Few fashion shows have attracted a reaction as overwhelmingly negative as Kanye West’s YEEZY Season 4. Fashion publishers around the world have labelled his runway show as a ‘disaster’ and a ‘hot mess’, with social media calling to boycott the infamous hip-hop artist.
In light of the harsh criticism thrown at his collection and the sweltering outdoor runway show, West’s response seems to be: “Hey, at least I tried.”
Props to him. Yeezy is not high fashion in the same way that McDonald’s is not fine dining, but when it comes to the clothes, it’s proposing something else. Twitter erupted with reports of fashion editors walking out mid-show and there was plenty of outrage at the models standing in the heat for so long.
The Venue:
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on New York’s Roosevelt Island played host to West’s live streamed runway show. The crowd of models stood in the triangular lawn, as the white runway led models around the perimeter. As a political reference, it doesn’t get much bigger than a park that represents freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
Truly, the delays to the show caused controversy, although Kanye had a lot to answer for, after receiving a barrage of backlash after sending out a casting call for ‘multiracial women only’.
Major delays and blistering heat caused complaints, to which Kanye finally acknowledged stating, “At the beginning of this performance I tried my best to not drop,” he said. “No I tried to listen to all the reports and shit and I tried my best to stop trying. But I just couldn’t it do it, I couldn’t stop. No matter what they write, I just couldn’t stop.”
Modelling Experience:
For SS17, West combined oversized shearling hoodies and puffer parkas with ribbed leotards and thigh-skimming stiletto boots – precariously constructed with the tendency to break beneath the models’ ankles. Bergdorf Goodman’s Bruce Pask, quoted as saying “I think I’m going to pass out” had to jump up on the runway to help a stranded young woman, humiliated by her boots. The colour palette was an evolving variation of stone and sand hues, nothing new for the designer, with a couple of looks done entirely in black.
Vanessa Beecroft’s involvement in the Yeezy collections has indicated a less conventional runway presentation, resembling a unique brand of performance art.
West ensures that by the time the shoes hit the shelves, they’ll be unbreakable. “As is the case with many fashion shows, the designs presented on the runway are often times still in the sample, prototype stage,” a Yeezy spokesperson told WWD. “We take quality control very seriously and will ensure that these models undergo further, rigorous trials before reaching the consumer.” West’s perfectionist tendencies are well-documented, through painstaking attention to detail, seeing his latest album, The Life of Pablo, undergo several revisions before release.
The moment West tweeted an open casting call for “multiracial women,” thousands flocked to answer his call. No information was given regarding model payment, but street-casting clearly saves thousands upon thousands of dollars in comparison to booking top models. Furthermore, these were not only hopeful models, they were presumably either die-hard Kanye fans or young beauties desperate to affiliate themselves with one of the world’s most lucrative brands. As explained by a Hypebeast article, “The clothes can be forgiven; the accusations of exploitation cannot.”
Conflicting reports have been made, with regards to the treatment of the suffering models. Some articles insist that models were given water, whereas others report that the women were given little to no assistance in coping with the crippling heat. Resulting videos from the presentation reveal models stumbling along the runway with the help of show attendees, while some remain seated in the center to remove their shoes. With the exception of a few big names most participants were untrained models, hand-picked for their aesthetic and subsequently thrust in front of the world’s fashion elite as their footwear fell apart.
Artistic Integrity:
In the wake of a few successful seasons establishing himself as a legitimate player in the apparel business, Kanye West seems to be at a crossroads when it comes to his own ambitions. The Yeezy 4 show seemed to represent a breaking point for the designer. There is something brilliant about Kanye West and his competing obsessions with high art and commercial accessibility.
The models may be the ones collapsing, but it seems that luxury fashion insiders are also exhausted of schlepping to outrageous venues to see the same collection in slightly different shades of dust. In his conversation with Vogue.com, Kanye stated, “I’m not saying this is a fashion proposition. I’m saying it’s a human proposition.” Maybe it’s time to consider the fashion element less, and the human element a little bit more.
Conclusion:
Calls to boycott Yeezy will likely prove unsuccessful. West can ultimately do whatever he wants and continue to sell. The world knows it, the fashion industry knows it and, most importantly, Kanye knows it.