Tag: NYFW

Spotify Reports Third Quarter 2023 Earnings

October 24, 2023

Today, we announced our third quarter 2023 performance. The business delivered strong results in Q3 as all of our key indicators exceeded guidance and we returned to profitability.

  • Monthly Active Users were up 26% to 574 million and 2 million ahead of guidance. This represents our second largest Q3 net addition performance in history. 
  • Subscribers grew 16% Y/Y to 226 million. Net additions of 6 million were 2 million ahead of guidance. 
  • Total Revenue grew 11% Y/Y to €3.4 billion, exceeding guidance.
  • Gross Margin finished above guidance at 26.4%.
  • Spotify returned to profitability, reporting Operating Income of €32 million for the quarter. 

In addition, we unveiled new personalized experiences for users and tools for creators:




Interested in hearing more? Click here to review the full earnings release and listen to the webcast Q&A on our Investor Relations site here. 

Click below to check out a sizzle reel of audio trailers from a few of our recent original and exclusive podcasts and audiobook offerings.

Why Cynthia Rowley Dressed Female Comedians During New York Fashion Week

February 14, 2023

Claudia Oshry, Esther Ku, Arden Myrin, Nikki Glaser, Ego Nwodim, Michelle Buteau, Rachel Feinstein

When New York Fashion Week rolls around, fans of iconic designer Cynthia Rowley know they’re in for a surprise. Cynthia combines her original styles with poignant, topical, and unique showcase themes for a refreshing—and sometimes risky—treat. And her fall 2023 show was no different as she treated NYFW to an all-female stand-up comedy event. 

During the showcase, Cynthia dressed 7 comedians, each of whom performed a short set while presenting the collection. Comedians Nikki Glaser, Rachel Feinstein, Arden Myrin, Rosebud Baker, Ego Nwodim, Claudia Oshry, and Michelle Buteau hit the catwalk in an elegantly staged ballroom with 200 guests including Olivia DeJonge, Eve Jobs, Cooper Hoffman, Jane Krakowski, and Alan Cumming. Comedian Esther Ku served as host alongside DJ Rachel Winters, who spun tracks curated by Cynthia and from the comedians’ walk-on playlists.

Creative Director Yoon Ahn Talks Music, NYFW, and Her New Collaboration With Nike

February 13, 2023

Yoon Ahn with Nike and Spotify logos

Nike’s latest AMBUSH collaboration is form meets function—with a heavy dose of fashion mixed in. The pieces were created by fashion designer Yoon Ahn, the Creative Director of the jewelry, clothing, shoes, and accessories label AMBUSH.

This isn’t the first time the seasoned designer has collaborated with the sporting apparel giant. In 2020, AMBUSH partnered with Nike and the NBA for a ’90s-inspired capsule collection of basketball apparel. Highlights from this new collection include Air Force 1s with AMBUSH’s signature exaggerated swoosh, and an oversized football jersey turned jacket.

To celebrate the collaboration, which debuted at New York Fashion Week, Yoon took over the Spotify Fashion Forward playlist. From K-Pop Quintet NewJeans to Atlanta hip-hop duo Outkast, the curation shows off the Tokyo-based designer’s varied taste and musical inspiration.

For the Record caught up with Yoon to learn more about her love of fashion and music.

What types of music did you grow up listening to?

I grew up listening to all sorts. I never had strict rules on a music aesthetic, if that makes sense. But growing up in Seattle did have an influence on me listening to more indie bands and alternative rock during that period. Once I moved to Boston, I had so many friends from New York that hip-hop naturally got more air play wherever I was. Then when I moved to Japan, I was exposed to more J-Pop and K-Pop, mixed with a variety of other genres, thanks to it playing at many of the parties there.

How do you infuse music into your creative process?

Spotify is always on at the studio as a way to set the mood and vibe for the day. I turn to music to get that energy and transport me to a particular imaginative headspace while designing.

What led you to launch your latest Nike X AMBUSH collaboration during NYFW?

We initially kicked off the NITE SPORT (our conceptual activation) last summer in Tokyo. We brought the city’s different scenes together under one roof to celebrate the Air Adjust Force launch and it was a huge success. We hadn’t seen a party like that in ages—the energy was through the roof. Then we had a local activation in Mexico City, followed by the Berlin party. It only made sense to bring this energy to the U.S., and NYFW was a perfect time to align with our upcoming Air Force 1 collab.

