Michel Gaubert Reflects on the Sound of the ‘90s

Michel Gaubert has always known he wanted to be in music. But he didn’t find his calling until Karl Lagerfeld discovered him in a record shop. In the 30 years since, he’s made a name for himself for capturing the essence of a brand, the mood of the season, and distilling it all in a 15-minute-long runway soundtrack. Which is, at Carine Roitfeld’s behest, precisely what he did for CR Runway’s inaugural show with LuisaViaRoma.

With the ‘90s theme in mind, fashion’s leading sound director strung together iconic hits of the era like “Born Slippy” by Underworld, “Go” by Moby, and “Vogue” by Madonna that felt decade-specific without it being too on the nose. And by mixing in sounds from the ‘80s and early aughts like a modern remix of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” and “Yumeji’s Theme” by Shigeru Umebayashi from the 2000 Hong Kong romantic drama In the Move for Love, the result was refreshingly unexpected, yet surprisingly cohesive.

“The music was ‘90s, but we’re trying not make it so obvious ‘90s,” Gaubert tells us before the show. “The goal for the soundtrack was to not sound like MTV of the United States, but ‘90s with a point of view.”

Gaubert shares his favorite memory of Roitfeld, how music now is different from the ‘90s, and why he doesn’t miss his DJ days.

What was your reaction to Carine Roitfeld asking you to do the soundtrack for CR Runway?
“I thought it was very exciting. She’s a stylist, a creator, and I thought showing people the way she sees fashion, the way she puts it altogether, is an exciting point of view.”

What’s your favorite memory of Carine?
“I met her a long time ago. We worked together a long time ago. My favorite memory of her is a very vivid one. We did the Chanel [Cruise 2010] show in Venice in May 2009, and we hired a band that was playing all night. Carine took off her shoes, she got on the table, and she danced for an hour.”

What was your favorite thing about the music in the ‘90s?
“What I liked the most about the ‘90s was that a lot of new things were happening, which I think is missing these days. There was a lot of movement, a lot of new things, like electronic music. There was a desire to search for new things. It was a very interesting time. Now, creatively, there are good things, but it’s a little sleepy. There’s nothing that sticks out as being a new style. There are trends, which I like a lot, but there isn’t a movement that makes you go crazy.”

What’s the secret behind your talent to create runway music for brands?
“It’s not a secret—it’s an instinct. Ever since I was a kid, I knew I was going to be into music. I didn’t know that it was going to be for fashion shows, but music definitely.”

You were a DJ first.
“I was a DJ for Le Palace in 1980 and 1981, and it was fun. It was very dangerous, and that’s why I stopped.”

Do you miss your DJ days?
“No, not at all. I don’t like to DJ at parties. It’s too much pressure. It’s live, and you have the pressure of the people. If you see that they’re not dancing or not partying, you feel, ‘Omg what am I doing wrong?’ It’s very personal. At least with what I do, there’s more control, more time to study it, and I have the image to the sound I’m playing. It’s different.”

Karl Lagerfeld played an important role in your career.
“He was an inspiring person. He gave you the freedom to do what you want, but you knew you had the freedom to do what you want to please him. It was a very beautiful exchange.”