Artist: Pink Floyd
Title: The Great Gig In The Sky (Written by Rick Wright)
Album: The Dark Side Of The Moon
Label: Capitol

On the 7th of December Karl Lagerfeld left it to the Byzantine Empress Theodora to receive us in the Salons of rue Cambon, customized to become the decor for the show.

Mat gold walls, painted mosaics, poufs and beaded curtains, scents of orange blossom and fresh mint… these are just some of the elements that she carefully chose to set the scene for the Paris-Byzance collection.

Sound speakers veiled by wall hangings unleash the poignant sounds of ‘Dark Side of The Moon’ by Pink Floyd, one of her favorite bands.

In the 17th Century, she adored Lully, Mozart amused her in the 18th, in the 19th she succumbed to the charms of Saint-Saëns and Debussy but, of all the musical expeditions infused with a hint of the Orient, it is the psychedelic trip of Pink Floyd that won out, appealing to her through the idea of an inner journey without limits or frontiers when high fidelity is a question of acoustics and nothing else.

The result is a musical mosaic that perfectly partners the Byzantine embroideries and links Constantinople with Paris by celestial paths that give the models the impression of walking on cushions of air with their arabesque heels.

Theodora approves when Freja closes the show to the sound of ‘The Great Gig In The Sky’, leading the way for the final parade of this collection which pays tribute to the know-how of the Métiers d’Art artisans.

Artist: Maxence Cyrin
Title: Behind The Wheel (Depeche Mode) (Written by Martin Gore)
Album: Modern Rhapsodies
Label: Japan

After the traditional Passeggieta, a leisurely stroll through the world of Chanel – doll houses, Haute Couture gowns compressed under sheets of Plexiglas, a peek into the pocket of a 2.55 bag – the guests at Palazzo Morando were treated to a performance by the pianist Maxence Cyrin.

Having always been fascinated by electronic music and pop music in general, Maxence Cyrin gives these piano melodies a very personal touch. He has released two albums ‘Modern Rhapsodies’ and ‘Novo Piano’, in which we can discover his interpretation of the favorite tunes that accompany him during his evening strolls.

For Chanel, he swaps his piano for a harpsichord painted in 17th Century style and plays melodies by Depeche Mode, Aphex Twin, Blur, Daft Punk, Pixies and Britney Spears… a mixture of different centuries that perfectly sees out the decade.

JARDIN D’EDEN – THOMAS ROUSSEL

It all started with a wisecrack made by Karl Lagerfeld in the Chanel Studio in July this year.

While we were talking about the October fashion show, a French-style garden setting in the Grand Palais and Last Year at Marienbad as inspiration for the collection, Karl was wondering what we should do for music. He was quick to come up with the idea of a philarmonic orchestra.

It was quite an idea since we had to get an orchestra of 80 musicians to play bang in the centre of the Grand Palais, a magical location by all standards whose accoustics are not its best feature.

Thomas Roussel, a young conductor with great ideas, was to be the man for the job; a man of talent who is always a pleasure to work with. During our discussions, we came up with the idea of making a soundtrack that was to be our version of Last Year at Marienbad, as the original score, composed by Francis Seyrig, would have been slightly nerve-racking to present the collection.

We therefore decided to do interpretations of rather well-known pop culture tracks, hinting at the audience without revealing too much from the first keys. We focused on two tracks by Bjork, ‘Isobel’ and ‘Bachelorette’, as they already are like mini-symphonies of their own with elaborate string arrangements that we mixed with a cult theme from John Barry and Thomas’ exclusive composition ‘Jardin d’Eden’ before closing with the sweeping violin crescendos of  ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ a track made famous by The Verve when in fact they borrowed it from the Rolling Stones when it was called ‘The Last Time’.

For two months, we swapped sounds back and forth. Thomas wrote his score on his computer, a bit like a pattern maker making his toile, waiting for final approval prior to transcribe the score for each group of instruments.

In total there were to be eight rehearsals to practice the score and adapt it to the fashion show. The first rehearsal was the trickiest because it was held in an outside venue and the musicians from the Lamoureux orchestra discovered for the first time the melodies and arpeggios they will have to fine tune within the next 48 hours. The violins screeched somewhat and the tempo was slightly off. In the beginning it is always like that and Thomas had the situation under control while I was the only one concerned with the sound being offbeat.

The night before the show, the Grand Palais was amazing with the gardens looking like they had always belonged there. Upon Karl’s arrival we gave the ‘go’ to the conductor and the models started walking the gravel alleys in their everyday clothes, their attitude enhanced by the surroundings and the soundtrack that now sounds perfect. It is the most priviledged moment in the process of the making of a show, when all the pieces from the different players come together making Karl’s vision a reality. Everything feels fresh and fragile, making the ephemeral desirable forever.

