On Oct. 3, Kanye West (Ye) debuted his Yeezy clothing line at Paris fashion week. During his runway show, West was seen wearing a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt, and was photographed with right-wing politician Candance Owens. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), “White Lives Matter” is a “white supremacist phrase that originated in early 2015 as a racist response to the Black Lives Matter movement”.
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West was met with backlash from fans and celebrities such as Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid, P. Diddy, Justin Bieber, and Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson. As a result, West posted offensive remarks in retaliation on Instagram and Twitter. This eventually led to both platforms banning him. Furthermore, West made a series of harmful remarks on social media, many considered anti-semetic, and on Oct. 17, West purchased the far-right conservative social media app, “Parler''. The next day, West’s “White Lives Matter'' shirts were handed out to the homeless on Los Angeles’s Skid Row by accused serial rapist Ian Connor.
Additionally, West made an appearance on Fox News where he addressed everything from his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, Lizzo’s body image, and Pete Davidson in a sit-down interview with Tucker Carlson. The podcast Drink Champs also held a sit-down interview with West, which has since been deleted, where West made hurtful comments about the death of George Floyd. On Oct. 18, days after the podcast interview aired, Floyd’s daughter filed a $250 million defamation and false statement lawsuit against West.
However, West is not only a musician and designer, but holds ties with fashion brand Baleciaga. On Oct. 2, the day before the Yeezy show, West walked in Balenciaga’s Paris Fashion Week Show. But as family members, friends, and social media platforms continue to cut ties with West, many are left wondering if Balenciaga is next.
West has been a long time fan of Balenciaga, and even has a close friendship with Demna Gvasalia– the creative director of Balenciaga. West has popularized many of Balenciaga’s pieces and collaborated with Balenciaga during his relationship with Gap, which led to the Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga product line. The relationship worked because West was able to viralize Balenciaga’s products during the release of Donda, and the live performances leading up to the album drop. Oversized black leather jackets, face masks, and large rubber boots have become synonymous with West’s image– all pieces from Balenciaga.
For over a decade, Kanye West has been a force in the fashion industry. Beginning in 2009, West interned beside Virgil Abloh at Fendi, and later intended to debut a collection in collaboration with Kim Jones and Abloh titled “Pastelle”. However, during the 2009 VMAs West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech, which has become the starting point in the timeline of West’s erratic and unacceptable behavior. The collection failed to hit the shelves due to the controversy.
In 2011, West debuted his DW by Kanye West collection at Paris Fashion Week, and produced another DW runway show in 2012. That same year, Kanye began a partnership with Nike, however West wasn’t satisfied with his allotted royalties and the shoes’ continuously delayed release and switched to Adidas. In June of 2016, Adidas and West cemented their longstanding relationship with the release of adidas + KANYE WEST, a Yeezy uni-sex branded footwear, apparel, and accessories line. Yet six years later on Oct. 6, Adidas put their relationship “under review”, but when will Balenciaga do the same?
Simply because many consider West to be a creative genius doesn’t excuse his behavior towards others. Balenciaga’s hesitancy in breaking West’s contract comes off as an excuse, and there’s no doubt that this relationship is more complex than his relationships with other celebrities and brands. Demna and West have been friends since 2014, so Balenciaga plays the role of designer, friend, and muse, in their relationship with West, and severing the tie could result in major repercussions for both parties.
As West’s controversies pile up and are broadcasted across social media for everyone to consume, it leaves many wondering why West is continuously given a platform. Although West was hospitalized in 2016 and 2019 for mental health issues, and was later diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, that does not excuse anti-semitism or racism, and the plethora of other offensive remarks West has said. Even though West has a long-standing legacy, not only in music as well as fashion, it is time that brands such as Balenciaga, and friends such as Demna sever their ties with West.
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