The Barneys x TIDAL Collabo Is Here

In an exclusive interview with Bustle, designer Tim Coppens tells us about the Barneys x TIDAL collaboration, where the worlds of fashion and music intersect to create a one-of-a-kind consumer experience. Coppens is the first designer featured in Barney's monthly music series "Discover TIDAL," which allows shoppers to get to know the creative minds behind the clothes through their curated playlists. The Belgian designer, who showed at the inaugural New York Fashion Week: Men's earlier this year, told Bustle how he got involved in the partnership between the retail giant and the celebrity-owned music streaming company.

"Barneys has been a great partner for Tim Coppens and has always respected the vision I set out for my brand," he tells us. "And obviously music has always been a very important source of inspiration. So it was kind of a no-brainer to get involved and come up with a playlist. The edit down to six songs was a little more challenging, however." For Coppens' TIDAL playlist, the Belgian designer chose an eclectic mix that includes the Smashing Pumpkins, Kendrick Lamar, The Notorious B.I.G., The Stone Roses, and Helmet. The opening track in his playlist is "All Under One Roof Raving" by Jamie xx of English indie pop band The xx, whom he recently saw perform live.

"It's music that I connect with personally," Coppens said. "Every song has had a place somewhere in my life... the Helmet or Smashing Pumpkins concert, or Richie Hawtin playing at the legendary electronic festival '10 days' in Gent. They are all part of the DNA of the brand."

Coppens' fall 2015 collection drew from the edgy street style of sprawling urban cities, but the music that he heard after coming to the U.S. also plays a major role in his work. "New York in the mid-Nineties... when I came here the first time I felt a connection," Coppens tells us. "Mainly because we had the 411 videos with a lot of NY skate footage and great tracks from Mobb Deep, Biggie. I used a lot of color that I remember seeing back then — the signal orange traffic cone, Method Man's yellow jacket." The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist also spoke about how fashion and music will continue to influence each other.

"The exposure of some artists is huge," Coppens tells Bustle. "The influence of grunge or punk is reinterpreted every couple seasons. And I am sure a lot of people bleached their hair when Eminen became big."

And as for which artist he would like to collaborate with in the future, the designer told Bustle, "Justin Bieber." The Biebs didn't make the cut this time around, but be sure to check out Tim Coppens' Barneys x TIDAL playlist now.