The major maisons are turning their ears toward the music world now more than ever as chic collaborations and musical mashups drive growth.
Fashion is having a love affair with music—to the sound of ringing cash registers everywhere. The two cultural indicators have always maintained a close relationship, the fashion industry increasingly relies on the cachet and cool factor of chart-topping performers to gain traction and generate buzz.
While the front row at any fashion week regularly houses music’s brightest stars, these days they’re sitting pretty and proving to be instrumental behind the scenes. In a move that reverberated worldwide and set a new precedent for the role of “top designer,” Louis Vuitton named Pharrell Williams their men’s creative director in February 2023. The multihyphenate’s debut show in Paris garnered Louis Vuitton an eye-popping $42 million in media impact value, according to Launchmetrics.
Lanvin followed suit in 2023, naming rapper Future the inaugural creative director of its Lanvin Lab concept. Shortly after, Puma announced that fashion plate A$AP Rocky would spearhead their Formula 1 partnership across design, branding, and events. The latter had an excellent sounding board for advice in his partner, Rihanna, whose music-meets-fashion-meets-beauty empire has disrupted the lingerie, makeup, and athleisure industries over the last decade.
A look from Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection (Photo courtesy of Louis Vuitton)
While not all brands have the substantial budget to team up with a musician in such a major way, collaborations are becoming commonplace to test the market.
“We’re seeing a lot of capsule collections between musicians and brands,” notes Brian Conway, a London-based stylist who works across fashion editorials, campaigns, and music videos. “It’s a smart move to tap into the following of a very successful musician.”
Another way brands can be a part of the fervor surrounding a pop culture moment is to collaborate with a musician’s creative team on custom outfits for highly visible performances. Adele and stylist Jamie Mizrahi enlisted different luxury labels to create a black gown for every night of her Las Vegas residency. Similarly, the collection of looks that Shiona Turini pulled together for Beyoncé’s global tour stole the show.
“Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ tour was a fashion spectacle,” Conway agrees. “It was like its very own runway show with over 100 designers featured throughout her tour. Sales even spiked for silver looks, and she increased brand visibility and sales.”
While fashion leans on musicians for prestige and recognition, fashion is also crucial for musicians to shape their own personal brand.
Left: Beyoncé wears custom Lanvin outfits for her “RENAISSANCE” tour (Photo courtesy of Lanvin)
Right: A$AP Rocky attends the Bottega Veneta fashion show at Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2024–2025 (Photo by Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)
“An artist’s image is imperative to elevate their success. Fashion moments, if done right, tend to go viral,” Conway explains. “It’s exciting to push clients outside their comfort zone. Someone who might not have been a household name but who has a strong fashion presence for public appearances can quickly become widely talked about in the media.”
Having a musician as a brand ambassador or collaborator also infuses a heritage house with a level of clout that a model may not. Rosalía recently inked a contract with Dior, CHANEL was early to sign K-pop star Jennie of Blackpink, and Saint Laurent’s recent campaign featured icons Diana Ross and Michael Stipe of R.E.M. Meanwhile, CELINE and Gucci consistently work with The Strokes and Mark Ronson, respectively, to shape their runway show experiences.
Conway notes that brands developing target lists should collaborate with in-house marketing and PR teams to stay ahead of the curve about who might be the next big thing. “Develop a relationship with these talents before they go global,” he says.
Working with a talented musician on everyone’s radar puts a brand on that radar, too. A cultural moment is just one great collaboration away.
