New Yeezy Collection: Why is it all Kanye West and us

September 7 at exactly 1:30 pm New York time.perplexed fashion editors and buyers unloaded onto a bus on 26th street and took Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Four Freedoms Park. It is not known what happened to those who were a little late for the bus, but everyone else was at the Yeezy Season 4 show. More precisely, near the catwalk, next to which models in beige tights were already standing. And then the wait started. It lasted for almost an hour and a half under the scorching sun: girls-models became ill, some of them could not stand and sat right on the grass, impatient editors left before the show began.

When the show started, it became clear that it would have been better if it did not start: the models barely moved after several hours in the sun, the heels of Yeezy boots were broken, and the guests had to support the girls so that they would not fall. The rest of the West showed all the same tights, leggings with body and military jackets. The fashion press almost unanimously acknowledged the fiasco collection. It didn’t upset the rapper at all, but reminded the public about the global question for Yeezy: why does Kanye want anything at all and why is it all for us?

His collaboration with adidas began in 2013, a few months after the release of the album "Yeezus". Then it was perceived as a one-time action, a collaboration in support of the new record - neither Kanye, nor adidas representatives promised that we would see at least one more of their joint collections. The only full-fledged and own fashionable project of the rapper - the DW Kanye West brand - did not exist for long and without much insight. And although things were better with capsule collections, there were no guarantees that Yeezy would shoot.

But the brand shot. Maybe the multimillion fan Kanye West party has the same opportunity to touch the idol through his clothes. Maybe fans of Kim Kardashian wanted to have all these spandex-like things that the rapper’s wife promoted and actively wore from the first day of the brand’s existence. Or maybe Kanye West's involvement in the lineup worked in a complex way: after all, he is known not only for his musical creativity.

West in the eyes of many - a kind of egocentric squared, a fighter with the system and for the rights of African Americans, a man who is not-afraid-to-speak-the truth

All the way, the rapper did not hesitate in expressions, insulted everyone he considered wrong - from Taylor Swift to the President of the United States - and called himself a god. He, taking upon himself the work of Pygmalion, in an almost literal sense, fashioned from Kim that woman we know - with cosmic forms and frank wardrobe. Kim didn’t hide it, in general: she loves to tell in an interview that Kanye had thrown half of the things out of her closet as soon as they started dating, and now the most famous woman on the planet is dressing for her husband.

West in the eyes of many - a kind of egocentric squared, a fighter with the system and for the rights of African Americans, a champion of justice, a man who is not-afraid-to-speak-truth, and yet his woman is the most popular and conventional, almost caricaturely sexy. It is easy to understand why such an image of a selfmade star and alpha male sells well in the world in which we live. The brand is built around a powerful ambiguous personality, so I want to look for a second bottom in it, even if it is not there. Even if on the catwalk from season to season, sneakers and leotards in muted shades are shown.

Yeezy Season 1 sales decided everything for the critics: a real consumer tantrum developed around Yeezy Boots, clothes were sold out in an hour. Then there were Yeezy Season 2 and Yeezy Season 3, and the story seemed to be repeated. Around the world (including in Moscow) sneakerheads, Kanye West fans and many more people stood in queues for several days to buy sneakers created by their idol. The clothes were still swept away in the concept stores, although textile bombers of two thousand dollars apiece, even moderately expensive, can be called a stretch.

Parallel to the applause of the West fashion industry: for example, Karin Roitfeld devoted almost a whole number to the CR Fashion Book collection of the Yeezy Season 3, removing in these things the most popular models like Gigi Hadid. You shouldn’t speak about Anna Wintour’s support once again - it was she who officially assured Kanye and Kim’s transition to the status of fashion celestials by placing a photo of the couple on the cover of Vogue US. This cover was one of the most resonant in the career of Wintour. Many rightly did not understand what Kim and Kanye have to do with high fashion, but the fashion industry never ignores those who, with their fame, can help sales of circulations and new dresses. Everyone is happy, everyone is happy.

But already from the second Yeezy collection, many had the feeling that something was wrong with the brand. Prior to this, Kanye could be blamed for anything, but not in spraying, not in fussiness, not in hypocrisy. One of the greatest artists of our time decided to feed his god complex and also take place in the fashion industry - well, not a problem. But judging by the words of West, his goals are much more global, almost universal. Almost immediately, the rapper began to give out interviews in which he said that the clothes in his brand were secondary, the main thing was the statement and those very secret meanings.

