Now that Fashion Week is over in the 4 major cities, we have updated our definitive list of music played during runway shows - to a total of nearly 400 tunes and 100 shows.
Some designers - notably Erin Featherston, and Jonathan Saunders - clearly see music soundtracks as an opportunity to underline the theme of the collection, and to create a specific atmosphere. Some designers seek out some great new music to showcase the innovation of their brands; the English band The Ting Tings were a clear fashion week discovery this season.
But others seem to miss an opportunity and either play entire CDs by artists, or rely on obvious music such as She’s a Model by Kraftwerk and David Bowie’s Fashion. Bill Blass played 5 different mixes of the same Depeche Mode track, which has to count as overkill.
The most frequently used tunes for Autumn / Winter 2008;
Blind - Hercules & Love Affair — (Video via YouTube / Article via The Guardian, UK)
Paper Planes - M.I.A — (Video via YouTube)
Two Hearts - Kylie Minogue — (Video via YouTube)
And the artists most played on runway soundtracks this season; Amy Winehouse, David Bowie, Kylie Minogue, LCD Soundsystem, Serge Gainsbourg and The Beatles.
Notable mentions have to go to Ann-Sofie Bac who used Tom and Jerry cartoon music, Duckie Brown who used no music, Yohji Yamamoto who not only provided the clothes, but also wrote his own soundtrack, and the trend for live music continues at Caroline Charles, Erdem, Kenzo, Kris Van Assche, Rock & Republic, and the feedback-y wall of sound from Sonic Youth at Marc Jacobs.
The hardest working DJ on the fashion circuit this season … Jerry Bouthier
Download definitive list of Autumn / Winter 2008 soundtracks PDF
