Kanye West debuted his latest fashion line during New York Fashion Week, an almost post-apocalyptic collaboration with Adidas Originals.
Flesh-toned tights and body stockings were a staple of the show, often combined with padded outerwear that resembled bulletproof vests. This was West’s third attempt to impress the fashion world, and possibly his most well-received so far. After the negative reviews of his first show in 2011 and the surprisingly traditional womenswear of his second effort a few months later, this new collaboration with Adidas is more what we might have hoped for from him: an edgy, unisex line with the grungy urban vibe of designers like Rick Owens.
#YEEZY #ADIDAS #NYFW pic.twitter.com/A1g9fujmSn
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) February 13, 2015
My look for the Yeezy show!!!!!! Yeezy head to toe!!!!! pic.twitter.com/BbYsUZwdiu
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) February 13, 2015
Instead of strutting down a catwalk, the models marched out of the darkness in rows, accompanied by single musical notes before the soundtrack segued into Kanye’s new track, “Wolves,” featuring Vic Mensa and Sia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEYaLzRDyIA
As you might expect from Kanye West, a lot of effort was put into the staging. The choice to use militaristic ranks was likely the influence of performance artist Vanessa Beecroft, who worked with West to choreograph the show. Her work often involves tableaux of nude or semi-nude models, and West’s flesh-colored body stockings were an obvious callback to her style.
Of course, the most talked-about element was inevitably the star-studded front row, which Kim Kardashian shortened to #WangRihCassPuffJayBeyKimAnna. But now that Adidas has uploaded the actual fashion show to YouTube, you can judge it for itself.
Screengrab via Adidas Originals/YouTube
