Sometimes, before their couture even sees the light of day, fashion designers already have music phenoms working on the sounds that will accompany their catwalk debuts. Within such ranks, the importance of having the right sound is never underestimated, so they call on these experts to get it right.
Alexandra Richards spins a set as Golden Age Hospitality Opens Recreation at the Moxy NYC Downtown
DJ Kiss | DJ, television personality, model
United States
DJ Kiss at the New World New York x MTV present the Vanguard Runway Show at Webster Hall
Spinback:
JaKissa Taylor-Semple moved to New York for a career in public relations but decided deejaying was more her jam. Now, she not only keeps crowds moving to the music, but also appears in campaigns for brands including Gucci, NARS Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Marc Jacobs Beauty, and Farfetch. One career highlight happened in 2014, when Prince deejayed with DJ Kiss at his after-party celebrating his “Saturday Night Live” appearance. Today, fans enjoy her jams on “Good Morning America” when she appears as the Special Guest DJ.
In the Mix:
Salvatore Ferragamo, Diane von Furstenberg, Tiffany & Co., Alexander Wang, Armani, Coach
The Cut:
She is known for her clever mixes of indie tracks woven within familiar sing-along tunes.
Playlist:
Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Rick Ross, M.I.A., Drake, Rihanna, Mark Ronson
Michel Gaubert | Sound Director/Sound Illustrator
France
Michel Gaubert/Justin Strauss: Michel Gaubert and Justin Strauss at the Christian Dior Cruise 2018: Show and After Party
Spinback:
In 1978, Gaubert worked as a buyer at an independent record store that Karl Lagerfeld frequented. The designer eventually asked Gaubert if he would want to do the music for his shows. After producing his own sounds, Gaubert also began playing at a Parisian hotspot popular with Thierry Mugler, Claude Montana, and Kenzo Takada. In the early 1990s, Gaubert and Lagerfeld worked on the sound for the latter’s namesake label before the designer went to work for CHANEL and Fendi.
In the Mix:
Dior, Valentino, Loewe, Fendi, Proenza Schouler, Balenciaga, Raf Simons, Gucci, Karl Lagerfeld
The Cut:
Gaubert once claimed to have recorded an autopsy and sampled it for a runway soundtrack. He also spent 48 hours recording water drops.
Playlist:
Diana Ross, FKA twigs, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Kraftwerk, Björk
Frederic Sanchez | Composer, Musical Director, Sound Illustrator
France
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 25: Composer Frederic Sanchez attends the Dazed Fashion Forum hosted by Amazon Fashion on July 25, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Gerrish/WireImage)
Spinback:
In 1988, fashion designer Martin Margiela invited Sanchez to design the music for his first fashion show. Today Sanchez creates identities and styles, sound environments, and installations and compositions in galleries, museums, and public spaces. He also generates soundtracks for retail stores, websites, and on-hold music, and he created the ringtone for the Prada LG phone.
In the Mix:
Calvin Klein, Comme des Garçons, Erdem, Helmut Lang, Hermès, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jil Sander, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Roberto Cavalli, Acne Studios, Balmain, Max Mara, Moncler, Dior
The Cut:
For the Margiela show, Sanchez did the job using a reel-to-reel tape machine. And for a 2019 Prada show, he blended unofficial live recordings from New Order and Richard Wagner.
Playlist:
Johnny Cash, Jane Birkin, John Cale, Scott Walker, This Mortal Coil
Benji B | DJ, Radio Presenter, Record Producer, Louis Vuitton Music Director
United Kingdom
DJ Benji B attends the Fashion Awards 2018 in partnership with Swarovski at Royal Albert Hall on December 10, 2018, in London, England.
Photo by Antony Jones/BFC/Getty Images
Spinback:
In 1995, at the age of 16, Benji B began producing a radio program and eventually became a BBC Radio producer and presenter. For more than a decade he has had a weekly show on BBC Radio 1. American fashion designer and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh hired Benji B into the role of Louis Vuitton music director and the two worked together until the designer’s death last year.
In the Mix:
Louis Vuitton, CELINE, Cerruti 1881, Bethany Williams
The Cut:
Once, at a time when he collaborated closely with Phoebe Philo during her time at CELINE, he experimented with the ambient street sounds of Paris and time-delayed speakers.
Playlist:
Nas, Skiifall, Gunna, Frank Ocean, Nightmares on Wax, Bodysnatcher
Peggy Gou | South Korean DJ, Record Producer, and Fashion Entrepreneur
Germany
Peggy Gou spinning at the Revlon & Mette Towley Celebrate: the Launch of Volumizing Mascara event
Spinback:
Gou studied at the London College of Fashion as a teen, but after learning to DJ in 2009, she started gigging in clubs and eventually teamed up with Virgil Abloh for an Off-White fashion show. In 2018, Off-White’s fashion production group helped her launch her own fashion label, Kirin (“giraffe” in Korean).
In the Mix:
Off-White, Louis Vuitton, Revlon, Nike, Lacoste, Ray-Ban
The Cut:
Cutting-edge dance and electronic music are her go-to sounds, though her own songs always cause great fervor. (Gou even does vocals in Korean for her track, “Han Jan.”)
Playlist:
Hiver, Daphni, Aphex Twin, Third World, Steve Poindexter
