From runway to radio: You can now listen to music from Alexander McQueen's catwalk shows on Spotify

You can relive the magic of the label's most famous runway displays with two curated playlists

Model Shalom Harlow was sprayed with paint for the spring / summer Alexander McQueen show in 1999, set to the tune of Camille Saint-Saens’s 'The Swan'. Courtesy McQueen
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If you fancy holding your very own catwalk show while staying at home, well, finding a soundtrack just got a lot easier.

Alexander McQueen has launched its very own playlist on Spotify as part of its McQueen Creators initiative, bringing together tracks from some of the brand's previous fashion week shows.

Launched as part of its programme to help us all deal with life indoors amid the coronavirus pandemic, the house called on long-time musical collaborator John Gosling to collate a nine-hour streamable edit.

A look for the autumn / winter 2009 collection by Alexander McQueen. Courtesy McQueen
A look for the autumn / winter 2009 collection by Alexander McQueen. Courtesy McQueen

As the man behind the brand's fashion show soundtracks for more than 20 years, Gosling created the unforgettable music accompanying the often-challenging runway displays.

Under the direction of founder Alexander Lee McQueen, the house was known for its dizzyingly non-conformist fashion spectaculars that featured – among other things – cages filled with butterflies, runways lit only by swinging spotlights and, most famously, model and dancer Shalom Harlow being sprayed with paint by two robotic arms, all accompanied by thunderous soundtracks by Gosling.

Now, such music has been curated into two playlists, and listeners can expect a diverse and moving selection of tracks.

Featured tunes include compositions by the likes of Iceland's Johann Johannsson, Mozart's Piano Concerto No 23 in A, a Philip Glass piece from The Hours soundtrack, and a Hans Zimmer work from Interstellar.

In addition, the house has also tasked composer Isobel Waller-Bridge, who created and performed the music for the spring / summer 2020 show along with the London Contemporary Orchestra, to record new music to add to the playlist.

London Contemporary Orchestra performing a piece by Isobel Waller-Bridge, at the Alexander McQueen spring summer 2020 fashion show. Courtesy McQueen
London Contemporary Orchestra performing a piece by Isobel Waller-Bridge, at the Alexander McQueen spring summer 2020 fashion show. Courtesy McQueen

McQueen Creators is a groundbreaking new programme set up by the house to help encourage creativity at home, and support and encourage participants to freely express themselves.

It will offer digital tutorials on a new concept each week – ranging from music to embroidery – offering an opportunity to gain insight and guidance from one of the most uncompromising fashion houses in the world.

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