Despite the painfully cold weather, the fashion community has been abuzz with talk of New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Held twice a year in February and September in New York City, designers from all around the world gather to showcase their designs to the press and public for the coming seasons. So far, NYFW has shown us a glimpse into the fall and winter 2015 trends, with throwbacks to ’70s flair and chic street style. Though NYFW has always been a time for surprises, this year we welcomed a familiar face into an industry unfamiliar to him.
Kanye West, a promient rapper, made his debut as a “designer” this past week on Thursday, Feb. 12. According to an interview with Style.com, West didn’t want to be referred to as a designer out of respect for the more qualified designers in the fashion industry. His deferential tone was clearly not just an act. The critics were unimpressed by Kanye’s collaboration with Adidas, shrugging at the subdued colors and the futuristic-military vibe. He stated that he considered himself to be the “Robin Hood” of fashion, attempting to take the elitist aspect out of fashion. Clearly his words received more than a few eyerolls in light of his wife’s lavish wardrobe and his toddler’s custom- made outfits. With the exception of his haute-couture street sneakers that sold out over the weekend, his endeavor to reform fashion was futile to say the least. However, that’s not to say that the show didn’t receive any attention. Despite the negative press, the Wests’ ability to bask in the celebrity limelight attracted many prominent figures to the event. Kim, with baby North, sat with pop queen Beyonce, Jay-Z, Sean Combs, also known as P.Diddy, designer Alexander Wang and surprisingly, Anna Wintour, the editor- in-chief of Vogue America.
In spite of the impressive audience, the Kanye West x Adidas collaboration, titled “Yeezy: Season 1,” was bizarre. Nine rows of emotionless models, including Kim’s younger sister Kylie Jenner, were dramatically illuminated, showing their distressed shirts, tights and army jackets in an urban- dystopian style. However, the austerity of the show was disrupted by West’s young daughter, who threw multiple temper tantrums before leaving with Kim shortly after the event started. Unfortunately for Kanye West, his debut into the fashion world received more press about his toddler than his valiant effort to revolutionize fashion.
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.
Sabrina Leung ‘18 is the Digital Editor majoring in International Relations-Political Science with a minor in History. She is best reached at sleung@wellesley.edu or @sabrinatzleung on Twitter.
