Imagine getting a phone call from an unknown number asking you to come for a fitting to be in the Kanye West fashion show. While it sounds hard to believe, that’s exactly what happened to 23-year-old naval officer Erika Lawson this past month.
West and collaborator Vanessa Beecroft wanted to stay true to the military aesthetic of the Yeezy Season 2 collection and include actual military personnel within the show. Beecroft knew of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, where Lawson went to school, and reached out to the Long Island based college to ask for officers. The military college is predominately male but both West and Beecroft really wanted to include a female officer in the show, which led the school to connect the duo with Lawson. After an initial meeting with West and crew, Lawson later learned that she and three other officers from her school were also expected to help choreograph the entire show.
“Kylie Jennerand Bella Hadidwere sitting in the audience bleachers watching us, and we were standing there and expected to come up with a marching routine and then teach it to them. It was two hours before the show was supposed to start. So we began trying to teach the models the basics of marching.” Lawson recalled to i-D Magazine.
Apparently the models couldn’t quite perform the march to West's taste so he directed that they walk instead, but still wanted Lawson and her fellow officers to teach them the marching commands. As we all know by now, the show was a huge success and Mr. West himself was very happy with the outcome–so much so that he was moved to tears.
“After the dress rehearsal, Vanessa came backstage and told me that when Kanye saw me walk out with the models he was so moved he had tears in his eyes. He was really touched to have a female military officer involved in his show and calling the commands.”
