Kanye in Paris: Here's How Mr. West Spent Paris Fashion Week
Here's how Kanye took over Paris Fashion Week with both his clothing and his music.
Image via Complex Original
This list might make Fern Mallis sick to her fucking stomach. Kim and Kanye have been alienated by the fashion community in the past, but look at them now. They’re sitting front row at damn near every show during Paris Fashion Week ranging from Louis Vutton to Vetements to the LVMH prize nominees event, much to Hedi Slimane's chagrin. And he’s mainly been rocking the same Haider Ackermann sweater and his own adidas boots, too. Kanye's also fixed his relationship with Louie V and Bernard Arnault by performing at their space, Fondation Louis Vuitton, with beautiful nature-filled backdrops (although it’s really Arnault's 22-year-old son who organized the concerts).
The Wests have been mobbed by paparazzi while kissing, shopping, and running wild in Paris. 'Ye has his foot in the door of the fashion industry, and it seems like he’s here to stay, which is big because he’s a person of color, and there aren’t too many people of color able to make continuous power moves in the fashion world. He’s also not alienating the young designers trying to come up.
He’s showing support to the old fashion houses, as well as the up-and-comers, and he's becoming a real part of the community. 'Ye even lost his laptop has leaks from his album coming out amidst all the craziness. Here’s a rundown of his moves during this year’s Paris Fashion Week.
Angel Diaz is a staff writer for Complex Media. Follow him @ADiaz456.
Day 1: Attends the Dries Van Noten show
Date: March 4, 2015
Yeezy sat front row at the Dries Van Noten show looking like a soccer goon and not smiling because he wants to look young forever. *Painted nails emoji*
Hightails it to LVMH Prize event to support Virgil Abloh's nomination for OFF-WHITE
Date: March 4, 2015
Kanye is being accepted into a very exclusive circle of designers, but he's still a newcomer. He attended an event for the LVMH prize nominees—a prize for new designers—to support DONDA creative director Virgil Abloh's OFF-WHITE line.
Plays art curator for “Blud Rush” spread in CR Fashion Book
Date: March 4, 2015
'Ye incorporates art into everything he does. He also loves monsters. He has a song called “Monster,” he looks like a monster on a couple versions of his MBDTF covers, and this “Blud Rush” spread he created for CR Fashion Book is prefaced with some words about monsters. Mr. West is a monster, and must be stopped. Nah, keep going, Yeezy.
Day 2: Sits front row with Kim at the Balmain show
Date: March 5, 2015
Here's Kanye taking Balmain in with Walter Mercado. Shit, that's Kim West. Sorryy, that was petty. Their Balmain campaign was all types of fire, though. #salute
Heads straight to the front row at the Lanvin show
Date: March 5, 2015
Kim is rocking the shit out of that Jamaican knit tank-top dress, and 'Ye is dressed like an angry white teenager who only listens to Eminem. “Fuck you, dad, I do what I want,” he said, as he put on that over-sized hoodie and ran out the house with his skateboard.
Day 3: Attends the Dior show with Lorde, possibly learns magic
Date: March 6, 2015
Lorde is trying to steal 'Ye's soul; we have to save him. Get Harry Potter on the phone.
Announces four shows at the Fondation Louis Vuitton after visiting with Kim
Date: March 6, 2015
We have no further comment on this Louis V situation.
Sits front row at the Vetements show with DONDA and Jared Leto
Date: March 6, 2015
What the fuck does Jared Leto have on his feet? Why isn't he wearing Yeezy Boosts? Did it snow that day? Are those Ralph? I have mad questions.
Then sits front row with Kim and Carine Roitfeld at the Balenciaga show
Date: March 6, 2015
Kim's looking like Lindsay Lohan, and Kanye's rocking a velour jacket. It was 2001 at the Balenciaga show.
Day 4: Sits front row at the Haider Ackermann show
Date: March 7, 2015
Look at those beautiful people of color. Haider Ackermann is bringing velour back. *Dusts off Enyce velour suit* *Cleans white Uptown mids* *It's lit*
Premieres the “All Day” video at the Fondation Louis Vuitton concerts and dances like the dad he is
Date: March 7, 2015
OMG this premiere is when the #KanyeDancing meme was born. May this day be remembered forever. The “All Day” live performance is the official video and song idc idc.
