Kanye West, the fashion designer

At the latest Grammy Awards, rapper Kanye West - now legally known as Ye - and his wife Bianca Censori made a lightning-fast appearance on the red carpet before vanishing for the rest of the evening. Some speculate they were removed by security, while others believe they skipped the event altogether, heading straight to an after-party. But what exactly happened in those brief yet explosive moments on the red carpet? The couple arrived dressed head to toe in all-black Yeezy-branded looks. Ye kept it simple with a T-shirt and pants, while Censori wore an oversized coat that she quickly discarded, revealing a minidress so sheer it left nothing to the imagination. Their appearance, provocative and borderline obscene - if not outright misogynistic - dominated headlines for days.
 

Beyond his influence in hip-hop and his seemingly never-ending list of controversies (making him a prime target for cancel culture), Kanye West has long used fashion as a key form of expression, seamlessly integrating it into both his public and private life. After a series of high-profile collaborations—including an internship at Fendi in Rome—Ye officially launched the Yeezy brand in partnership with Adidas in 2013. Initially showcasing in New York before moving to Paris in 2020, he steadily reshaped the landscape of sportswear and menswear.

Another defining chapter in Ye’s fashion career is his relationship with Demna Gvasalia, the current creative director of Balenciaga. The two have worked together on numerous projects, with West even opening Balenciaga’s Spring/Summer 2023 show—a dystopian spectacle set in a landfill covered in mud, where the models’ clothing and accessories were intentionally dirtied as part of the presentation.

However, in 2022, Kanye abruptly cut ties with all his fashion collaborators, blaming poor sales and weak numbers. In reality, it’s far more likely that his sudden isolation was a consequence of his own choices—both stylistic and personal. That same year, during his Yeezy Season 9 show, he made models wear T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase White Lives Matter, a slogan co-opted by the American far-right. Shortly afterward, he went on a tirade of antisemitic posts on social media.

Now, Ye appears to be distancing himself from the fashion industry altogether. He recently posted “I DON’T COLLAB” on social media, shutting down rumors that he was in talks with Maison Margiela, which has been without a creative director since John Galliano’s departure. Yet, the mere existence of these speculations proves that, despite his past—and present—Ye remains an undeniable force in both music and fashion. His endless scandals don’t seem to slow him down; if anything, they only add to his momentum.