Fashion’s female DJs of Asian descent turning the tables
At a time when female empowerment has touched many industries, are women DJs breaking the mould or simply coming into their own in the world of fashion?
For the fashion crowd, female DJs long ago earned top billing in their own right, with the likes of Leigh Lezark, Hannah Bronfman and Harley Viera-Newton mixing for Dior, Versace, Cartier, Bulgari, Chloé, and a host of other top-tier brands.
“Last night, a She J saved my life,” boldly proclaimed British celebrity stylist-turned-DJ Nikki Pennie’s T-shirt. After all, the fashion industry has long been attracted to female performers, both as muses and as sources of inspiration.
Nowadays no glittering fashion party is complete without its elite guest list and a talented woman at the turntable. “Fashion has always liked women DJs. Mainly for aesthetic reasons. Pretty girls dressed in [the label’s] designs makes complete sense, and having a woman DJing at a fashion event offers a complete experience linked to the brand’s aesthetic,” says French-Taiwanese music promoter and DJ, Louise Chen, who played sets last year at the L’Oréal x Balmain launch and at Miu Miu’s Paris Fashion Week party.
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“Fashion follows the Zeitgeist. [Fashion] is actually one of the industries where there has been a sort of positive discrimination in favour of female DJs,” Chen says.
