Talk not while the bell tolls. After denying the folk icon a reasonable level of attention, the rowdy audience at Louis Vuitton’s “Timeless Muses” exhibition in Tokyo were met with a challenge: raising a bell, Apple asked that they remain silent for the duration of the bell tone. They did not.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat

Apple’s lucid manipulation of vocal rhythm and counterpoint reflects a baroque-pop ethic, carving a place alongside the likes of Regina Spektor, Of Montreal, and Belle and Sebastian. Perhaps unsurprising then, that a truly gifted musician would take offense when the patrons of a fashion event at Japan’s Tokyo Station Hotel apparently cared so little about respecting her or her music. The noise continued even after the bell trick and an endearing “shut the fuck up!” and other expletives were hurled into the din.

The infamous conflict might not come as a shock: the fashion industry is not exactly known for its fastidious respect for women. One commenter on WWD amusingly postulated, “Fashion and high society types are driven by the insecurity needed to keep working a room. They can’t stop schmoozing, like a shark cant [sic] stop swimming or else it will die. These people are monumental douchebags…” while another suggested that it could have been a miscommunication about the nature of the performance. Per usual, “A Louis Vuitton spokesman declined to comment on the performance.”

We’re told to keep an eye out for video which will no doubt surface.

This coming Fall, Apple will be touring across the States with long-time collaborator Blake Mills (and they’re adorable, by the way). Don’t miss them! And please, have some respect.