Kanye West breaks into fashion in a big way ... Paris Fashion Week

So, Kanye West steps out of the box yet again....not as a musician gone on his own path, but as a fashion designer.  What are your thoughts?

Before reviewing his collection, let me just say this...

Sometimes, rather than embrace and encourage an individual aspiring to achieve a goal, the innate reaction of some people in the fashion and entertainment industry (including the media) is to reject first and take consideration later, as if acceptance would be to require one to go through an emotionally painful process such as the "hazing" involved in the admission into an elite sorority, fraternity or private gentleman's club during pledge week.  (such as the blog review "My Beautiful 'Confusing' 'Poor-Fitting' Fashion LineL Kanye West's Designs Debut in Paris", written by Daniel Kreps in The Amplifier, a music blog, and posted on Monday, October 3, 2011).


As a self-taught designer, with no formal training in fashion education curriculum, I, too have received criticism of my seriousness to embark upon my journey or pursuit of success as a fashion designer.  I can tell you, of my own personal beginning and continuing to this day, my "self-teaching" has encompassed many more hours of laborious tolling through books and videos, poking fingers, breaking needles and placing myself in nerve racking situations to network and be embraced by the fashion industry than I would have obtained from any formal education that I could ever afford.  In the last year I have grown immensely and I have just gotten started and will not be moved by the negativity in this sometimes harsh, but always rewarding in its own way, fashion and entertainment industry.  But wait, this review is not about me, but Kanye ... so, let's take a look shall we ...

NowFashion.com (http://www.nowfashion.com/01-10-2011-kanye-west-ready-to-wear-spring-summer-2012-paris-show-1059.html) presents a great see-all slide show of Kanye's first walk in Paris.

(Kudos to Valerio, photographer of the NowFashion.com coverage.)

Although some items seem ill fitting, utilize unusual sweater beaded and have plunging necklines (as the media would almost universally describe it), there are many “seasoned designers” that opt for these measures of more pleasing descriptions of:

“loose fitting” (such as TIBI’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2012 Collection,



(side note, simply LOVE the TIBI white dress at 1:22, by the way!!!)

“mixed media”  (such as MyMeApparel “Beach Girl”, Alter Ego Collection 2010)

 (last photo - model: Tarsha McDaniel, photo: Divine Elements Entertainment)

MyMeApparel: www.mymeapparel.com

(ok, so I’m not a “seasoned designer”, but Kanye and I are not the only one’s in pursuit of artistic expression through “mixed media”) 


… and “seductive skin” (such as Luca Luca’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2012 Collections, 1:07 and 1:24).



Also, Kenya’s use of leather is not so surprising as music and leather have always gone hand in hand… a projection from his first love.

Out of 23 pieces presented on NowFashion.com, five of the pieces sparked my interest: 5 7 13 20 21 … as in “yes”, I would wear them.  11 and 16 are eye-catching as well.  Not only would I wear them…I can say, with some certainty, that my 16 year old daughter, models that I have worked with over the past year, as well as several of my clients, would wear them…and not just because Kanye West designed them.

So my words to Kanye, if I would be so assumptive to believe that he would take the time out to read my review, would be to say… his words…from Kanye West’s song “Good Life” (which played on  the TV series “Entourage” in 2007 and “Medium” in 2008):

Remember what you say fellow rapper 50 Cent told you, (excerpt from “Good Life” lyrics):

“go 'head switch the style up
And if they hate then let 'em hate
And watch the money pile up, the good life”

…and I will be taking heed to additional lyrics from same song (excerpt from “Good Life” lyrics:

“Whether you broke or rich you gotta get biz
Having' money's not everything, not having it is”

…as my resources are limited, I know that not having money is everything, so I can tell you that making a trip to Paris Fashion Week is not within my arm’s reach at this time,…but I will not be moved from the pursuit of my success in the fashion and entertainment industry.

I hope that Kanye’s determination in his musical expression will transfer into his determination to continue to pursue the “good life” as a fashion designer!

~MyMeApparel Head Fashion Designer & Founder, Valeri L. Reaves, write me @ mymeapparel@yahoo.com!