Tag: New York Fashion Week

Spotify’s Soundtrack Behind The Runway Celebrates Fall Fashion Week With Inspiring Designers From New York, London, Milan, and Paris

September 7, 2023

It takes more than a little confidence to strut down a runway. It also requires the right beat to punctuate the walk and accentuate the mood. The music that accompanies the fashion helps evoke the vibe of a collection and the spirit of a designer. And music has a role long before the show, often providing inspiration during the creative process of designing. Fashion and music go hand in hand, and on Spotify, there are more than 630,000 fashion-inspired playlists created by listeners. So, as fashion month kicks off around the world, Spotify is celebrating the innovators leading the way and the music that inspires them with our new destination, The Soundtrack Behind The Runway.

The Spotify destination features takeovers of some of our top fashion and culture playlists. Across New York, London, Milan, and Paris, designers including Advisry’s Keith Herron, Luar’s Raul Lopez, MAINS London’s Skepta, Etro’s Marco De Vincenzo, GCDS’s Giuliano Calza, and Rabanne’s Julien Dossena will curate the tracks for popular playlists like Fashion Forward and Runway. Follow us around the world to learn about Spotify’s special playlist takeovers and hear from the designers and creative directors themselves.

 

Spotify and CFDA Get New York Fashion Week Started With Its First-Ever Official Playlist

September 7, 2023

It’s fashion week in New York, and to kick things off we’ve partnered with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to debut the first-ever Official Playlist of New York Fashion Week. 

This collaboration between Spotify and CFDA celebrates the vibrant creative community in New York City at the intersection of fashion and music, and includes contributions from Khaite, Mara Hoffman, Alice + Olivia, and Caroline Herrera, along with tracks that have inspired designers like ET OCHS, Kim Shui, and STAUD.

“There’s something special about the relationship between music and fashion that comes to life every year during Fashion Week. Whether it’s inspiring collections or soundtracking runway walks, music is the backdrop for so many of fashion’s biggest moments—and we have over 630,000 fashion-related playlists on Spotify to prove it,” said Dustee Jenkins, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Spotify. “That feels especially true here in New York, where fashion is the second-largest industry and where Spotify has its largest global office. We’re so excited to bring all of this magic together in our Official Playlist of New York Fashion Week.”

For those in New York, they’ll be able to easily listen to the sounds inspiring the runway thanks to Spotify’s billboard in Times Square. The billboard, which launches September 9 and runs throughout NYFW, features a QR code to take listeners directly to the playlist.

“Music plays an integral role in the designer’s creative process, culminating in the fashion show,” said Steven Kolb, CEO of CFDA. “The CFDA is excited to partner with Spotify on the Official Playlist of New York Fashion Week, which will bring the excitement of American fashion creativity to a worldwide audience.” 

Mayor Adams celebrates with Spotify and CFDA

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, along with CFDA Chairman Thom Browne and Spotify, hosted a cocktail party Thursday night at his Gracie Mansion residence to kick off NYFW.

Theophilio’s Edvin Thompson, who is a 2023 CVFF finalist and was honored as American Emerging Designer of the Year at the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards, stepped in as the event’s DJ for the evening. Guests in attendance, which included the likes of Anna Wintour, Lukas Gage, Chris Appleton, Vera Wang, Derek Blasberg, and CFDA CEO Steven Kolb, also had the chance to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop by viewing photos from Mayor Adams’ personal collection of hip-hop artists that were displayed throughout the space.

Designer Anna Sui Explains Her Unique Connection to Music—And Musicians

September 10, 2019

From a young age, designer and fashion icon Anna Sui knew she wanted to clothe rock stars. In the late 70’s, she started piecing together the notes of a clothing line in her NYC apartment. That is, when she wasn’t flying around the world picking up freelance gigs. It was an exhausting period, but it also opened her eyes to a world of resources and techniques on other ways to create clothing. Streaming is doing something similar for music and creative inspiration, she says, (without needing to pay for a flight).

Now a veteran designer for musicians of all stripes, Sui has a very special relationship with music. Recently, she created a New York Fashion Week playlist highlighting musical selections from all her shows since her first in 1991. “I would say it’s a list of all my favorite songs because every song that I use in my show, most of the time there’s a personal affiliation with it,” she explained to For the Record.  

Read on for more of our exclusive interview on the unique relationship Sui has with music—and the people who create it. 

When you’re creating a new collection, do you play any particular artists or genres?

Usually when I’m working on a collection, I start by researching music that I’m going to use for my runway theme. If there’s something, let’s say historical or from some particular era, maybe I’ll start listening to music from that period. For instance, when I did a chinoiserie collection, I started listening to music from old and contemporary Chinese movies. So it’s part of my research in creating the mood for the collection. It’s something that I really enjoy because I always discover something new each time I do the research.

Have you ever heard something that’s inspired the collection or the theme for the show?

Oh yeah. I mean there are particular collections that were inspired by music, especially during the grunge period. I did a grunge collection. A few years ago I did a punk-inspired collection and went back and listened to all the old punk records and looked at old photos from that period. I think it’s really important to create an ambiance for an audience and transport them to where my imagination is.

And is this a process that you followed for most of your life as a designer? For example, when you were starting out in your apartment, did you have a similar attitude towards music?

Yeah, I mean when I started doing my own collection, my whole purpose to dress rock stars and people going to see rock concerts. That was my sole motive. And it kind of escalated from there, when department stores and boutiques started buying the collection. Then I had to think a little broader. But my original concept was rock stars.

