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Originally intended to begin at 5:45 PM CEST, the Yeezy Season 9 fashion show in Paris, France began approximately an hour past its start time with a video featuring various celebrity influences of Ye (FKA Kanye West) and a speech by the man himself. For his first foray into the fashion world alone since his partnership with Gap ended and his first showing since Yeezy Season 8 in Paris, Ye shocked the entire world when the camera panned to the back of his black long-sleeve t-shirt that featured the phrase “White Lives Matter.”
This is not the first time Ye has emblazoned himself with controversy, especially when it comes to far-right ideology, as his support for Donald Trump and conservative commentator Candace Owens (who was also spotted rocking a white colorway of the same long-sleeve shirt at the event) is well documented over the last 4 years. As the show progressed, the shirt itself was spotted on multiple runway models, confirming that it’s a part of the Yeezy Season 9 collection.
Aside from the controversial shirt, the idea behind the collection is, according to Ye, “...everything is pull-on and pull-over. This is the idea of supply, the idea of future clothing. No hardware.” This mantra was most definitely prominent in the collection as pieces ranged from body suits to triangular-shaped puffer coats and oversized patchwork designs. Celebrities like Naomi Campbell and fashion designers Michèle Lamy and Mowalola Ogunlesi helped debut these utilitarian-avant-garde clothing pieces.
Unlike the Yeezy Season 8 show, the footwear followed Ye’s current dystopian-esque vision with various all-black knee/thigh-high boots being paired with tights and puffy clothing alike. Our best look at these footwear options as of this writing is the 3D printed boots developed by Zellerfeld, a brand specializing in 3D printed footwear that has worked with the likes of Heron Preston in the past. Ye's 3D printed boots look similar to that of the boots he developed for his Gap partnership and his favorite Redwing/Balenciaga boots.
Overall, the forward-thinking designs of Yeezy Season 9 were overshadowed by Ye’s wearing and inclusion of the “White Lives Matter” long-sleeve shirt. Maybe Gap dodged a bullet by cutting ties with Yeezy, though Ye still seems to have ardent support throughout controversies like this. For more updates on Ye’s current solo ventures in the fashion industry and the latest in sneakers, streetwear, and more, keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app.
Images via YZY
Images via zellerfella
Image via Kurrco
