The Most Controversial People in Fashion Right Now

Image via Complex Original

Founder, FUCT

Best known for: Creating subversive streetwear

FUCT is one of the longest lasting streetwear brands around. And much, if not all of the brand's success has to be attributed to Erik Brunetti's polarizing yet effective countercultural techniques. Often using his brand to push his political and religious or just plain subversive agenda, Brunetti has never been one to care what people think about his pieces. A eulogic remembrance of Saddam Hussein? Check. Pacman smashing Ms. Pacman? You betcha. Oh, and did we mention the brand's name is FUCT?

Creative Director, Chanel

Best known for: Spectacular runway shows; really, really disliking fat people

Karl Lagerfeld, while supremely talented with a wealth of industry knowledge and accolades, has a tendency to come off as a little disconnected from the majority. He has no issues holding his tongue, especially when it comes to people who are overweight or just plain poor. While he has gone on record to say that he lost 90 lbs. in just about a year so he could fit in Hedi Slimane's Dior denim, you would think there would be some empathy from the famous designer, right? He has showed his disdain for overweight people on numerous occasions, basically saying the size 0 models he'd like to use shouldn't be an issue with the zillions of fat people we need to deal with. He's even made some questionable remarks about the middle class, claiming they do not have enough class and that he hoped his mid-range collections would help.

Rapper

Best known for: Being a fashion birther and fashion killa

It's no secret that A$AP Rocky has helped put a considerable amount of brands and trends on the map, thrusting a different kind of high-end streetwear and couture to the forefront of hip-hop style. And if anyone will tell you this, it's him. On his newest track “Multiply,” Rocky shunned cult brands Hood By Air and and Been Trill, brands he once heavily supported, while crowning himself the “mothafuckin' lord of this fashion shit.” Anyone making statements like that is bound to bring on controversy from multiple levels.

Creative Director, Maison Martin Margiela

Best known for: Having a very public meltdown

Boy, that got out of hand quickly. One day, John Galliano is the head designer at Christian Dior, and the next he is getting arrested for drunkenly blurting out obscene anti-Semitic statements in 2011. He was immediately dropped from Dior and has since attributed the incident to self-hatred due to alcohol and drug abuse, and underwent rehab and other efforts to get sober and address the other factors that led to his prior actions. He's stayed fairly under the radar until a few months ago, when he was named creative director of Maison Martin Margiela, thus starting the conversations back up around his previous remarks and polarizing those who don't want Galliano's words to be forgotten, and those who don't want to bar a very talented designer from the world of fashion.

Founder, Supreme New York

Best known for: Creating one of the most enigmatic streetwear brands ever

When Supreme opened in 1994, Jebbia's experience of working in streetwear gave him the innate sense to pinpoint what the market was missing, and what everyone wanted in a good skateboard brand. T-Shirts, hoodies, comfortable pants and caps with cool prints were Supreme's uniform and the shop gave local skaters a place to hang out and progress the skate and streetwear culture. Jebbia's built an empire on a box logo. A box logo that, much like many of the brand's designs, was a pilfered parody of one of Barbara Kruger's famous pieces of art. A box logo that he sued women's streetwear brand Married to the Mob's owner, Leah McSweeney, for $10 million over. Like any insular and secretive possessor of the throne, there's going to be controversy, and Supreme seems to spark some every time it makes a move.

Rapper

Best known for: Being the self-proclaimed biggest rockstar in the world

Kanye West's controversial ways span far beyond fashion. In fact, everything about him seems to ignite controversy. But the one thing he is most passionate about is the world of fashion, and you already know about Kanye's passion.

Whether its the outspoken way in which he addresses himself or his critics or the jaw-dropping things he wears, he's going to drum up some heated discussions. And while he claims to be one of, if not the biggest influencer in the name of fashion, he has also complained about the numerous snubs and disregards he's received as a designer. Like others on this list, Kanye has had a complaint or two about other bold-faced names in the fashion world, and doesn't back down when he gets called out. 

Of course, we can't forget his tour merch, right? You know, the gear with the Confederate flags all over it? While he says the flag is his now and negates its significance as a symbol of Southern racism, others might not take the same perspective, resulting in more ongoing controversy that continues to surround the man.

Creative Director, Saint Laurent Paris

Best known for: Being an uncompromising perfectionist

Before he even showcased his grungy, hip design aesthetic as creative director for Saint Laurent Paris, elitists and purists strongly criticized Slimane's decision to rebrand the ready-to-wear line and dropping the “Yves” from the name. This certainly wouldn't be the first time Slimane would be described as “self-important” and it certainly won't be the last.

Prior to jumping on with the French fashion house, as the creative director for Christian Dior's menswear line, Dior Homme, his revolutionary designs were far removed from the brand's classic, understated and bourgeois collections that had defined the label for many years. But Slimane was a perfectionist with a vision he didn't expect the purists to understand. He was completely unfazed by the criticism and was set on moving the brand in a more youthful, grunge-inspired direction which would prove to change menswear forever, showing it too could be couture.

A lot of this direction carried over to his first collection with SLP, the runway show of which was marred by negative headlines that focused on the handling of the press and other attendees. The collection received a scathing review from New York Times fashion journalist, Cathy Horyn who said the season looked as though it had been created by someone who had been disconnected from fashion for several years. In fact, Horyn had been banned from attending the show, and after the review came out, Slimane responded with a post on social media that called Horyn "a schoolyard bully." The spat raised the issue of the relationship between critics, journalism, and brands, and the controversy was something that hadn't been seen in a while.

Founder, A.P.C.

Best known for: Being unapologetically opinionated

Jean Touitou takes his French heritage very seriously. All the way down to speaking his mind even if it comes off aggro as fuck. He has no qualms with airing people, industries or fashion institutions out to dry with his merciless words. Whether it's voicing his disdain for fashion week or fast-fashion, or making disparaging remarks about China, Touitou is an IDGAF catalyst. He's even had some choice words for Hedi Slimane and his creative directorial approach to the Saint Laurent brand, basically calling him and the brand “bullshitters” for trying to spin Yves Saint Laurent's relationship with rock n' roll (or lack thereof) as a correlation to the new age version Slimane is creating. This has certainly alienated him within the industry, but it obviously means nothing to the feisty Frenchman.

Founder and former CEO, American Apparel

Best known for: Being a huge perv

While the former American Appareal CEO has "racist remarks" and "misuse of company funds" under his belt, the 45-year old skeeve-bucket's years of sexual harassment, some involving teenage girls and boys, was his true calling. Conducting job interviews in his underwear. Alleged accounts of masturbation in front of journalists researching the brand. Ordering employees to pretend to masturbate in front of him or he'd "kick their ass." A litany of sexual harrassment charges against him.

All of the above, plus his carelessness with the company's financials had finally caught up to him in June 2014. He was suspended as the multi-million dollar brand's President and CEO (only to become a brand consultant with a yearly salary of $1 million for four years,) but was subsequently canned on December 16.