Speaking of which, you’ve attracted big names like Madonna, Mick Jagger, Jack White. What are some of the elements that you were going for in creating pieces for them, and what are some of the things you think they picked up on?

I think that it’s a combination of the fact that they’re following fashion, but I’m also following music and it’s like a kindred spirit when you meet. Like when I met Jack White, I think he knew that I had that background of loving punk rock and loving classic rock. And so we kind of just started talking about it right away.

It was a fantasy my whole life, dressing The Rolling Stones. And so that was really exciting that Mick did his first hosting of Saturday Night Live in my clothes.

And then Madonna was really the one who gave me the confidence to do my first show. I didn’t know that she was a fan or that she wore my clothes. But one of the first times I met her was at a fashion show together in Paris. When she took off her coat, she had my dress on. And that was kind of a shocker because in her hotel room where we picked her up from, she had shopping bags from every major designer in Paris and racks of clothes hanging. And so for her to select mine, it gave me that confidence that maybe I could do something, maybe I could really have my own show.

What is your advice to others who feel they have a particular calling, but are struggling to start out in the art or fashion world?

Well, I think that you have to figure out your niche and really, really focus on it. I think that you have to realize that the competition is so tough that you have to really be sure that this is what you want and there’s certain sacrifices you have to make along the way. And so it’s a trade off. And you have to just have that determination. 

Anything else on your mind that you’d like our readers or your fans to know about?

Keep expanding your mind, keep expanding your horizons, keep expanding your world. Something like Spotify really gives you that opportunity where you don’t have to get the mileage, flying somewhere. You can just kind of dial it. You can find it. And I think that that’s an amazing thing that’s happening today.

Take a listen to Anna’s NYFW Playlist below. Plus, check out our interviews with other NYFW attendees, including Rebecca Minkoff, Sophie Elgort, and Natalie Lim Suarez.

Photographer Sophie Elgort Talks Music’s Supporting Role, On Set and at Home

September 9, 2019

Fashion and portrait photographer Sophie Elgort knows that music sets the mood—on set and off. While she’s shooting, she keeps the vibe chill and creative. To relax, she goes for classical. And when spending time with her young daughter, she lets loose with musicals and sing-alongs. Appropriately, the playlist she put together for New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is an eclectic, intriguing collection that spans many genres.

This year at NYFW, Sophie will be behind the camera, and she’ll also be directing others on how to capture the catwalk. For the past few seasons, Sophie has been taking Through Our Lens fellows to NYFW to experience and photograph the shows first hand. We sat down with the photographer to learn more about the organization as well as the role of music in her work. 

Before we get to the music, talk about your work with Through Our Lens.

My good friend Carolyn Pride and I started Through Our Lens with the goal of promoting more inclusion in the fashion industry by empowering young women from different backgrounds to explore careers behind the camera. Our program provides high school-age girls from underserved communities who are passionate about photography with the skills, tools, and access they need to succeed in the industry. Our first session, on September 7, brings the girls to experience and take pictures at NYFW.

What genres or artists do you play as your inspiration while you’re gearing up for a shoot?

If I’m photographing a musician, I definitely listen to their music as research. Otherwise, I like to listen to music that inspires me and brings out creativity without being too distracting—artists like the bird and the bee, Brazilian Girls, Chairlift, Gipsy Kings, Getz / Gilberto, Buena Vista Social Club, and The xx. I also go for music that makes me feel confident and powerful. Recently, I’ve been listening to Beyoncé‘s Homecoming album all the way through.

How about the music when you’re in the studio? What kind of music maintains the vibe you’ve set and keeps the momentum going?

I like to play a scattering of songs people know and love when we’re setting up, and in hair and makeup, so as to create a chill, fun vibe. When we start shooting, I always ask the subjects if they have something specific they want to hear—and most of the time the answer is Beyoncé. Other go-to’s are James Brown, Prince, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, and some pre-made playlists I have ready to go.

After the shoot, when I’ve had music playing all day, I need a complete change of pace. The only thing I want to hear is classical music. I played classical piano growing up, so some of my favorite pieces are the Chopin Ballades (especially No. 1 and No. 4).

Do you approach working with musicians differently than other subjects?

Like with everyone else, I’m sure to ask what they want to listen to—and I love hearing what they like to listen to that’s not their own. A while back, I was assisting on a set with a really famous musician and I was in charge of playing the music. I asked her what she wanted to hear, and she requested “Suavemente” by Elvis Crespo on repeat. I thought it was such a cool choice, and it’s been one of my favorite tracks ever since. (I included it on my NYFW playlist.)

What kinds of music do you play with your daughter? Is she showing an affinity for any particular artists or genres yet?

We play music all the time at home with my daughter and also sing constantly. At one and a half, she already knows tons of songs. We hear her in the morning in her crib singing, which is one of my favorite things. As much as we expose her to lots of music, she really does love Mother Goose Club Sings Nursery Rhymes. I play the guitar, so I’ll play and sing them for her, and she sings along and dances around. She also loves the songs from Sing and The Sound of Music.

What podcasts are you listening to?

Right now, I’m mostly listening to NPR’s How I Built This, SkimmThis, and A Drink with James. I am also a substitute co-host on Moms Got This, and I have a weekly podcast coming out called Two Aging Millennials with my friend Nneya Richards. We’ll be discussing current events, pop culture, and life as an (aging!) millennial. That will launch early September.

Take a listen to Sophie’s NYFW Playlist below. Plus, check out our interviews with other NYFW attendees, including Natalie Lim Suarez, Anna Sui, and Rebecca Minkoff.