This would be a very correct positioning: modern fashion no longer makes clothes for the sake of clothes, the context is really important, and the hidden meaning is important too. And for some time everything went fine. Season 1 is a story about bodypositive, the beauty of all races and sizes, models from street-casting, peace and love, and they are in defiance of the military theme of the collection. Season 2 - attack against racism: on the podium of the models made a lively gradient so that they were the color of their skin, from dark to light. The final of the show, Yeezy Season 3, staged the terrible events of April 7, 1994: an act of genocide of the Tutsi tribe, out of hundreds of thousands of whose bodies formed whole mountains. Plus, the show was held at the stadium, it was attended by 18 thousand people, and in parallel, West presented a new album. As noted by Tim Blanks, this fashion week in New York has not yet seen.

By the fourth season, the artificially aged sweatshirts, sweat pants and oversized jackets ceased to inspire, and the stiletto heels could not stand even one run down the runway

But by the fourth season, Kanye had drifted: on the wave of success, he began to behave like the head of a totalitarian state, which is rapidly losing touch with reality. For example, he announced that he was picking up only multiracial female models for display - and this statement in itself caused protests right in the queue for casting and legitimate reproaches of discrimination in the media. Earlier it turned out that West enjoys its popularity and exploits the work of non-professional models "from the streets", paying them $ 100 for a 10-hour working day (while the rapper did not save on invited top models).

Yes, he picked up the selected multiracial girls in the Franklin Roosevelt Park of Four Freedoms and dressed only white things, which Vogue.com immediately called a protest against the candidature of Donald Trump, a famous racist, in the presidential election. But isn't it racism - don't let black and light-skinned models show up? Unless for the beautiful performance of equal rights, its participants should not receive a decent fee? And what could be the meaning when girls slip into the grass from heat stroke? How can we talk about tolerance by such means?

In addition, no matter how bold aspirations and lofty ideas Kanye served, at the show he talks about them through clothing. The fourth season editors, who are sun-melting, have ceased to be inspired by artificially aged sweatshirts, sweatshirts and oversized jackets, and the quality of the only innovation — heels-heels — could not stand even one run down the runway. Representatives of adidas from discomfiture immediately disowned: "These boots are not part of the collaboration with adidas," - said the representative of the brand and added that Kanye will definitely finalize the podium sample. At the same time, photos of models in transparent boots appeared in the Network - their feet were sweating so much in the sun that it was impossible to just zip up.

Additional business problems also emerged. Highsnobiety, referring to friendly buyers, wrote that with all the successes of Yeezy Boots, clothing from the Kanye collections could not boast of commercial victories. Production and logistics Yeezy are arranged in such a way that deliveries arrive late for half of the season, the lion's share of models from the catwalk will not be removed for sale, depositors made by the purchasers burned, but Kanye doesn’t care too much. He continues to talk about the interline meanings of clothing, although this story is increasingly reminiscent of a bubble.

Kanye West has become who he is, thanks in large part to his sincere, sometimes maximalism bordering on fanaticism, which he could not really control. But it was at least honest: his impulsive actions looked sincere and seemed genuine spiritual impulses. Therefore, it is strange that his Yeezy at the level of media image and concept looks ambiguous - if not to say hypocritical.

Kanye West has become who he is, thanks in large part to his sincere, sometimes maximalism bordering on fanaticism.

Obviously, the models could even fall dead at the show - things would still be swept away. But, first of all, even the West and Kardashian media centers will not last forever: the majority of reviews on Yeezy Season 4 are either dry or crushing. You can consider yourself the ruler of the world, but disrespectful attitude to editors and models, while making not too talented clothes, without consequences can not be. It is unlikely that Kanye will be satisfied if his brand becomes the global equivalent of Black Star Timati and will be sold by escalators in shopping centers, so that he is extremely imprudently spending media loyalty from the A-list - without their approval Yeezy will not last in the top of high fashion brands and a couple seasons.

And secondly, what does Kanye want? If you also become a king in the fashion industry, it is unclear why for the fourth time he is showing artless leggings of skin tones for sports crop tops and simple sweatshirts. If you build a big brand and make money, it pays surprisingly little attention to business moments. If you become a fashion activist artist, then it’s strange that he worked his social position so poorly and allows himself discrimination multiplied by a star disease. Maybe West just wants to prove to everyone (and himself) that everything that he does not take, turns into gold? So he already has 21 Grammy statuettes of exactly that color and more than a hundred million albums sold. Relax, Kanye, a talented person does not have to be talented in everything.