It was advertised as a surprise fashion show, but it caught everyone off guard more than they anticipated. Kanye West had a "secret" catwalk event during Paris Fashion Week that featured a T-shirt with the phrase "White Lives Matter." Models on the catwalk and Ye, as West prefers to be called, along with right-wing commentator Candace Owens, a guest at the show, both wore the shirt, which had a picture of Pope John Paul II on the front. Ye said to the audience before the Yeezy Season 9 show started: "Everyone here understands that I am the leader... you can't handle me. The issue is out of control. He continued by making reference to his ex-wife Kim Kardashian's 2016 Paris robbery.
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| Instagram/@RealCandaceO |
Scooter Braun, his former manager, and his most recent dispute with Gap. While Naomi Campbell modelled for the exhibition, she refrained from donning the contentious T-shirt. A children's choir that performed at the occasion was directed by the rapper's daughter, North West.
The term White Lives Matter, which reframes the Black Lives Matter expression used to protest against brutality, is classified as a hate statement by the Anti-Defamation League.
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| Kanye West and Naomi Campbell in London in September. |
A previous Yeezy event in New York in 2016 drew criticism for forcing models to stand for extended periods of time without access to drink or shade. One model passed out before the event was finished, and it started two hours late on the grounds of Roosevelt Island.
Ye made his debut as a fashion designer in Paris in 2011, and this was his fourth fashion presentation there. When he accepted an internship at Fendi in 2008, his fashion career officially got underway. The following year, he attended his first Paris Fashion Week.