I asked local fashion brands for the in-store playlists they use the most
IMAGE VIA @SISTER_STUDIOS/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE
“Music is so interwoven in everything we do creatively.”
I worked in fashion retail for the best part of a decade, so you best believe I know the power of a really excellent playlist. What’s playing in a store sets the tone for customers and retail assistants alike – you can feel the change in energy when an expertly curated selection of songs makes its way onto the shop floor (and vice-versa).
Of course, playlists are the ideal choice for a multitude of environments – your office, on a long car ride, at a dinner party or a booty call. Pretty much anywhere or any time when you don’t want to use up all your brain power queuing song after song, naively hoping that they flow together seamlessly.
Looking for more music-centric content? Try our Music section.
Obviously, fashion brands have a plethora of playlists they’ve curated to keep their store’s atmosphere just right (or al dente, if you will). Below, I asked five of our favourite local stores to share their go-to ones with us.
Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp
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I like RTTS land to feel like a little oasis in the middle of the city so I’ve been playing a lot of generic spa music! I find it very peaceful and relaxing. However, recently a customer recommended musician Wendy Rule to me. Her music has the same meditative magical and mystical qualities as the spa music but it’s a lot more special.
She has songs that sound like your walking through an enchanted forest or swimming in a waterfall. When I need something a bit more upbeat I listen to the RTTS playlist my dear friend and DJ Angie Osman made for the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea collection photoshoot.
Sister Studios
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We LOVE making playlists, we spend hours making them at home, in the studio and at the shop! This is a cute one we worked on together for Hope Street Radio. We joke that we have fun playlists and Emma’s indie playlists.
This was one of our indie playlists we put together a few months ago. It has lots of old goldies like R.E.M and some cute new ones we love like HTRK. It’s just a nice easy listening one for work and the studio.
Error 404
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Here at Error404 we always have music playing in-store. We run a ‘Listen’ section on our website where we upload special releases from the local and international E404 community of musicians and DJs. These artists traverse all kinds of genres and sounds, which makes for an eclectic listening experience in-store.
Some of my favourite E404 mixes to date have been Moktar’s uplifting mix during one of Naarm’s many lockdowns, Vessa’s impressive live synth set, and the Solaris-inspired Zaric Jewellery mix by brother-sister duo Aleksandar and Nastja – it’s like a musical journey through space.
Collective Closets
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Music is so interwoven in everything we do creatively. For as long as Fatuma and I can remember, music has been the way we connected with our community, strengthening the fabric of our shared human experiences.
We release a new playlist with every collection to set the tone for the season. We love celebrating musical artists of colour and the sounds of the African continent. This was the playlist from our summer collection. It holds such a special place in our hearts.
Sucker
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There’s a lot of old school R&B and hip-hop coming through the speakers at Sucker and there always has [been]. It brings a bit of attitude and kick to the day. The playful and bouncy production behind all of the ’90s rap tracks isn’t like anything that’s being made today – there’s a bit of a hard, sexy energy behind it that we think brings some fun to the shopping experience.
The likes of De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, TLC, Pharcyde, Eve, Andre 3000, Diddy and Lil Kim are just a few in the rotation. We try to stick to playlists as we’ve had a few incidents when playing albums of occasional porno interludes turning heads in the store. Definitely learned from those mistakes.
We do like to hear each of the team snatch the AUX and bring their own taste to the shop when on shift but generally the default is old school. We like the feeling of nostalgia this kind of music brings to us big kids. We also like seeing people walk past and bop to whatever’s vibrating outta the shop.
For advice on playlist curation, head here.
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