Besides his music, and his YEEZY line, Kanye has had a massive influence in today’s fashion. In 2014, Kanye West famously criticized the fashion industry for discriminating against him for being famous and black. “Cause you know damn well there aren’t no black guys or celebrities making no Louis Vuitton nothing,” he announced, mid-performance at London’s Wireless festival.
Over seven years later, partly as a result of West’s influence, the fashion landscape seems to have significantly shifted.
Along with friend Virgil Abloh, Kanye West paved the way for streetwear to become a part of high fashion. The clothes themselves are not anything new and brands like Supreme and Stüssy came before Off-White and Yeezy. However, Yeezy line made it to the runways in places like New York and Milan. What were the normal clothes for skaters and hip-hop artists, became limited-edition drops! People were willing to pay up to ten times the price of a plain hoodie just because it was a Yeezy!
West forced his way into the industry in 2004 and again in 2011, but it was his proposition in 2015 for Yeezy Season 1 with Adidas that shifted the conversation and left a mark on the industry. And with a growing sneaker empire reported to be worth more than $1 billion, it appears that his long journey is far from over.
West’s first foray in fashion began at Nike when designer Christopher Bevans, who had previously worked with West on merchandise for the artist’s first album “The College Dropout,” joined the Beaverton, Ore.- based company and suggested they watch West’s career closely. The two partnered on an Air Max 180 sneaker made exclusively for West’s team.
Soon after, West began developing footwear with Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, which birthed three styles: the Jasper, Mr. Hudson and Don, named after West’s friends and collaborators Ibn Jasper, Mr. Hudson and Don C, though the latter could also be in reference to West’s then nickname “The Louis Vuitton Don.” The styles launched in 2009.
West also in 2008 unveiled his first Nike Air Yeezy sneaker in a 2008 Grammys performance of “Stronger and Hey Mama,” a tribute to his mother, Donda West, who had died a few months before. The high-top sneaker launched in 2009 in two colorways and quickly sold out.
He Made Shutter Shades Cool
Remember when everyone had a pair of shutter shades?
In his music video “Stronger”, Kanye wore an accessory people were not familiar with at the time, The shutter shades. The not-so-glassy glasses soon became a must-have among fans. Moreover, some celebrities rocked this trend like Paris Hilton.
The Dad Shoes Trend
So, remember the shoes our dads used to embarrass us with? Well, now we’re wearing them too! However, there’s a never-ending debate about who started it. It’s a head-to-head competition between Balenciaga and Yeezy!
However, we decided that dates don’t lie, and dates clearly show that Kanye had the upper hand. The first Yeezy 700 “Wave Runner” was seen at the Yeezy Season 5 fashion show in February 2017, and later officially released in August 2017. Meanwhile, the Balenciaga Triple S wasn’t released till September 2017.
Lifting Adidas
When the first Yeezy was released, Adidas’ share became 30% on the resale market after a low 1%. In addition to that, sales in North America witnessed a 5% boost (pun intended!). So it is pretty obvious that the Yeezy partnership helped Adidas a lot after being in a tight spot.
The Yeezy & Gap Deal
A smart move on both ends. Gap has been struggling with sales decline since 2019, and the pandemic wasn’t helping either. However, this all changed really fast when they announced their 10-year partnership with Yeezy! Their sales actually jumped 42% after the reveal! And apparently, both brands are taking the marketing to a new level. Gap actually covered their Chicago store with a handwritten message from Kanye. Moreover, this collab was important enough to make Kanye come back to Twitter! After all, it was the #WESTDAYEVER!
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