What are your biggest sources of inspiration?

Traveling and people inspire me. The world is just a big passion project made by humans, and I love seeing, learning, and getting energy from being part of this one tiny habitable planet in the infinite galaxy.

What was it like working with Nike to create the AMBUSH SP23 collection? What were some of the considerations that went into the design?

Working with Nike is always a fun ride. The team has been super open to many ideas, and being able to tell the story together has been incredible. For the Air Force 1s, I wanted to bring my massive signature tailgate swoosh to make the shoes look frozen in action. As for the apparel, I was inspired by football season, so I made a fun hybrid football jersey and MA-1 jacket to throw on for chilly weather.

Nike is a sporting brand—how do you see sport and fashion coming together?

Sportswear has always been a massive part of streetwear and all cultures worldwide, so emerging elements have existed in fashion for a while now. I look forward to more innovative ways they can merge and connect people through fashion as a medium.

Check out Yoon’s takeover of the Fashion Forward playlist below:

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.

Entrepreneur and Designer Rebecca Minkoff Finds Inspiration in Female Creators—and Works to Inspire Others in Return

September 9, 2019

Designer and entrepreneur Rebecca Minkoff’s first concert was Elton John, and now she’s a self-proclaimed “sucker for classic rock.” Her kids are really into pop these days, especially “Old Town Road” and the Mama Mia! show and movie soundtracks. Her husband makes seasonal playlists featuring bands like St. Paul & The Broken Bones that she streams while winding down at the end of a busy work day. And at work, she says she and her team “just listen to what we love.”

But Rebecca knows that music is more than sounds in the background. Music tells a story, empowers the listener, and creates conversation. And in her own work as a fashion designer, business owner, and podcast host, she knows that those conversations—especially with women—can inspire and empower the next generation of creators.

We were able to get some time with Rebecca ahead of New York Fashion Week (NYFW) to talk to her about this year’s theme, her musical role models, and her best podcasting advice.

As a huge music lover, what is music’s role in your creative process, and in your fashion shows themselves?

For me, music is always extraordinarily important, especially when you’re grinding and then building the collection, but also creating the mood of the event or presentation. As a brand, we’ve had music very largely incorporated into our shows in the past, whether it be recorded or live music. It creates a mood, it creates a feeling, and I think it’s incredibly important to link both worlds. This season we’re doing a presentation, so we’re going to be working with Pamela Ticks as a DJ.

What’s the theme you’re going for this year?

This collection in particular is inspired by the modern working woman and celebrating all types of female entrepreneurs or women within corporate America—the new woman who is strong, you know, who doesn’t take no for an answer. We’re taking a lot of older songs and making them fresh. For example, we’re using Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” but adding some beats to it and kind of twisting it up. We’re going to be looking to sort of use that old nostalgia with kind of new modern sounds. (You can find “9 to 5” on my NYFW Spotify playlist).

When you’re creating a collection, do you have any particular genre of music you listen to?

I don’t have a particular genre. I’m always a sucker for great classic rock, but I also love modern artists like Unknown Mortal Orchestra. I play a hefty dose of Beyoncé, Florence + The Machine, I think whatever gets me and the team in a mood that is a feel-good mood. I’m not one of those designers that’s like, “Oh it’s dark and somber so I need that music to play.” I like to keep the team happy and smiling and working with just that state of mind more than anything else. So I think we just listen to what we love.

Switching gears to focus on your podcast, Superwomen. What are some of your favorite moments from the show?

A big highlight for me was the interview I did with Katie Couric … And also there was one from Bozoma Saint John where I really love her candor. Both of them have an honesty that I thought was really refreshing. I think when you see someone, especially in Katie’s situation, who’s always in the interviewer seat, for her to sit back and answer questions and be funny and make you laugh was just really a delight and a treat.

What is some advice you would give to fellow busy women who are interested in starting a podcast?

Know your boundaries and what you want to do. I remember when I was starting out, I watched a whole video on how to edit a podcast. After, I said, “You know what? This is where I’m gonna spend the money to pay someone to do this for me.” My skill set is going to be in finding the talent and interviewing them and making great content.

Know what you’re good and bad at, and find a subject matter or something you’re really passionate about because then it never gets old. Anything you have to think about too hard will probably come across that way. So know your audience, what you want to stand for, and then partner with a great company to help get your content distributed.

What are some podcasts you’re listening to that help you keep learning in a fast-paced industry?

