The famous rapper and million album seller Kanye West, who has changed his name to Ye, can add the “model” title to his achievement. Collaborating with the iconic Spanish brand Balenciaga, Ye walks on the mud-lined runway in Parc des Expositions for the first time.
Balenciaga and its superstar collaborations are no surprise anymore. Like its Couture show, featuring Dua Lipa and Nicole Kidman last July. And its house ambassador Kim Kardashian.
Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna Gvasalia, is an old friend of Kanye West. Ye has supported Balenciaga for som time, since Gvasaia’s days at Vetements. Therefore, this collaboration is a predictable one.
However, when Ye shows up to open up the apocalyptic-themed presentation at Balenciaga’s spring 2023 show, audiences were taken aback by the out-there appearance.
The mud show is full of puddles and piles of sludge, presenting “a metaphor for digging for the truth and being down to earth.”
“I’ve decided to no longer explain my collections and verbalize my designs, but to express a state of mind,” Demna says, “I hate boxes and I hate labels… Individualism in fashion is downgraded to pseudo trends dictated by a post in stories of some celebrity of the moment.”
The set is also a metaphor for searching for the truth and being realistic. Luckily, instead of wearing the crystal flip-flops, Ye changes into normcore boots to prevent the attack from the muddy set.
Wearing an all-black motocross-meets-military gear, Ye walks through the thick and stodgy muddy road just like other models.
The whole look seems so strong and impactful. The security jacket with multiple functional pockets, and the cap with 2023. And the black trouser and boots, bring Ye’s inherent charm and imposing vibe to another level.
“Let us let everyone be anyone and make love, not war,” Demma says. Ye embodies the brand’s new mission – rejecting the labels that the business so dearly loves to employ. And Ye’s love and dedication for his family can also reflect the brand’s idea very well.
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