Gives joint interview with Kim about his concerts and her new blonde hair
Date: March 7, 2015
Kanye is always looking to push boundaries, and Kim is always looking to make a fashion statement. To have an Oscar-winning director agree to something he vowed to never do proves that your art is respected. You may hate 'Ye, but people hated on Jesus, too, so who cares? Nothing can top the “All Day” live performance, though, not even Steve McQueen.
Day 5: Sits front row at Givenchy with Kim, Kris, and Katy Perry
Date: March 8, 2015
'Ye smiled because Neo-Geo is the shit, and his lady is bad. We wonder if this was the #plasteredhairs show?
Sits front row at the Céline show
Date: March 8, 2015
Back in 2011, he gave Phoebe Philo a CFDA award.
Gives out rare look books for the “Yeezy Season 1” adidas collection at his concerts
Date: March 8, 2015
Kanye is the rap game Mugatu. He really made Derelique become a real thing. It's no coincidence that Zoolander is coming back for a sequel. The lookbook is cool, the clothes are expensive, and they're going to fly off the shelves because it's better to broke and fly than not rich and swagless.
Day 6: Gets photographed with a new tattoo of the rumored album artwork for So Help Me God
Date: March 9, 2015
The So Help Me God artwork is definitely on some Illuminati shit. Kanye has it tatted now. There's no turning back.
Attends the Stella McCartney fashion show
Date: March 9, 2015
“What's a black Beatle anyway? A fucking roach?” Mr. West is a Beatle now, and he's showing support to the daughter of another fellow Beatle. More importanly, he's chillin' with Woody Harrelson who just so happens to be the actor of a generation. I would watch a Kanye video starring Woody.
Shops at Collete with Kim
Date: March 9, 2015
Man, 'Ye's out here moving like El Presidente with motorcades and shit. Looks like he's getting used to paparazzi, too. Maybe it was the genius design of the Collete smart car that made the Wests kiss for the camera.
Then shops at Jean Paul Gaultier with Kim
Date: March 9, 2015
“Now Jean Paul Gaultier cologne fills the air.” I didn't even know my guy Jean Paul made fabrics, yet here I am writing about fashion because I be on my fashion shit. They look good together, not gonna front.
Day 7: Hangs with Kris Jenner and Mos Def backstage at his concert
Date: March 10, 2015
They're about to drop the best album of 2015 with Kris talking shit on the track like Puff. Knock on wood Kanye doesn't waste another Yasiin feature like he did on “Drunk and Hot Girls.” Backstage at the Fondation Louis Vuitton must've been pretty lit.
Kris also does a photo shoot with her daughter Kendall and her model friends backstage
Date: March 10, 2015
Models love rappers, and rappers love models. Kris Jenner is the Don King of this shit. #salute
Day 8: Sits front row with Kim at the Louis Vuitton show
Date: March 11, 2015
Catch 'Ye front row at every major event. Only a god can bring velour back. He's really trying to make that happen. I don't really care about Kim standing out, to keep it real. That Haider Ackermann velour is giving me flashbacks to when the Roc was the Roc.
His laptop gets stolen?!
Date: March 11, 2015
Oh shit, is Kanye gonna disappear from music like Ryan Leslie? Malik might be trolling, though, but man if that tweet isn't amazing. The top muthafuckin' firms. Fuck national security and ISIS. Find that fucking laptop stat!
UPDATE: Def Jam confirmed to Complex that the laptop wasn't actually stolen. Thank Yeezus.
Then he attends the A.P.C. presentation in support of his longtime collaborator Jean Touitou
Date: March 11, 2015
Seems like Kanye wasn't too mad at A.P.C.'s “Last Niggas in Paris” collection, or maybe he gave Jean Touitou a stern talking to. Either way, Yeezy found time to attend his fashion presentation. Bygones be bygones sometimes, lord.