Fashion Show v. Spectacle
Rapper-turned-designer Kanye West presented his Yeezy 4 fashion collection at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island September 7, 2016.
Those are FACTS. But the takeaway? It wasnât just a fashion show - it was a Kanye West show. Complete with his Kardashian clan, Pablo livestream from Tidal and exclusive Adidas collection, he has contributed to the evolution of the traditional fashion show to a heavily-branded spectacle.
The previous emphases on texture, demeanor and consistency - the tenets that once evaluated fashion - have been replaced with signature labels, idiosyncratic structuring and overall eccentricity. Itâs not a matter of âWhat is he/she wearing?â anymore. Itâs all about âWho?â
Whether it be Kanye for Yeezy x Adidas or his renowned half sister-in-law Kendall Jenner for Victoriaâs Secret, the designer or model has become an ever-present focus of fashion shows. Before, these displays received such acclaim because of the designerâs work that reflected legitimate fashion statements. The late Alexander McQueen, for example, scribbled his name across billboards when he crafted his infamous âArmadillo Heeled Bootsâ, as seen in the first picture. His striking stilettos can be seen as fashion forward, but can the same be said about Westâs nude bodysuits as seen in his first Yeezy season in the second picture?
The staggering simplicity of his line proves that the âfashionâ behind his âfashion collectionâ is a statement of branding himself as an even more prominent figure. So that brings me to an even larger question that opens up an even deeper discussion: Do consumers buy pieces they think are fashionable or have a special label to them?
Plain white tees with holes, thousand dollar athleisure sneakers and skin-tight apparel define Yeezy. In comparison to McQueenâs colorful ensembles, the only personality seen in Westâs collection is muted in the nude-based palette. Each Yeezy season has built on the previous one, but remains unadorned. The consumerist agenda behind such a brand is to establish a brand that is central to one name, one figure.Â
Itâs all about Kanye, not about Yeezy. Sounds like an identity crisis, but is rather quite the opposite - itâs an identity reinvention. A boost, if you will, brought to you only by Yeezy.Â
