The goal of a fashion show in 2016 is no longer to sell clothing to buyers politely sitting aside the runway, but to create energy, excitement and a spectacle that will build interest in the brand and the items shown. And in this respect Kanye West not only was a success yesterday with his New York Fashion Week presentation held at Governor’s Island, but has been one since launching the Yeezy Season lines.
While there are a clear group of committed old-guard critics and fashion fans who don’t like West (and really and truly don’t like his wife) and the opening of the gates he represents, one need only look at retail and see the lines and the fervor around everything West touches and wonder why other labels are unable to create the same level of interest. After all, short of graduate art school presentations, one can’t exist in the business of fashion if no one is interested in purchasing the garments.
As for the clothes themselves, they are with minor modifications a continuation of prior seasons. That in and of itself is another knock brought up by critics, but West has repeatedly said he’s not trying to reinvent the wheel. He wants to make comfortable clothing that makes a statement with texture and color. And again, his success is proven. His main color, silhouette and fabric themes have been widely copied and have become uniforms for the youth and influenced other runways. His women’s shoe collection from Yeezy Season 2 (the clothes weren’t produced) sold out.
It’s important to note for this presentation, West is once again working with Adidas Originals (in Season 1 it made the apparel but in 2 and 3 it only made the athletic footwear). That means the look and quality of the garments may have been modified from the past two seasons because Adidas is now in charge of production.
Adidas stepping in is also huge because until now, Wests’ delivery of the apparel in his collections has been patchy at best, and a very valid criticism is that he has created a huge amount of hype through his shows, but barely has delivered any actual product. West has design and marketing down to a science, but he has yet to master the more arduous producing and distribution of the product, which is a critical component of running a brand.
Check out some highlights from West’s Yeezy Season below, which was opened with a performance piece by West’s longtime collaborator, Vanessa Beecroft. Her piece consisted of women wearing an array of earth tone bodysuits and two-piece sets standing in formation on the triangular field between the walkways that were used as a runway. All the women on the field were black and presumably were chosen from the controversial “multiracial” casting event a few days before the event.
Kim Kardashian attended the event as did her two siblings, Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Models who walked the show included West-favorite Amina Blue, who at one point dramatically removed her shoes (do you, boo) plus Teyana Taylor and Chanel Iman, who closed the show. An unknown model struggled to walk when her heel snapped and she was helped down the runway by kind soul and Bergdorf Goodman’s men’s fashion director Bruce Pask.
#yeezyseason4 #kanyewest #teamadidas /// pic.twitter.com/3qsrPS7thu
— jon wexler (@wex1200) September 7, 2016
@brucepask! fashion week hero for helping a tired model to the end of the runway #NYFW pic.twitter.com/jVn0lmak73
— erik maza (@erikmaza) September 7, 2016
Model Amina Blue struggles with the shoes at #YeezySeason4 pic.twitter.com/YfrSNUUOZf
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) September 7, 2016
Those plastic thigh-high boots Kim was sporting the other day, by Yeezy pic.twitter.com/yS2xQ9Pjnq
— Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) September 7, 2016
There are clothes at Yeezy!! pic.twitter.com/73yax0bMvm
— Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) September 7, 2016
Kanye West models getting on the bus to the season 4 show today. (We think, more info TBA.) pic.twitter.com/NgW1BBhaze
— NYT Fashion (@NYTFashion) September 7, 2016
SAME @PUSHA_T #YeezySeason4 pic.twitter.com/FlfEMvGCr5
— KimKanyeKimYe (@KimKanyeKimYeFC) September 7, 2016
#YeezySeason4 guests talking to Vogue 👻. [Incl. @virgilabloh @PUSHA_T @myfabolouslife @LifeOfDesiigner & More.] pic.twitter.com/mcj23nm15N
— KimKanyeKimYe (@KimKanyeKimYeFC) September 7, 2016
Season 4 pic.twitter.com/MRHRrkV7Ny
— Karizza Sanchez (@karizzasanchez) September 7, 2016
