Yeezy Season 9, also known as YZYSZN9, was a fashion show that was held in Paris on the afternoon of October 3, 2022. It coincided with, but was not officially part of, Paris Fashion Week.
Ye's decision to wear a shirt bearing the phrase "White Lives Matter" alongside Candace Owens drew controversy. This moment has been attributed as the start of Ye's rapid decline in the public eye due to his controversial remarks on racial movements (Black Lives Matter) and Jewish people.
Background[]
The previous Yeezy fashion show was held during Paris Fashion Week on November 4, 2020.[1] In the weeks leading up to this fashion week, Ye made headlines for announcing the breakup of the YZY x GAP business partnership out of frustration that GAP did not open up stores and sell Yeezy merchandise as outlined by their agreement.[2] Around the same time, he claimed that "no production companies [were] willing to produce [his] YZYSZN9 fashion show in Paris on October 3rd," but that post was eventually deleted.[3]
Ye proceeded to appear at two different shows on Paris Fashion Week. He was seated to the side of the Burberry show, and was the first person to walk for Balenciaga.[4] His fit at the latter show featured him wearing an oversized security jacket and him sporting a Balenciaga-branded mouth guard.[5]
Just a few hours before the event, he told a media outlet that "there is no one that's not welcome" to the show.[6]
Event[]
The show was held on its planned date, but not without delay. Eventually, Ye walked out in a shirt that reads "WHITE LIVES MATTER" on its back and the image of a pope on its front. He proceeded to give a speech about his visions with YZYSZN9, all while referring to the previous GAP collaboration, the robbery incident, and previous Yeezy seasons.[2]
On season four, my show started late. And that's what the fuss was about. [] I've seen a lot of shows start late. [] late. The press completely killed us. In the middle of the Louis Vuitton [], there were countless swimsuit and sporting looks that we put together that ended up being a four [] brand. There were colorways. There were sizes []. [] And that's what the press wrote about. But a week after that show happened, my wife [] in Paris. Then I told my manager at that time, Scooter Braun, [] Japan, I just needed a break. [] so we can do another leg [] tour. [] It's the ultimate stigma. People [] the right to come []. It doesn't hurt my feelings. You don't have to be crazy to change the world. People talked a lot less about the []. I feel like people remember that [] photo. [] the internet, and the fashion world, just wanted to talk about it. Everyone here dedicated their lives [] to something. [] We have Shane Oliver. [] And we're starting our own house, tonight. Now sometimes [] will be slightly off, but we did change the look of fashion over the past ten years. We are the streets. We are the culture. And we will not be bullied or treated differently than you would treat any other fashion show that might start a little later just to present the best idea to you. These pitches will last forever. This is not something that you will be able to []. [] And everyone here knows I am the leader. When we went to GAP, the colorways wouldn't []. A [] would be missing. The [] wouldn't open. And it felt like we were there [] slow down. But there's no slowing us down now. We have nothing to lose, and only everything to gain. And I don't want any of y'all to talk to me about []. I remember when me and Mac Williams [] styling Rihanna. Fourteen years ago? Eleven. But tonight, let's just celebrate. Let's just enjoy. This new frontier. The idea behind this collection is everything is []. This is the idea of supply. The future of clothing. No []. Fashion has had a tendency to be extremely classist. To say, if you weren't pretty enough, or [], or weren't standard, that you couldn't afford this cut. When I was at the GAP, [] made a cut of a T-shirt. The GAP took the [] colorway, and made the cut that they [] at the bottom of the [] chart. The people in the boardroom felt like they knew what the people in the streets wanted. And this is what [] for. You know, I wonder if Elvis Presley had an Instagram, would he [] Paris. And not be held back by his []. You can't manage me. This is an unmanageable situation. You can't turn the music lower. This is a God's dream, a dream that [] happen, without [] God. [] The people who sat in my car [] Yeezus. [] Paris. [] And imma tell you, like I said, [] clear to []. []
At the event, the unreleased track "What I Would Have Said At Virgil’s Funeral" (featuring English musician James Blake), was played. A snippet of the song was teased at a party in London just a few days prior, along with several tracks from Ye, James, and No I.D.'s now-scrapped collaborative project, WAR.[7] Amelia Gray Hamlin and Naomi Campbell walked at the show.[8] Candice Owens was also in attendance; she wore a matching "WHITE LIVES MATTER" shirt in white whereas Ye's was in black.[9]
Reactions[]
Ye's decision to wear a black shirt emblazed with the phrase "White Lives Matter" immediately sparked controversy. Fans also voiced their dismay for his association with Candice Owens, a controversial public figure. The day after the event, Ye posted on his Instagram story, "EVERYONE KNOWS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM NOW IT'S OVER YOU'RE WELCOME," before taking it down within a couple of hours.[7][10] Just days later, Ye posted that he was going "death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE," sparking a larger backlash that led to various business partnerships of his getting terminated and him temporarily losing access to $75M in assets, among other consequences.[11][12]
References[]
- ↑ "Kanye West Presents Yeezy Season 8 At Paris Fashion Week" by Nandi Howard. ESSENCE. November 4, 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Hip-Hop Mogul and Gap Officially End Their Partnership" by Jordyn Holman and Vanessa Friedman. The New York Times. September 15, 2022.
- ↑ "Yeezy Season 9 is officially happening, Kanye West confirms" by Zak Maoui. GQ UK. October 3, 2022.
- ↑ "With Kanye West and Stormzy on the FROW, Burberry took over South London" by Zak Maoui. GQ UK. September 26, 2022.
- ↑ "Kanye West Models in Balenciaga’s Paris Fashion Week Show Wearing a Balenciaga Mouth Guard" by Glenn Rowley. Billboard. October 4, 2022.
- ↑ "'There’s No One That’s Not Welcome': Kanye West on YZY, Paris and His Three Phases in Fashion" by Luke Leitch. VOGUE. October 3, 2022.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Kanye West Plays James Blake Collaboration, Wears 'White Lives Matter' Shirt at Paris Fashion Week Show" by Matthew Strauss. Pitchfork. October 3, 2022.
- ↑ "All the celebrities at Kanye West’s Yeezy Paris Fashion Week Show" by Margaret Abrams. Page Six. October 3, 2022.
- ↑ "Kanye West Wears 'White Lives Matter' Shirt at His Yeezy Season 9 Fashion Show in Paris" by Brenton Blanchet. People. October 3, 2022.
- ↑ "Kanye West calls BLM a ‘scam’ amid ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt uproar" by Ben Cost. New York Post. October 4, 2022.
- ↑ Fitzgerald, Trent (October 27, 2022). "Every company that has cut ties with Kanye West so far". XXL. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ↑ Oatman, Alexis (May 30, 2023). "Kanye West: Adidas loses bid to re-freeze $75M held by Yeezy brand". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 4, 2023.