7 sept 2020

So what’s the score with Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5 show?

In spite of the various polemics that surround the rapper, Kanye West was back in the limelight for a fifth season with a Yeezy collaboration with Adidas that emanated a certain maturity.

An assumed passion for denim and minimalism

 

Oversized Hoodies, nude thigh boots, skin-tight vests and XXL fur coats, this Season 5 collection revisits key pieces that have made Yeezy the success it is. And yet there were new entries with a pale denim, similar to Japanese fabrics, in the form of jackets and 501-type cut jeans. Somewhere between tech-wear and street-wear, the palette remained identical to previous seasons, wine-hued red, nude beige and the iconic khaki green

 

The Somalian model Halima Adem hit the runway in a veil

 

A casting that was as edgy as ever for this collection included for the first time the Somali-American model Halima Adem wearing a veil. It echoed her presence at the Miss USA beauty contest where she was also the first candidate to wear a veil in front of the jury. A combat against islamophobia joined by Kanye West that’s somewhat polemic in the wake of his meeting with newly elected president, Donald Trump.

 

An unusual and ultra-futurist setting

 

The designer always goes one step further for his presentations as he plays with the runway show concept. For Season 5 the crew of models including Daphne GroeneveldLuka SabbatStella Lucia and Amina Blue weren’t static as previously seen, but backstage perched on platforms that turned 360 degrees with their images being transcribed onto giant scenes and as holograms in the middle of the stage. It was only for the traditional finale that they appeared in the flesh in front of the audience who were there as much for the spectacle as the looks.

 

The enfant terrible Kanye West makes amends

 

Rememeber the Yeezy Season 4 show, more than four hours late, models passing out in front of a scandalised audience of journalists, and the weighty omnipresence of the Kardashian klan. For this show Kanye West seems to have learnt a lesson and went from hype to humility. The show started on time without waiting for super-slebs Kylie Jenner and Tyga, and the designer remained in the shadows backstage even for the finale. Trying to make amends? There’s little doubt that with a show this successful in terms of both set design and aesthetic, he’ll be back in the fashion world’s good books once more. 

 

MORE: Why was the Gosha Rubchinskiy show in Kaliningrad such a big deal? 

 

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