Until just a few years ago, music, one of the key ingredients at fashion
shows, was dominated by just a few notable personalities, namely Michel Gaubert
and the two Freds. All that changed when New York-based duo Michaelangelo
L’Acqua and Rene Arsenault of Onda Productions broke the niche wide-open by
scoring the music for the much-lauded fall 2000 Gucci show. Since then, the
trend that often played the same beats at every fashion show (to the chagrin of editors and buyers), has seen an incredibly rapid evolution to include sounds for many environments. While Onda still kicks it (and has branched into music styling for Michael Kors stores and Old Navy commercials), they are now joined by Labtonic, a year-old sound styling outfit that takes its inspiration from the in-depth music research
pilgrimages that partner Laurent Vacher takes every summer. Scouting out obscure house tracks from record labels from Paris to Miami, Vacher and his partner Nima Abbasi have built up an incredible bank of music from which to choose -and it shows. Their layered compositions mix the ultimate in modern sounds infused with a
gorgeous vibe reminiscent of the handbag house heard at London’s legendary Trade after-hours club in the early ’90s.
Clients like Halston, Vivienne Tam, Daryl K and Arlequin clamor for their unique
sound and customized tracks. Another music stylist making inroads is Timaj
Sukker of Nomadic. Born in Ethiopia and raised in London, Addis Ababa and
Rome, Sukker takes her inspiration from the transglobal sounds she discovers on her
frequent trips to Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. With clients including
Triple 5 Soul and Barneys, Sukker has branched out into commercial work as
well, taking music styling to new levels for clients like Estée Lauder, American
Express and Condé Nast. Styling your hair and ensemble is a given, but don’t forget the music.


-Meghan Cleary

Photos: Timaj Sukker of Nomadic
Laurent Vacher and Nima Abbasi of Labtonic