Kanye West made one hell of a statement at his surprise show during Paris Fashion Week. Two weeks after releasing part two of his Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga Collection, the multi-talented rapper made his runway debut, walking in Sunday’s Balenciaga’s show and later showcasing his YZY Szn 9 collection.
In a viral clip from his show, West gave a speech about starting a fashion house to rival major fashion runways. “We did change the look of fashion over the past 10 years. We are the streets. We are the culture,” he told the crowd. “And we will not be bullied or treated differently than you treat any other fashion show that might start a little later just to present the best idea to you. Where these pictures will last forever. This is something that you will not be able to un-Google.”
Fans were ever more stunned after noticing the long sleeve black shirt he wore had “White Lives Matter” written on the back. The popular phrase was created by white supremacist groups in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I am Ye, and everyone here knows that I am the leader,” the 45-year-old continued before pausing. Supporters can be heard in the background of the video saying, “Yes,” and “Come on, man.”
Celebrities and fans began more enraged after viral photos of Ye standing next to black conservative influencer Candace Owens in matching shirts. Owens’ shirt was black with white writing.
West has made similar controversial statements in the past including wearing a jacket with the Confederate flag on it in 2013. In 2020, he famously sported Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” during his ill-fated 2020 presidential run.
Similar to then, many fans began blaming West’s latest political statement as an example of his erratic mental health, while others deemed it as a publicity stunt. One person said, “You can stop blaming Kanye West’s actions on mental illness. He’s a grown man with billions of dollars pandering to his audience to sell overpriced shoes.”
West’s shirt caused controversy for many including celebrities like Jaden Smith, who presumably attended the “Donda” rapper’s show and left.
“I had to dip lol,” Smith wrote in the first tweet. “True Leaders Lead.”
“I Don’t Care Who’s It Is If I Don’t Feel The Message I’m Out,” Smith continued in other tweets. “Black Lives Matter.”
In a since-deleted tweeted, Smith added, “I Can’t Stand Behind What’s Kanye’s Saying, He Does Not Have The Full Support Of The Youth.”
Ye responded to the backlash but it only enraged fans further. He took to his Instagram Stories and wrote in all caps, “EVERYONE KNOWS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM NOW ITS OVER YOU’RE WELCOME.”
“My question is, how and whyyy do you people still support this man????”
“We must all remember why BLM movement was created, why it started showing up on t shirts and as a hashtag. It wasn’t just a saying it was needed!!!
This isn’t even old enough yet to be history we are still fighting against police violence THAT WAS THE POINT OF BLM.
Not for our very own people to start up with well “ all lives matter” again we defended this move already. We can’t have sh-t, our people do no MATTER until we make us matter so we SPOKE and Ye can just change that?!?!”
West discussed his integration into the fashion industry and the concept behind his show during an interview with Vogue. He said he sees himself “more as a George Lucas than a fashion designer,” noting that his main job as a producer.
Ahead of the show, he told the outlet, “There’s just people. From the same planet. And sometimes, in high school, it feels like we don’t fit in. And in a situation like this, we have the opportunity to come together to express who we are.”
