The best hype music (beyond Brat) local designers are listening to

Set the vibe right.

Melbourne Fashion Week sounds like cameras clicking, champagne popping, the trinket girlies jiggling, many overheard “slays” and the city’s inevitable “it’s four seasons in a day”.

On the runways, the soundtrack has been a genre journey. Beginning with the husky vocals of First Nations rapper, Barkaa, on the opening night, building to the futuristic sounds at the Student Collections show and the indie sleaze bangers at the Volvo Electric Runway. Come Sunday, G Flip will no doubt wrap up the week with an epic performance.

Discover more new sounds in FJ’s Music section.

As a media parter, this week our busy days in the office are followed by a quick drag challenge, before flitting across town to catch the evening’s runway show. Plenty of caffeine, trusted beauty products and of course, good music are essential to keep our energy levels up.

The role of music is particularly important to the designers showing at M/FW. Whether it’s a studio session or day of running errands, the vibes have to be right. As Club Venus designer Charlotte Heloise puts it, “There’s always something playing through my headphones or at volume in the studio… Preparations for the show wouldn’t have been the same without these [music] moments.”

The team at Posture Studio has been exclusively listening to Muay Thai traditional boxing music for their collection, while designer Claire Parker of Clair Helen chose specific songs for each stage of her process, “Listening to my traditional music about my totem the crocodile from Tiwi Islands while I do conceptual development, Thelma Plum while pattern making, Barkaa and Madonna when I am sewing.” Here’s what some of our favourite Australian designers have on repeat lately, curated for you to enjoy this week and beyond.

Wackie Ju

‘Eusexua’ by FKA twigs

‘Augustine’ by Blood Orange

‘Chant De La Mer’ by Veronique Chalot

‘I’m So Blessed You’re Mine’ by James Blake

@wackie.ju

Perple

‘Paula, Povoa, Serge’ by Primavera

‘Drive My Car’ by Eiko Ishibashi

‘For Jóhann’ by Ryuichi Sakamoto

‘Jazz (We’ve Got)’ by A Tribe Called Quest

@perplewomen

Karla Laidlaw

‘Red Zone’ by Work the Peripherals

‘Opia’ by Hedflux, Alex Delfont

‘Burning Sands’ by Etnica

‘Mirage’ by Work the Peripherals

@_karlaidlaw

Clair Helen

‘Yirrikiayi’ by Ngarukuruwala

‘Better in Blak’ by Thelma Plum

‘Rush’ by Ayrra Star

‘King Brown’ by Barkaa

‘Electric Love’ by Børns

‘Like a Prayer’ by Madonna

@clairhelen

Club Venus

‘Carnival of Autumn Mind’ by No Borders, Fairie

‘Chacha Uprising’ by Suki

‘Virtual Language’ by Hybrid Man

@clubvenus__

Par Moi

‘Empire’ by Eddie Chacon feat. John Carroll Kirby

‘Please Don’t Go’ by K.W.S

@par__moi

Injury

‘O’ by R.M.

‘Blade Runner Blues’ by Vangelis

‘City Hunter’ by Kahoru Kohiruimaki

‘Guess’ by Coucou Chloe

@theinjury

Wilson Jedd Adams

‘Faceshopping’ by Sophie

‘Hurricane’ by Grace Jones

‘Americano’ by Lady Gaga

@wilsonjeddadams

Posture Studio

‘Ram Muay’ by Chin Chakrit

‘Fight Ritual’ by Georges Bodossain

@posture_studio

For more on the designers at Melbourne Fashion Week, head here.