New York Fashion Week starts its 73rd year Thursday. For seven days, designers have the chance to show off their latest duds for a gaggle of editors, bloggers, stylists and photographers.
In classical music, where questions of style have largely centered on revampingconcert attire, top soloists may be looking to secure sponsorship deals with brands like Rolex, Armani or Versace.
Having a patron aid in the production of the arts is nothing new. Most artists have at least one, and some, three, four or more.
Lang Lang, the celebrity Chinese pianist, has been particularly open to deals with the fashion industry. Shanghai Tang branded a scarf for Lang Lang, while Adidas designed sneakers for him. Most of his clothes are by Versace, but he can be seen wearing a Hublot watch.
Rolex, which gives money to multiple concert venues, has for decades branded itself as having "encouraged individual excellence and the pursuit of perfection." They have evidently found that in Yuja Wang, the 28-year-old, globe-trotting pianist. She has been a brand ambassador to the company for a number of years.
Speaking of Rolex, soprano Renée Fleming is also a proud ambassador of the watch. She can also be seen wearing Tamsen Z’s jewelry almost exclusively. Ever fashion-conscious, Fleming has been spotted at Fashion Week events, such as the Vera Wang show in 2013. Not that this is a surprise for a woman who in 2008 entered the celebrity fragrance market with her own perfume, La Voce.
The Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti is recognized for her talents on the fiddle and in promoting music education. In May, the luxury Swiss watch-maker Raymond Weil named one of its watches after her. The guitarist Milos Karadaglic and crossover duo 2Cellos have also aligned with the company.
The connection of fashion and music should not come as a surprise, as all art forms tend to lend themselves to other mediums. At their winter 2015 show in Paris, Dior shocked fashionistas by having a concealed orchestra play while Dior showed their new Hommes line. The Nouveau Classical Project, founded by pianist Sugar Vendil, is a new-music group where “music intersects with fashion and art.”
Moreover, while some might find corporate alliances distasteful, it can also be argued that they draw a wider audience to art. Even if you're in the market for new sneakers or perfume and you happen to encounter Lang Lang's image, then you might look into the pianist's recordings or his youth-focused music foundation. The power of branding, like anything else, is a two-way street.
