalists had flown in from all over the country and the paps were layered in three tiers, balancing on their stepladders.

The designers were resplendent, drinking Champagne and airkissing as we all waited for Rita to kick off the whole junket. And we waited and waited and waited, as the heat rose and the cheeks flushed, everyone looking over everybody else’s shoulders to see who was who and if anyone was worth speaking to.

Ab Fab would have had a field day, and when even the most ardent Patsys began to wilt, Rita finally appeared to give a two-minute speech, and 20 minutes in front of the cameras, the pictures of which will have graced everything from Vogue to Grazia by now. Welcome to the world of fashion, a world that Rita Ora is as comfortable in as her trademark DM boots and Mickey Mouse sunglasses.

And yet here she was in head-to-toe designer gear, able to switch from boho to lady in, well, three hours actually. But Rita was worth the wait, clad in a Roksanda Ilincic dress from the collection and Nicholas Kirkwood shoes, a far cry from her Portabello Road roots.

“It’s Rita Ora’s love of vintage and British fashion that makes her the perfect ambassador for this year’s British Designers’ Collective,” the Bicester Village organiser offered.

Then Rita said: “Hi everyone, this is really early for me, but thank you for letting me come and be part of this. I’m just a musician who has fun with vintage clothes and fashion. And I remember when I was broke and all I could afford was the £2 T-shirts off the market stalls.

“But my parents used to bring me here to Bicester Village all the time, so thanks to them, and having met lots of the designers in person, it makes today even more special. So... let’s shop.”

If you had a spare £5,000 stuffed in your clutch then maybe, but the rest of us joined the long interview queue, being shepherded from the shop to a press pen before being ushered up to the VIP balcony complete with stunning male waiters serving summer cocktails and finally on to the couch with Rita Ora herself. So did she choose her outfit herself today?

“Yes, I liked the daisies on the shoes and the colour of the dress. I thought they were like spring and lovely and colourful,” she says smiling. “But I never plan outfits or clothes. I just get along like everyone else. I don’t look at trends.”

As a trend setter and fashion icon though, presumably she’s got her summer wardrobe up and ready to roll?

“No, I don’t have any idea what’s going to happen,” the 22-year-old says. Which totally stumps me, because if we are going to follow what she wears and she has no idea what that is, where do we start?

“With you,” she says. “I’m a people person. I love people-watching, I love people’s energy because where life’s concerned there’s nothing better – sitting in a cafe seeing what everyone’s wearing.

“I like your white leather skirt by the way,” she adds. But knowing that everywhere she goes now she’ll be papped must make a difference to how she looks when she walks out of her front door?

“Knowing that people are going to take photos of me doesn’t change what I wear in the mornings when I get up. I’m still the same.” She does however have a stylist to help her choose what to wear.

“Well yes, but my stylist is a friend of mine – we grew up together and hung out on Portabello Road and went to the markets together every Saturday rummaging for bargains. So when I needed someone to help me out, he was the obvious person because he already knows me. No one knows me better.” So where is he?

“Probaly drinking champagne somewhere,” Rita laughs. When I ask if fashion or music came first, the smile disappears and the real Rita Ora comes into focus, as if I’d missed the point.

“The music always comes first and always will do. I’m working on my second album at the moment so I’m feeling creative and that’s reflected in my clothes.

“I never knew my music could be such an amazing partnership with fashion, and it really took me by surprise, but, while I love it, songs are in my blood.” And then my time was up, her PR bodyguards smiling tightly and I was moved on.

The British Designers’ Collective is at Bicester Village until the end of June. Go to BicesterVillage.com