I’m listening to Recode Decode. I like to listen to the Jenna Kutchers of the world on Goal Digger or even Lauren Conrad’s Asking for a Friend. I’ve used some “how to” stuff to learn how to get more engagement on your social. I know it’s not juicy or riveting, but I’m just trying to stay abreast when I can’t always read. I usually listen when I’m working out. I take runs along the water and because I’m so distracted by what I’m listening to, I sort of forget about the pain.

You’ve done some mentoring with the New York State Council on Women and Girls and the Female Founder Collective. What are some things you’ve learned from that experience?

My work with both the council and also starting the Female Founder Collective is to just make sure that gender equality is something that is achieved in this lifetime. And that’s a high goal. But I think it’s possible. When you begin to break it down into what could happen and how swiftly it could go if you get many people and corporations on board, it is something that can be achieved. My daughter could make equal to a man in her lifetime.

And so I think it’s important to work hard and also to make sure that there are female entrepreneurs and leaders out there that young women can aspire to. If they can see it, they can achieve it. Just having more of those luminaries be highlighted is so important.

Are there any musicians that you really admire for what they’re talking about in the equality space?

Yeah. Halsey spoke at the Women’s March in DC last year, two years ago. She delivered something very powerful about her personal experience, and I loved what she had to say about standing up for women and our rights in a specific light. MILCK sang at the first March and then performed at my runway show a few years ago about standing up for equality. I thought her story about how she got other women galvanized was incredibly powerful. And then I look at what Beyoncé is doing for women—not only women, but women of color—and giving them a great example and a great platform to say, “We’re going to be here, and we’re going to be strong and powerful.” 

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

 

Natalie Off Duty’s Natalie Lim Suarez Reflects on a World of Music

September 9, 2019

Model Natalie Lim Suarez, best known for her fashion blog Natalie Off Duty, has been walking the catwalk since her teenage years. Now she’s using her years of modeling experience to write, design, and creative-direct. Besides her passion for fashion, Natalie is also a music aficionado, and in her recent and upcoming fashion campaigns, she’s been adding some of her own vocals.

With that varied background in mind, we sat down with Natalie as she was preparing to go on duty for one of the biggest weeks of the year—New York Fashion Week—and asked her to make a playlist of music she’d strut her stuff to.

What kinds of music or podcasts do you listen to as you’re getting ready for a show and need a boost of energy, or to focus? How about after, when you need to relax and unwind?

When I’m getting ready for a show, I love to listen to classic rock, oldies, and a little Motown. It makes me want to dance. Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, The Supremes, and Marvin Gaye.

After a really long day and I want to relax, I always play Lana del Rey, The Rolling Stones, and the Beatles. I also love some indie tunes from Swimm and Wet.

What artists and genres are on your playlists for when you’re working out?

When I’m working out, I love a good hip-hop beat or anything really upbeat. I listen to Migos, Sia, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Prince.

You have roots in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. What kinds of music did you listen to when you were growing up?

My father is Latin and I grew up listening to a lot of Santana. My love for rock ’n’ roll really began there. I also grew up singing to Selena since I always studied the performing arts, and she really was a big inspiration to me. She danced, sang. I love her. Being an LA native, The Doors was always on repeat as well! I remember going to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where my mother is from, and listening to a ton of Asian pop on the radio.

Who are some of the exciting artists and/or genres you’ve discovered while modeling for shoots overseas?

I’ve traveled all over the world for modeling campaigns, and some of my favorite artists I’ve discovered are Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, and Serge Gainsbourg in France, and while I was at Seoul Fashion Week, I discovered a ton of K-Pop like BLACKPINK. I like to listen to everything!

What are some of your favorite artists, songs, or styles of music to sing?

I love to sing the classics. I like to sing soft songs, folk songs, and even hard-core classic rock songs. Some of my favorite songs to sing are “If I Fell” from Across the Universe, a Beatles cover, “Bird Set Free,” by Sia, “Because the Night” from Patti Smith, and “Little Sister” by Jewel.

What songs, genres, or even podcasts would people be surprised to know you enjoy listening to?

People will be surprised that I love listening to the sounds of the ocean when I’m home working or relaxing. Sometimes when I’m home in NYC, all I want to hear is the birds chirping and windchimes. It reminds me of my home state of California.

If you could name one song that epitomizes your NYFW experience, what would it be?

“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. It’s a week that just gives you a major rush. This song evokes that feeling.

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

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.