A glance into the world of music selection that accompanies, propels and  inspires a runway show.  It is of course the clothes that we are here to see. The inspiring colours, the fresh silhouettes, the ambient lighting (or, indeed, lack of) all create a frenzy of inspirational brain meltdown. These factors carefully mixed together, influence the experience that the designer intends you to experience while watching his or her show. Whether blatantly obvious or subliminally subtle,  the second most important rule (other than the clothing itself) to composing the perfect runway
show is the choice in music that accompanies the collection.    

Just how exactly do these designers select such sartorial symphonies? Business is big and there is careful planning involved in the selection of the catwalk music – and much time and consideration is spent working on the music at the larger fashion houses such as Burberry or Chanel (who, incidentally, have been known to do one better and have musicians perform live).

However due to the varied nature of the fashion industry other designers may request their DJ friends to select music
for them. Menswear designer Lou Dalton asks close friend Jim Stanton of Horse Meat Disco fame to remix suitable songs for her recent collections – with the music always mirroring the mood of the collection. Confident, ethereal, angry can be the emotion of choice – but it is so important not to be overplayed or cliched.  

Glass looks back to ten perfectly selected catwalk music collaborations ...

1.  Chanel: Hercules and Love Affair – Blind
2.  Balenciaga: Royksopp – The Girl And The Robot
3.  Christopher Kane: Lana Del Ray – Video Games
4.  Versace: Daft Punk – Fragile – Tron Legacy
5.  Givenchy: The Knife – Colouring Of Pigeons
6.  Balmain: INXS – Original Sin
7.  Lanvin: Mr G – Makes No Sense (Radio Slave's Shaking The Tree Remix)
8. Versace: In Flagranti – Ex Ex Ex (Headman Dub)
9.  Chanel: Florence Welch – What the Water Gave Me
10. Gucci: Caribou – Odessa  

The online music editor of Glass, Ben Olsen, selects five of his favourite songs we are excited to hear on the runways of the SS13 shows ...

1, Poliça: Violent Games
2, Metronomy: The Look
3, Friends: A Thing Like This
4, Simian Mobile Disco: A Species Out Of Control
5, Kindness: That's Alright

by Calvin Baillie