Kanye West is facing backlash (and harsh criticism) for her most recent attention-seeking antics in fashion. After models strutted around in T-shirts reading “White Lives Matter” during his YZY show in Paris on Monday, leaders of the fashion world blasted and blasted the provocateur for his poorly executed attempt to send a message about race. .
West, for her part, has doubled down on her Candace Owens-endorsed “fashion statement” and weaponized her social media to 1) say “Black Lives Matter was a scam,” 2) attack Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa -Johnson, who described his White Lives Matter program as an “incredibly irresponsible and dangerous act”, and 3) blaming the CEO of LVMH for the death of his alleged “best friend” Virgil Abloh.
In other words, it has backed up its no-nonsense built YZY line with even more nonsense. Vogue’s editor put it best: “The t-shirts this man conceived, produced and shared with the world are pure violence,” Karefa-Johnson wrote. “There is no excuse, there is no art here.”
Earlier in the day, Karefa-Johnson had shared her thoughts on the show, explaining that West “was trying to illustrate a dystopian world in the future when whiteness might die out,” but in reality, she said her show did something with a completely different style. Opposite effect: “It is grossly irresponsible to provide the most dangerous extremists with this kind of fictitious narrative.”
Attacking the editor in four Instagram posts, West described Karefa-Johnson, who has more than 10 years of experience working in fashion journalism, as a “droid” and “not a fashion person,” saying her show had “broken processor”. … When the computer cannot read the code.”
Later that day, Vogue shared a statement on Instagram saying that the magazine “supports” Karefa-Johnson and called West’s attack “unacceptable.” “Now more than ever, her voices like hers are needed,” the magazine wrote. “And in a private meeting with Ye today, she once again told the truth about her in the way that felt best to her, on her terms.”
Vogue’s statement came after West called Karefa-Johnson “my sister” in her own Instagram post, said they met for “two hours” and claimed famed director Baz Luhrmann filmed the interaction, at her request. Anna Wintour.
Rolling Stone has reached out to Karefa-Johnson and Luhrmann for comment.
“We apologize to each other for the way we made each other feel,” West wrote. “In fact, we get along well and we have both experienced the struggle for acceptance in a world that is not our own.”
But Karefa-Johnson was far from the only person to take offense to West’s YZY line.
Among those who criticized his “White Lives Matter” t-shirts was Jaden Smith, who left the show and later tweeted, “I don’t care who it is, if I don’t feel the message, I’m out.” ; Stunned journalist Lynette Nylander also walked off the show, writing: “No matter what the intention was…it’s the perception of the masses taken out of context”; British Vogue editor Edward Enninful said the next day that the T-shirt was “insensitive, given the state of the world”; and Gigi Hadid, who deleted a comment on West’s Instagram, wrote: “If there really is a point to any of your stuff, [Karefa-Johnson] I might be the only person who could save you… You are a bully and a joke.”
In true Ye fashion, West channeled his frustration after the reaction to throwing a tantrum on Instagram.
West attempted to bring up fashion icon Virgil Abloh to his defense, implying that Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, had “killed my best friend” and that “everyone is entitled to an opinion.” [so] there’s mine. (An LVMH representative told The New York Times that Arnault “had no comment.”)
And the mention of Abloh is where Tremaine Emory, Supreme’s creative director, had to “draw the line,” calling out the rapper for his alleged lack of respect for Abloh during his lifetime and after his death.
“This time last year you said that Virgil’s designs are a disgrace to the black community of all your employees at Yeezy,” Emory wrote. “Don’t let me go into the things you said about v after he died.” In the post, Emory implied that West “wasn’t invited” to Abloh’s private funeral and that, despite knowing he had terminal cancer, West “followed him in group chats” and in interviews.
“YOU ARE SO BROKEN. KEEP VIRGIL’S NAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH from him. KEEP @gabriellak_j NAME YOUR MOUTH,” Emory wrote. “[You’re] not a victim [you’re] just an insecure narcissist dying to be validated by the fashion world.”
But of course West isn’t done talking. A recent IG post by him reads, “When I said war, I meant war.”
In perhaps the biggest buzz the gimmick has had so far, Adidas announced that West’s association with the brand was now under review. (The YEEZY deal between West and adidas started in 2013.)
“Adidas has always focused on creativity, innovation and supporting athletes and artists to achieve their vision. The adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in the history of our industry,” an Adidas spokesperson told Hypebeast in a statement. “We are proud of our team who have worked tirelessly throughout our collaboration with Ye and the iconic products that were born from it. We also recognize that all successful partnerships are built on mutual respect and shared values. After repeated efforts to resolve the situation privately, we have made the decision to place the partnership under review. We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
West responded to the statement on Instagram, writing “FUUUUUUCK ADIDAS” and accusing the brand of stealing his work.
Sean “Diddy” Combs, who once made waves with his own Sean Jean fashion line, also took to social media to weigh in on West’s latest controversy through the lens that racist rhetoric printed on a T-shirt spreads. far beyond the catwalk.
“I’m not going to address everything that’s going on in the world on the internet, but what I do have to address is this ‘white lives matter’ t-shirt,” Diddy said in a recent Instagram video. “I have always been there and will always support my brother Kanye as a free thinker. But the ‘white lives matter’ t-shirt, I don’t like it, you know what I mean? I’m not with it.
He added: “Right now, all the United States has planned for us is poverty, incarceration and death. So before I can get to any other lives matter, that all lives matter, but Black Lives Matter, don’t play with that. Don’t wear the shirt. Don’t buy the shirt. Don’t play with the shirt. It is not a joke.”
Meanwhile, instead of reflecting, West is still online bragging about how much attention his latest offensive stunt has garnered. “I want everyone to know that there was something hot this week too…it wasn’t just about my paradigm shift t-shirt,” he wrote in all caps. “Just kidding, my shirt got shit at everyone’s shows. Nothing happened but my shirt. To the Arnaults who hire anyone who has worked for me, remember that my jersey got all the attention.”
She also made room to snap a few more photos for good measure, including one of John Legend and Hailey Bieber, who backed up Hadid by pointing out West’s belief that Karefa-Johnson simply should have had the honor of being a guest on her show, and He added: “And Justin, get your girl before I get mad.
This story was updated on October 4 to include a statement from Vogue supporting Karefa-Johnson and a new post from West about the editor and rapper meeting. Also updated on 6/10 with Diddy’s comments.
Source: news.google.com