Dries Van Noten x Tremaine Emory is the crossover we didn't know we needed. It's not really a collaboration, per se, but it speaks to Emory's pre-eminence in the fashion industry. A co-sign from Van Noten is nothing to sneeze at!
2021 has been, if nothing else, a solid year for Emory.
Beyond all the behind-the-scenes stuff with Stüssy and Denim Tears, Emory issued a major ASICS collaboration and, of course, played a major role in The Met's In America exhibit.
His role in the Dries Van Noten Los Angeles store makes sense. The flagship is a hub of creativity: alongside a sweeping selection of the Belgian designer's wares, Van Noten's West Coast flagship also hosts artist installations and curated playlists. Emory is participating in the latter.
"My friend Alex, who works at the Dries LA store, put me on the shortlist of people to do this project," Emory told Highsnobiety.
"The music I choose speaks for itself — the selection is just stuff I love. Music genres are actual mythology."
Emory's curated selection — which includes contemporary classics like Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury and all-timers like Prince's Sign o' the Times — puts him in good company: his picks follow LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy and Kirsten Dunst. All of the albums are played exclusively on vinyl records in-store.
"Vinyl has the best sound, it's right next to being there when the artist made the song," Emory continued. "Everything else besides vinyl is a 2D version of what was intended by the artist."
Like I said earlier, it's not a collaboration so much as an interesting, unexpected partnership. Emory's playlist for Van Noten's store speaks to his far reach and multimedia impact. If his work for The Met didn't make it clear, you ought to be paying attention.
