We never expected to see Beats By Dre be one of the hottest fashion week accessories, but thanks to Marc Jacobs' Spring/Summer 2015 runway show last night these must-have headphones have officially gone high-fashion.
While the brand is no stranger to fashion collabs, having partnered in the past with both Fendi and Alexander Wang for special edition headphones, this marks a new use of Beats as part of a runway show. Instead of projecting over a sound system, the instrumentals and vocal narrative that accompanied the show were heard only via Beats Pro headphones which were provided to attendees. This unique concept created a holistic sensory experience for viewers, one which was aimed at enhancing the experience of visually consuming fashion with a focused audio accompaniment.
The concept was the brainchild of composer and producer Steve Mackey alongside Marc Jacobs himself, who further explained the idea: "We wanted to create an immersive experience for this collection, like an art installation – to add another dimension to a more traditional soundtrack.We were really excited to work with Beats by Dre, to develop an enhanced audio experience. The idea was to mix the instrumental track that sounds familiar yet modern, with a narrative overlay to play with the audience’s perception and make for a more personal experience."
And while we can't speak to the effectiveness of the tactic, it certainly created some great photo ops of fashion's elite, like Vogue's Anna Wintour and André Leon Talley, rocking the headphones in the front row.
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