It is no doubt that the artist formally known as Kanye West is one of the world’s most influential fashion icons of the 21st century. Over the past 7 years, the billionaire artist has developed one of the most in-demand footwear brands with Yeezy.
His decade-long deal with GAP launched its first two collections with hoodies and jackets in 2021. As expected it sold out and resellers have put it up for $7,500 on GOAT.
With a swag that bears no comparison, a fan believes Ye has taken his style from Holes actor, Shia LaBeouf. In a TikTok video, the fan refers to a 2018 interview with Esquire where LaBeouf recounts the “Hurricanes” artist “took all my f**king clothes.”
Since that time Ye has become a billionaire and inked a 10-year deal with GAP. His decade-long deal with GAP launched its first two collections with hoodies and jackets in 2021. As expected it sold out and resellers have put it up for $7,500 on GOAT.
It looks like he attempted to link with Shia back in 2020 for a YZY x GAP photoshoot, but he apparently didn’t show up according to Yeezy.
“Shia is cap,” tweeted the DONDA artist. “Shia was deposed to do the first YZY GAP shoot and he never showed up.”
On Friday, Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga was announced to make the incredible product available to everyone at all times,” said Ye.
YEEZY Gap engineered by Balenciaga scheduled for June 2022.
Demna Gvasalia: "This project allowed me to join the forces with Ye to create utilitarian fashion for all"
Fashion designer, DJ and first Black Louie Vuitton artistic director Virgil Abloh died on Sunday (Nov. 28) following his private battle with rare cancer. At 41, news of the fashion icon’s passing shocked the culture to its core with everyone from Westside Gunn to Pharrell Williams to Drake mourning Abloh’s passing on social media. “My plan is to touch the sky 1000 more times for you…,” Drake wrote in an Instagram caption with a series of photos of Abloh and him. ”love you eternally brother thank you for everything.”
My heart is broken
Virgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius
your work as a human and your work as a spiritual being will live forever
Sending love and light to your wife, children, family and day ones
After death, according to media outlets, the visionary who popularized fashion brands like RSVP Gallery, Prex Vision and Off-White and gave us some of the most memorable album covers of this generation discreetly fought a rare form of cancer for several years. “We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend,” shares a post from Virgil’s verified Instagram account. “He is survived by his loving wife Shannon Abloh, his children Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh, his sister Edwina Abloh, his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh, and numerous dear friends and colleagues.”
Prayers and condolences from all over the world to the family, friends and fans of the Rockford, Illinois native poured into social media instantly following the news of the designer’s sudden passing. “Rest In Peace to a true creative genius, visionary, and icon. Thank you for the endless artistry and innovation you brought into the world; you inspired an entire generation. You will truly be missed,” tweets @emily2dor.
Pharrell Williams, a longtime friend of Virgil, shared a heartfelt tweet with prayer hand emoji on late-friend to his 10.6 million followers on Twitter, that reads:
“My heart is broken Virgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius your work as a human and your work as a spiritual being will live forever Sending love and light to your wife, children, family and day ones you’re with the Master now, shine.”
Louie Vuitton issued an official statement about Abloh’s sudden passing on Sunday afternoon. In the announcement, LVMH acknowledges Abloh as a “genius designer,” “visionary,” and “a man with a beautiful soul.” Louie Vuitton Chairman Bernard Arnault writes:
“LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Off White are devastated to announce the passing of Virgil Abloh, on Sunday, November 28th, of cancer, which he had been battling privately for several years.
We are all shocked after this terrible news. Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom. The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sorrow, and we are all thinking of his loved ones after the passing of their husband, their father, their brother or their friend.”
