In the wake of Jimmy Kimmel and Kanye West's online Twitter spat, many issues were raised in the aftermath, like why Kimmel's spoof was problematic, and Kanye West's belief that he's hit a glass ceiling as a creative. Whenever any outlet covers Kanye West, one of the first comments is often "gay fish," a reference to the "Fishsticks" episode of South Park. What most people don't know is that the photo the episode takes its visual inspiration from was snapped by lauded street style photographer Tommy Ton outside the Comme des Garcons show in 2009. At the time, Kanye West was in the throes of learning how the fashion industry worked, and four years later, it's clear that he learned a lot.
He appeared on Jimmy Kimmel this week to explain why he got so angry, air his frustrations about his celebrity status, and mainly, drive home how many people try to pigeonhole him as a rapper, when he believes he has so much more to offer the world, especially the fashion industry, which on the whole has responded tepidly to West's designer aspirations.
"I know I'm hip hop, and I'm a rapper and everything, but I've got ideas that could mean something if I could put the proper production around them," he told Kimmel. "So when I do the Nike Yeezy or a Louis Vuitton shoe, the production is the same as when I do my CD, when me and Rick Rubin or Mike Dean are working together."
That quote from his stream-of-consciousness vociferation is the underlying message that Kanye West wants everyone to know. He isn't willing to half-ass anything, especially when he's passionate about it, like clothes. And now that he's stepping so fearlessly into the media spotlight, perhaps his former fashion naysayers should rethink their positions. Here's why the fashion industry should take Kanye West seriously.
5. There are tons of highly successful designers without a formal fashion education.
Patrik Ervell majored in Political Science before a magazine gig at V led to a T-shirt line that became a menswear collection. Humberto Leon and Carol Lim worked on the corporate side of fashion houses like Burberry and Bally long before founding Opening Ceremony—now the two are also the creative directors of 43-year-old French fashion house Kenzo. Neither Mary-Kate nor Ashley Olsen has ever set foot inside a design school (or graduated college from that matter), but they're still lauded for their fashion lines The Row and Elizabeth and James.
Kanye West's critics tell him he should stick to music because that's all they've ever known him as—a successful musician. No one told the Olsen twins to stick to acting. In fact, the basis for their fashion collections began with a public interest in their personal style. They've since ridden that wave into a 2012 for Womenswear Designer of the Year. Kanye West could have done the same with his planned streetwear line, Pastelle, but he pulled the plug on it because wanted to do it right.
4. He paid his dues under some of the industry's biggest names.
In an unprecedented move, Kanye West dedicated himself to learning the ins and outs of clothing by cutting his teeth in the industry. He moved to Rome to intern at Fendi for four months, and claimed that he snuck into Giuseppe Zanotti's factory where the shoemaker taught him how to design shoes for two years. The surreptitiousness was necessary not because of his celebrity, but because of his contract with Louis Vuitton, with whom he dropped a capsule collection of sneakers in 2009. The all-red "Louis Vuitton Don" sneaker became a cult classic, and immediately linked the bold colorway with Kanye West—his recent "Red October" Yeezy IIs definitely hearken back to this shoe.
He told Kimmel he's met with guys Andrew Rosen of Theory, acclaimed designer Hedi Slimane, and even global sourcing firm Li & Fung. Beyond other rappers who are keen on just name-dropping designers, models, and fashion editors, Kanye West is very much "about that life," not just ingratiating himself with the likes of Jean Touitou and Riccardo Tisci, but learning about their process and even working with them to make sure the end product—whether it's a leather skirt or capsule collection—is as good as it can be.
3. He's totally right about the dearth of black designers in the industry.
There have been plenty of great black designers like Willi Smith, Patrick Kelly, Stephen Burrows, Tracy Reese, and Patrick Robinson, who said of Kanye West: "If he wants people to take him serious in fashion... They have to see the blood, and the sweat, to see that he really wants it," although he did acknowledge that West "definitely has the capability."