On D-Day, the orchestra walks up to, looking impeccable in their custom made Chanel cardigans, both taken and reserved by the idea of playing more than their part in this unusual production. 5-4-3-2-1 Go!
Time stands still, we hold our breath, we have to do it and do it well, it is a live performance and there is no room for error.
The models dressed in silver tweeds and feathers much loved by Mademoiselle appear from each side of the grand staircase, becoming the protagonists of ‘Next Year at Marienbad’.

Two months of work, nineteen-minutes of show but our emotions will remain engraved in our memories forever.

Thomas Roussel composed ‘Jardin d’Eden’, exclusively for the web broadcast of the fashion show.

KELE: THE BOXER
After eight years as the lead singer of British indie rock band Bloc Party, Kele is packing a hard punch on dance floors where Eurodance is considered taboo. The album is a flawless collaboration with XXXChange and will win over the most reluctant of combat sports fans.

WALLS: WALLS
(KOMPAKT)
Sunny and psychedelic, far removed from the popular charts and beyond reproach, the Walls’ eponymous album transports the listener to the pulsing heart of summer raves, or beneath a starry summer sky.

SLEIGH BELLS: TREATS
(MOM + POPS RECORDS)
The Brooklyn duo has released an album with adrenaline-charged sound and no artificial sweeteners. Capable of blowing away the front of the house (or the first rows of fashion shows!), this “wall of sound” is twice as good live.

THE ROLLING STONES: EXILE ON MAINSTREET REISSUE (BOX SET)
(ROLLING STONES RECORDS)
If only for So Divine (Aladdin Story) and the DVD that tells the story of how the album took shape at the Villa Nellcôte. Its decadent look and sound make you wish you could have been there with Mick, Keith, Anita and the rest of the crew.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM: THIS IS HAPPENING
(DFA RECORDS)
James Murphy’s unparalleled talent as a songwriter and producer is confirmed with this album. Dance Yourself Clean features acerbic musings that are full of meaning and characteristic of Murphy’s dry humor. To be played over and over on your iPod.

THE BLACK KEYS: BROTHERS
(NONESUCH)
A modern take on 1970s rock ‘n’ roll with an album cover inspired by the Stax Records label, the Black Keys’ new album transports us to their home state of Ohio.

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS: FURTHER
(ASTRALWERKS)
Their chemical formula is unique: it’s noisy and effective and, with its horse neighing infused with throbbing beats, Horsepower is no exception. Nor is Escape to Velocity, which builds up to gigantic heights of euphoria. For an even more super-charged experience, each song features its own music video.

VARIOUS: DISCO DEVIANCE
(WHITE LABEL)
Get your dancing shoes ready and dance like no one is watching to disco samples in sublime simplicity. For those who like to lose themselves to the beat, in platforms or stilettos, Psycho Killer is perfect for a stylish night of disco fever.

BEST OF BANGERS R MASHED VOL 2
(BROWN LABEL)
With music by Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson and the Beatles, the London Sound System serves up blends of pure dub reggae joy for one amazing mash-up whose sound is unpretentious yet delightfully full-throttle.

JANELLE MONAE: THE ARCHANDROID
(THE WONDALAND ARTS SOCIETY)
A new voice in the world of soul, Janelle Monáe has entered the music scene with plenty of personality and ambition, reflected in songs such as Tightrope featuring Outkast’s Big Boi.
With a look reminiscent of Earth, Wind and Fire’s signature style, she breaks away from the mold set by fellow American soul sisters, who rely on their stylists for success.

BECK RECORD CLUB
Beck’s Record Club gathers different musicians with the goal of recording an album in a day. Keep up to date by watching and listening every week on your iPad. Currently featuring music by Inxs, Velvet Underground, St. Vincent, Feist and Devendra.

MOUNT KIMBIE: CROOKS AND LOVERS
The nineties are back and what better ambassador for the decade than Mount Kimbie? With their much anticipated debut album, Crooks & Lovers, the band invites us into the world of post-dubstep and electronic fusion soundscaping. The sound is reminiscent of Bristol-born Tricky, Massive Attack and Brixton dub, the XX love it. An abstract soundtrack for summer 2010.

DIRTY PROJECTORS AND BJÖRK: MOUNT WITTENBERG ORCA
These two artists have come together for an unlikely vocal collaboration at the “summit” of Mount Wittenberg. Björk and Brooklyn’s Dirty Projectors have created multi-part harmonies that interpret the voices of whales seen off of the California coast. Björk sings the part of the mom whale for a surprising, provocative sound.