[TOP 10 TUESDAY] Runway Songs for Your Next Fashion Show

A while back, my friend Nancy was doing a fashion show and she posed the question on Facebook: "What music should I use?" I gave her a long list of artists and songs, including some Japanese pop she never heard of, but I wondered if all designers think about their runway music. Could music make or break a show?

To start, you have the standard fashion show music - it's a light techno mixed with classical like the Anna Sui show below. I don't know how or why this became the standard fashion show music but you can't deny that the beat is easy to walk to and the music does not distract from the clothes.



Nowadays you can tell a high-end, professional fashion show from a smaller (community) show by the music. For example, when I went to see haute couture designer Sergey Ermakov's US debut, the music was classical to a tee, orchestra and all. But more commonly, I go to shows put on by organizations hoping to appeal to the masses and get more donations by playing pop and hip-hop. I'm not knocking them for this - quite the opposite - if the clothes is current and trendy, then by all means play music that follows this theme.

The best example I can find of music setting the theme is Dior's Spring '06 Haute Couture Show. Excuse the expression, but the mix of THAT music plus THAT fashion is simply creamable. And never does the music detract from the clothes - it only enhances them.

This brings me top my first Top 10 Songs for your Fashion Runway. This is not glorious, haute couture music but good for setting the mood at smaller, trendier shows.

1. Fashion by Lady Gaga
   
2. Honeytrap by We Have Band
   
3. Destroy Everything You Touch by Ladytron
   
4. I Like That by Luciana
   
5. Stronger by Kanye West
   
6. Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf
   
7. Like a G6 by Far East Movement
   
8. Fashionista by Jimmy James
   
9. All Around the World (Punk Debutante) by Cooler Kids
   
10. Gold Guns Girls by Metric
    

I'm gonna go on record and say Lady Gaga made a song specifically for the runway. From the beat to the lyrics, everything about #1 screams "FASHION SHOW". It seems like you can't go wrong with Lady Gaga for a fashion show - all her songs seem great for the runway shows.

The songs above are just suggestions. When putting on your own fashion show, the three things to consider are (1) your audience, (2) your designers and (3) your theme. Usually for designer showcases, everyone chooses their own music. If you have a show theme, make sure to tell the designers that their music has to fall into a genre, like a futuristic-style show would probably have trance and techno music.

Pic via We Heart It