LVMH, Louis Vuitton and Off White are devastated to announce the passing of Virgil Abloh, on Sunday, November 28th, of cancer, which he had been battling privately for several years. pic.twitter.com/CytwZLvSFu
I love u Bro I wanna say so much but I cant right now, I recently showed u this painting I had Mariella paint of u as 1of the biggest inspirations ever in my life which is now priceless ppl think they know me but they really don’t this was my family right here @virgilablohpic.twitter.com/RE3PNpp8az
Virgil managed to achieve things that were impossible for him to have even imagined as a kid. He did things that will change the lives of so many over so long. What. A. Life. #RIPVirgilAbloh
Virgil was here. In loving memory of Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton pays tribute to the life and legacy of a creative genius with a presentation of his Spring-Summer 2022 Collection in Miami on November 30th at 5:30 pm (ET). pic.twitter.com/3QwXJRkfin
The Bulls family would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Virgil Abloh, a creative force who inspired so many. He will be greatly missed.
Creative Genious, An Architect of culture, thank you for everything. It’s hard to see you go bro. I’m proud of you VIRGIL and thanks for all the inspiration, legendary work, great memories, and your iconic style you blessed us all with
More and more farewells to Virgil Abloh from the biggest names in popular culture continue to pour into social media at press time. Fans await official statements from several well-known Abloh collaborators, like Asap Rocky, Kid Cudi and Jay-Z.
Abloh’s best friend Ye, formerly Kanye West, hosted a Sunday Service in his loving memory. On Sunday, Ye performed a 49-minute sermon that remembers the former Donda creative director’s friendship with the award-winning mogul. Watch the complete service below.
In honor of the visionary, streaming giant Tidal released a Check The Rhyme playlist dedicated to the designer, including 26 name-dropping tracks by Wale, Lil Baby, 2 Chainz and many more. Check out Virgil Abloh’s playlist — curated by Elliott Wilson — below.
Atlanta rapper Lil Baby is catching all types of jokes-jokes about his super duper shorts. Even though LB put the pics of his shorts onto Instagram himself, it didn’t stop people from Young Thug to Meek Mill from getting playful. In an effort to help us forget Lil Baby’s knees, here’s five shots of the […]
Draya Micheleis apparently aware of her ability to get tongues wagging, and she once again dropped a pair of thirst traps to her millions of followers. This time, however, the trap setting this time has a purpose as the curvy social media star showed off two new swimsuits from her brand.
The 35-year-old mother of two and ex-girlfriend of NFL player Orlando Scandrick has become one of Instagram must-follow accounts due to her dazzling body and attention to all things glamorous. With her Mint Swim brand, started in 2011, Draya shown off her wares in times past and it looks like she’s mounting a bit of a comeback on the fashion scene.
With the weather warming, although it isn’t known when we’ll ever get to a beach again, Draya’s teeny-weenie bikini sets are certainly worth a gander.
Check out Draya Michele thirst trapping in her Mint Swim wares below. Check out the website here.
With all of the celebrities going live and offering a variety of content while the world practices social distancing, we thought Instagram Lives couldn’t become a bigger phenomenon; but it seems superstar Rihanna is challenging that theory after announcing that she will be going live with her own star-studded virtual party tonight.
On Thursday (Apr 9), Rihanna announced that the virtual party will be held on her iconic beauty brand, Fenty’s Instagram page, making it the first social party for the brand. The party will be hosted by Rihanna herself and feature DJ sets from prior Fenty collaborators Kitty Ca$h, DJ Pedro, and Stretch Armstrong, with British rapper Octavian joining in for a live performance.
According to the “Work” singer, the star-studded virtual event is being held to celebrate the release of her Faux Leather capsule collection, which dropped earlier this week.
“Pull up to the @fenty live bashment party tomorrow in celebration of our latest #fauxleather capsule! Get ya invitation in my bio,” Rihanna wrote on her page, before adding in the comments she plans do go all out with her style for the event. “I’m deadass getting dressed up full face and heels.”
Although music will be definitely flowing in the atmosphere, it’s unclear at press time whether Rihanna plans to surprise fans with new music or even a performance herself–but we will definitely be tuned in to see.
Fenty’s social club hosted by Rihanna is scheduled to go live on Friday, April 10 at 6pm EST, to get your digital invitation click here.
While COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on thousands of people’s immune systems it is also compromising us economically. All signs are pointing to the fashion community as taking one of the biggest hits.
As spotted on High Snobiety all businesses related to style are hurting. This should be no surprise as the current pandemic has forced a high percentage of retail stores to shut down in order to slow down the spread of the infection. Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company has released a new report that details the fragile state that the category is in while everything is on hold.
The agency estimates that 80% of the publicly traded fashion brands will be in financial distress if stores stay closed for two months or more. “Combined with the McKinsey Global Fashion Index (MGFI) analysis, which found that 56 percent of global fashion companies were not earning their cost of capital in 2018, we expect a large number of global fashion companies to go bankrupt in the next 12 to 18 months.”
When it comes to predicting upcoming trends analysts speculate that even hypebeasts will be more cautious on what they cash out for. “Many consumers will be looking for so-called “investment” pieces — minimalist, last-forever items, that feel more responsible given the state of the world.” Job cuts will also become inevitable and cause a domino effect that can lead to additional devastation. “For workers in low-cost sourcing and fashion-manufacturing hubs, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Honduras, and India, extended periods of unemployment will mean hunger and disease.”
While the majority of the world continues to live in a state of fear and uncertainty this crisis is also is providing opportunities for us to unify. With no foolproof cure in sight we are seeing how long goodwill can really go.
Over the last couple of weeks several big name brands have stepped up in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19. Even though the number of cases continues to escalate so does the theme of corporate responsibility. The fashion industry specifically have truly pivoted their day to day operations to better serve the human race.
According to ongoing reports medical facilities across the world do not have the supplies needed to outfit staff members that are tending to those that have contracted Coronavirus or are just facing other medical issues. As spotted on BBC this deficit has been recognized by apparel brands throughout the globe and many have done right thing.
Here are some brands offering some noteworthy support for the betterment of the human race. Keep this mind when things are more stable (hopefully sooner than later) and ya’ll are spending those stimulus checks.
Another day, another hilarious trending topic on Twitter has taken hold. A user on the fast-moving social media network pulled a President Trump and misspelled Yves Saint Laurentas Saint Lil Ron and Twitter fans are reaction with hilarious commentary.
Twitter user @maxguwapo fired off a tweet Wednesday morning (Feb. 27) that most certainly caught the attention of many.
“I suck at dating. 2 days in, I’m tryna buy you a Saint Lil Ron Jacket,” @maxguwapo wrote, prompting a flurry of responses ranging from bewilderment to accusations that he might be trolling people for laughs by intentionally remixing the French fashion brand’s name.
Either way, Twitter is having a virtual field day with the trending topic and we’ve got those reactions listed out below.
I suck at dating. 2 days in, I’m tryna buy you a Saint Lil Ron Jacket.
Two administrators at New York’s famed Fashion Institute of Technology have been suspended after a recent graduate’s fashion show caused controversy over racially insensitive pieces that were added to the show.
According to the New York Times, Junkai Huang, a recent graduate of the iconic Fashion Institute of Technology, recently came under fire after a last minute $10 accessory add— a pair of oversize lips and blown-up “monkey” ears — resulted in public outrage after a Black model refused to wear the items and called out the insensitivity before accusing the creative director of Huang’s show of racism.
The controversy caused a much needed conversation over racism in the fashion industry and led to the suspension of two F.I.T. administrators, Jonathan Kyle Farmer, chair of the M.F.A. fashion design department, and Mary Davis, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, administrators announced Friday (Feb. 21).
In a public letter, the school’s president, Dr. Joyce Brown, who is African-American, said that the controversial show “failed to recognize or anticipate the racist references and cultural insensitivities that were obvious to almost everybody else;” before noting that the institute had commissioned an independent investigation of the incident.
“Based on an internal investigation the styling and accessorizing used in the show were provided to [Huang] rather than chosen at his discretion,” Dr. Brown said. “The collection he designed and produced was not aimed at invoking or provoking racial implications.”