Kanye West told Kimmel: "Currently in fashion, there's no black guy at the end of the runway," which isn't exactly true, but there most definitely more currently-recognized black European designers than American ones. British designer Ozwald Boateng has a flagship store on Savile Row and served as the creative director of Givenchy's menswear from 2004-2007, while French designer Olivier Rousteing is creative director at Balmain. Labels like Casely-Hayford and Agi & Sam have cult followings, but are nowhere near mainstream.
That said, the American fashion industry is making serious headway in diversity. Tracy Reese's dresses have ended up on Michelle Obama numerous times, and this year the Swarovski Menswear Designer of the Year award went to Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School. But there's still plenty of opportunity there. When Kanye West shouted out Virgil Abloh's PYREX Vision and Shayne Oliver's Hood by Air on Kimmel, he not only broadcast their names to households everywhere, he was talking about a sea change in fashion. Both PYREX Vision and Hood by Air started as super-niche brands on the Internet (and in many ways, they still are), but have since achieved a presence in the world of high fashion. Hood by Air has held two presentations at New York Fashion Week, while PYREX Vision has become something of a cult label for industry insiders. As West told Kimmel: "We have the loudest voice. We have the loudest communication. And all we want to do is make awesome stuff. All we want is a real shot."
2. He made hip-hop a branding platform for fashion labels.
When Kanye West burst onto the music scene, he was often seen in baggy jeans, pastel-colored polo shirts, and monogrammed Louis Vuitton backpacks. A YouTube clip shows him on 2004 episode of Def Poetry Jam reciting what would become the song "All Falls Down" while wearing a Star Wars T-shirt and huge "Chicago" belt buckle. He pre-empts the piece by saying: "This morning I spent a lot of time trying to pick out my outfit because I'm like, really into clothes. I'mma be the best-dressed rapper out in the game."
Now, perhaps he is. He asked Jimmy Kimmel: "Who do you know that's known more for clothes than me?" Nine years later, his Star Wars T-shirt is now a RRL indigo henley, the baggy jeans have been switched out for slim Balmain and Dior versions, and his adidas sneakers (with the tags intact) have evolved into visvim FBTs. West's style has evolved along with his career, and now that he feels it's at a point where he wants to share his vision with everyone, why shouldn't he be allowed to? Five years ago no rapper (or rap fan, for that matter) had considered buying Givenchy or Alexander Wang, now, people are draped head to toe in it. West's penchant for luxury brands and avant-garde designers paved the way for guys like A$AP Rocky. There would be no blatantly fashion songs like "Fashion Killa," and designers would probably be wary of sending a rapper down the runway.
Kanye West has brought hip-hop and fashion from being mutually aware of each other to fully in bed together. Rappers used to name drop brands like Versace and Louis Vuitton because they were making enough money to buy it. Now—like other celebrities—they're in a position to get it for free based on the strength of their personal brand. And when it comes to that...
1. Kanye West is one of the strongest brands on the planet.
Practically everything Kanye West touches sells. Whether it's limited-edition sneakers like the Air Yeezy, or a minimal collection of jeans and hoodies for A.P.C. The day his collaboration went online, A.P.C.'s website literally crashed. The Versace x H&M varsity jacket he wore in 2011 still fetches a hefty price on the aftermarket, and if it's not because of him, then why do resellers put his name in listing headlines?
What's interesting about this is that West doesn't want to use his celebrity influence to make a profit, but to make genuinely good products that reflect the width and breadth of his creativity. That means when he does a line, or a collaboration, don't expect it to end up at a big box store and priced for the masses.
"No, I understand about quality, fabrics, I spent 10,000 hours out there. I dedicated my life to this," he said. Kanye West is known for his music, and he's transcended multiple barriers through that alone. Part of the reason for that is because he's the type of person who really wants to learn from people who know more and are better at a certain thing than he is. He wants to make clothes, water bottles, and buildings with the Rick Rubins and Mike Deans of those respective industries.
"I've got ideas that could mean something if I could put the proper production around them," he said to Kimmel. All he needs is the industry to let him unleash his unique breed of "truth, beauty, and awesomeness."
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