Drake performs onstage during Day 2 of Squamish Valley Music Festival on Aug. 8, 2015 in Squamish, Canada.
Andrew Chin/Getty Images
Big Apple-based designers debuting their summer/spring 2016 collections at New York Fashion Week (Sept. 10-17) dish to Billboard about the tunes that have fueled long hours in their studios.
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“Blue Skies” by Willie Nelson. “My entire collection is inspired by him and all that he represents. I saw him play at Prospect Park [in Brooklyn] with my family this summer: It was everything.”
— Mara Hoffman
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“I’ve been listening to Pink Floyd since my childhood. I find their music endlessly creative.”
— Marchesa’s Keren Craig
“Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: When I drape, their voices put me at ease.”
— Georgina Chapman
“Kiasmos’ music has been on repeat. The blend of strings, piano with loops and edgy beats gives a great balance of calmness and energy as I’m designing.”
— Paul Andrew
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“Anything and everything by Drake — his music energizes me. My collection this season is bold and quite dynamic, and I think Drake’s music reflects a lot of the same qualities.”
— Monique Lhuillier
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“My collection this season is inspired by cultures south of the border, so we have been listening to Celia Cruz and Jose Feliciano in the design studio.”
— Dennis Basso
“Classic Dr. Dre, Carole King and Amy Winehouse. Seeing the film Amy reminded me just how amazing Back to Black was and what an amazing talent the world lost.”
—Wes Gordon
—Wes Gordon
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“Daughter’s The Wild Youth EP from 2011. I’m late to the party on this one, but Elena [Tonra] has an incredible voice, the band writes great songs, and I can’t wait until the new album comes out.”
— Suno’s Max Osterweis
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“Two of my idols are Boy George and David Bowie, but I’ve been listening to “Baby” by Micky Green and “Gotta Tape I Wanna Play” by Disco Deviance a lot this season.”
— Herve Léger’s Lubov Azria
This story originally appeared in the Sept. 19 issue of Billboard.