Designers may wash their hands of this decision and leave it to a hired gun such as a local DJ, a Len Henry, a friend of a friend, etc. Some designers may select each song and sample because ultimately they are most tapped in to the vision for the season. While others may leave it to Energy 108 and other popular music forums. There are various factors that influence fashion: sex, film, technology, nature, culture, athletics, etc. However, none of these influence it more than music. Music complements, inspires, and brings fashion to life.

If you went home with your marketing or design staff with the goal of selecting the music for your furiously approaching show, instead flipped through your home collection, listened to some funny songs and woke up with a hangover, don’t worry there is a quick fix. If you went home, opened a bottle of Chianti and puffed a fatty with the hopes of becoming one with your clothes, music, and soul, there is a fix. Finally, if you ventured out after a grueling week to the hottest club to see what the hood rats were dancing too, instead you spent the night chatting up twins…well at least you have had yourself a fantastic evening. For a quick fix, please begin with the Wild Bunch Massive Attack. This trio from Bristol England is moody, funky, and versatile. They are not my favorite band but you are certain to capture the mood of the collection with at least one of their tracks. With more soul in their sock drawer than most socialites have in their walk-in closet, they collaborate with the dubtastic Horace Andy, Craig Armstrong on piano (who also scores movies, check Moulin Rouge), MC Tricky, and the crystal clean vocals of Shara Nelson, Nenah Cherry, and Tracey Thorn. They even dish out a bang-on cover of W. De Vaughn.

Fall 2000 Fashion Week, which included some impressive collections and slick venues, was for the taking. Crystal Siemens got it rolling in an underground parking garage with an ethereal Moby track, who happens to be one of the few underground artists to champion popular music. In fact, Calvin Klein thinks highly of him too and featured Moby in a recent ad campaign. However, Siemens’ show was a perfect example of how important music is to fashion. It’s almost unfair to isolate this show because it was more powerful than most. She set the tone, had us locked, and then forgot that hidden gem that all DJ’s carry in the crates. She forgot that lighter fueled mad rush encore just when you think the band has gone home. Other shows didn’t even hit the cross fade. Joeffer Caoc provided the tightest presentation with snowy stills of 40’s and 50’s film noir, a tweaked out Moloko remix ("Sing It Back"), and hazy jazz finale that sounded like Shirley Bassey and Proppelerheads trapped in a bong. Rosy Pannaci went with the crowd pleasing Macy Gray but later redeemed herself with the sweet sounds of Morcheeba. Pat McDonagh even dropped a taste of Led Zeppelin just to let us know that the jet set still like their rock n’ roll. The love affair with Paris is back on and I don’t mean Galliano, Thierry Mugler, or fashion mogul Bernard Arnault. Both the George Brown College student show and the Smirnoff Fashion Awards, where you might expect some decent beats, included French artists such as Air and Dimitri on the play list. The most popular track of the week was Groove Armada’s;"I See You Baby…Shakin’ That Ass" ( pretty much a house anthem by this time). The duo of A. Cato and T. Findlay have a subtle touch that can only truly be discovered with the rest of Vertigo. Try finding their first full length, Northern Star on the Tummy Touch label, or their most recent effort, a perfectly paced compilation. This features the soulful swagger of Al Green, Barry White, the deep house of Tall Stories and the clincher for your show, a Tim Love Lee remix where the applause is already taken care off.

You are going to receive applause anyway. It is unlikely that you will receive any boobirds from the typically docile Canadian fashion crowds. Ivana Santilli, a regular at the fall shows, formerly of Base is Base and now on the 4 Hero tip stated before performing at the Smirnoff Awards that until recently she “only knew of Byblos and Dolce and Gabbana, but there is some great Canadian talent?” This was supposed to be rhetorical on a night when we were celebrating this very point, but Santilli coolly received the answer she was urging for.

(Toronto) is the shit man, (Toronto) is the bomb man, it’s like…it’s the best place in the world, we got…we got fine women to hook up with, we got good clubs, good record stores, we got the best beer, all kinds of imported shit, (we got good clothes). - David Holmes

Canadian designers face many challenges, budget being one of them. But music is mostly free. It’s time to spark that docile crowd. Find a friend, who is a DJ or selector, they would probably appreciate the opportunity. Any of the local Movement crew with their raregrooves would do nicely. You can rent four colossal speakers on tri-pods, an amp, a CD mixer, and enough speaker wire to drop your smokeshow models from the rafters for only $200, not as credible as the 1’s and 2’s but much easier to manipulate. Remember this is not Kid Koala vs. Juice but a fashion show.

Toronto is quickly becoming a mecca for progressive music (just refer to the hullabaloo on the rave scene). It’s time for our designers to embrace this. Music can send shivers down a spine like it first did for me at a Pink Floyd show. When I imagine a collection, I’m automatically placing it in the company of music. This summer’s live lineup that included Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe (Greyboy All Stars), Groove Armada, Roy Ayers, Kid Loco, Weldon Irvine, etc. was unprecedented and it just keeps getting better. Most recently, I caught Blue Note guitarist, Ronny Jordan at Lee’s Palace and it was so good, it was a mockery. He was joined by Jamiroquai's’s organ player and this funny looking dude on bass (I would provide their names but Ronny mumbles like some old jazz fatcat) for an electrifying hour of entertainment.

Make the music a competitive advantage because you might not find it with an abundance of available fabrics or a bottomless advertising dollar. Why not provide your customer with a kick ass pair of leathers and song as they make there way. If every stitch is sewn, then every song must be carefully selected. Burn your models a disk in advance of the show and challenge them to translate the seasons message while feeling sexy in those leathers and shakin’ your ass to that song. Fashion with music is easier to comprehend.

Until next time!
Brett Blankstein, Reporter
Marek Wlazlo, Photographer

Minimidimaxi LTD.
Canadian Fashion Stage

All Rights Reserved MINIMIDIMAXI Ltd. 2000©

Dimitri in Paris Night at the Playboy Mansion disco house
Donald Byrd/Grant Green Reissue jazz
David Holmes Bow Down to the Exit Sign slippery and sweaty fusion
Blackalicious Instrumental hip hop
Keb Darge/BBE Legendary Deep Funk Three raregroove