Kanye West only confirmed he was putting on a show last Saturday when his invitations went out, but save for his friend Riccardo Tisci’s 9/11 Givenchy presentation, Yeezy was the event of the week. West worked with performance artist Vanessa Beecroft for the second season going. Like last time, street-cast models mixed with professional ones, and Kylie Jenner, the designer’s sister-in-law, put in a cameo. Unlike last time, West and Beecroft made the military metaphor literal, enlisting real drill sergeants who called out formations. Platinum-blond, fair-skinned models came first and marched to the end of the runway to pose for pictures. As the show progressed, the clothes shaded from beiges and taupes to browns and blacks, and the models’ hair and skin tone got darker, with the darkest models and clothing coming last. At the finale they arrayed themselves front to back, white to black.
In a year in which racial injustice has occupied the headlines, it was a potent tableau, seemingly loaded with meaning. But if West was making a statement about inequality in America, he chose not to address it with this reporter. When asked about the casting, he said, “It’s just a painting, just using clothing as a canvas of proportion and color.”
Sweatshirts, leggings, outerwear, and boots remain the backbone of the collection. It’s still monochrome head-to-toe, and it’s still essentially unisex.