Junkai Huang, who arrived in New York City in 2017 from Qingdao in eastern China, said in a recent interview that he was “sad and shocked” at the accusations.
“I have only lived in the United States briefly,” Huang said. “My understanding of American cultural references is still developing. In the future, I’ll be more aware about political correctness, cultural differences and history.”
In a statement on Instagram, Farmer said he was committed to learning from the situation.
“It was never our intent for the show’s styling to be interpreted as racist or to make people feel uncomfortable, but I now fully understand why this has happened,” Farmer wrote.
Although Farmer states he intends to grow from the incident, Ms. Davis didn’t quite echo his sentiments, stating that she “didn’t even know of the existence of the accessories until I saw them presented at the show,” before adding that her only role was meeting with students after the show, she said, to discuss their concerns.
“I have always taken full responsibility for those matters that are my responsibility, however, I should not be held accountable or blamed for not stopping actions/activity that I did not know existed,” she wrote in a statement.
As previously reported, the controversy began when Amy Lefevre, a 25-year-old Black model, refused to wear the accessories, which she said had been given to the models just as they were about to walk out for the show.
“I let the staff know that I did not want to wear these pieces as they were clearly racist and made me incredibly uncomfortable,” she said before adding that other models wore the pieces.
Lefevre revealed that while Mr. Huang would have let her walk without them, the director of the show, Richard Thornn, a creative director of NAMESldn, a London-based fashion agency, yelled at student designers to move away and pressured her to wear the accessories. Although she refused, Lefevre states that Mr. Thornn ignored her concerns before telling her that she’d “only be uncomfortable for 45 seconds.”
“It’s important to remember that people of color have historically been discriminated against by being characterized as in some way savage or animal,” Ms. Lefevre said. “There have been caricatures that institutionalized this racism in art and media. These big lips and overall monkey-looking accessories from the show struck me as an example of this.”
If you like thousands of other enthusiasts who are tired of getting left out in the cold when exclusives hit then Farfetch might have something for you. The e-commerce brand is launching a new strategy on how goods will be released to the public.
As spotted on High Snobietythe online retailer is taking a different approach on how labels serve up their collections. From luxury to mass market weekly drops have become a staple in the fashion industry as the tactic creates a feeling of urgency among shoppers. The goal is to make the purchasing process more seamless and make the pieces more readily available for consumers. Their newly announced BEAT app will serve as the hub for the transactions.
Farfetch will include labels within their wheelhouse including partners such as Palm Angels,Off-White, Opening Ceremony, plus Ambush, Palm Angels, Marcelo Burlon, and Heron Preston. Farfetch’s Chief Customer Officer Stephanie Phair detailed the approach in a formal statement. “Many luxury brands are evolving their strategies and we expect an even greater shift in the industry, away from traditional cycles to a drop model”.
BEAT drops will occur on Wednesdays across the world starting April with language specific copy displayed depending on consumer location. Additionally a BEAT collective is being formed to “to curate the best product for Beat” and “bring together [an] incredible, global group of industry taste makers and culture-definers”. Included in the brain trust are Cristiano Fagnani, the New Guards chief marketing officer; Opening Ceremony’s creative chiefs Carol Lim and Humberto Leon; Stadium Goods’ co-founder and co-CEO John McPheters; and Browns buying director Ida Petersson.
The retailer states BEAT “forms a part of the company’s overall brand positioning, Only On Farfetch, which highlights [its] unique ability to give luxury customers access to products, brands, services and a community of the best curators in the world through its boutique network, which can’t be found elsewhere in luxury fashion”.
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@fenty and @badgalriri are bringing the party to your living room. We’re co-hosting a lineup of our favorite artists right here on Instagram Live. Tune in at 3pm PT/ 6pm ET / 11pm BST / 12am CET to see performances by @octavianessie, @fvckpdro, @kittycash and @stretcharmstrong. Streaming sets from LA to London.
(@maxguwapo) 
