Kanye West is a rap legend.
Yeezy has emerged from the music industry and now reigns his own industry with other titles, such as entrepreneur and fashion designer.
I don’t know squat about fashion, but I respect it as an art. I also respect Kanye as one of the best rappers of all time. Lately, the two seem to go hand in hand.
Whether stepping out of a car or launching a distinctive piece in one of his collections, Kanye has shifted the tide of fashion in so many different ways.
These are the times Kanye made a significant impact on the fashion industry.
When he sold out that one sweater… and many others
Back in April, the rapper’s photo was taken by the paparazzi, and he was seen wearing a Boot Boyz Biz sweater.
A casual day in Kanye’s world led to the sweater being sold out everywhere.
If Ye ever decides to put on your designer pieces, you know you’re set for life.
When he made shutter shades cool
Remember when everyone had a pair of shutter shades?
You can thank Kanye for making something so impractical so cool.
When he collaborated with Louis Vuitton
In 2009, the luxurious designer brand Louis Vuitton collaborated with Kanye West on a shoe collection.
Kanye named the collection “Don ‘Kanye West.'”
When he collaborated with Nike
Before his deal with Nike soured, Business of Fashion described the collaboration between Kanye and Nike as “the biggest impact on sneaker culture in the last decade.”
When the Air Yeezys 1 and 2 dropped, Kanye set new records and heavily impacted the Nike industry.
After Nike and Ye had their falling out, Adidas’ collaboration with the rapper wiped Nike shoes off the social media radar.
But rumors have it that Kanye was working on a third Air Yeezys before things went south, so maybe there’s a chance of them picking back up again after all?
I wouldn’t hold my breath, especially not after “FACTS” was released last year.
When he ditched Nike and collaborated on the Adidas Yeezys
The release of the Adidas Yeezys was highly anticipated. And well worth the wait.
Now, the Yeezy-Adidas partnership is just as fire as ever, with the YEEZY Wave Runner 700s, which have begun arriving in the mail for fans who had purchased the shoes.
He’s friends with fashion moguls
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Kanye is known for maintaining friendship with big names in fashion such as Anna Wintour, Riccardo Tisci, and Tory Burch.
From Teen Vogue:
“Though Kanye is far from the first rapper to break fashion stereotypes or reach for pink clothes, the Louis Vuitton Don blazed an unprecedented path into the high-end fashion world. With stunts like his listening party/fashion show housed at Madison Square Garden, and his friendships with fashion folks like Riccardo Tisci, Anna Wintour and Phoebe Philo, the multi-hyphenate has morphed into a credible fashion icon.”
And of course who could forget his infamous, “I don’t see why I need a stylist when I shop so much I can speak Italian,” line from his 2007 single, “Champion”.
He brought gender fluidity into hip-hop culture
Kanye has inspired even more celebrities such as Young Thug and Jaden Smith to be open to gender fluidity in their style.
Young Thug was quoted by Teen Vogue saying “90 percent of my clothes are women’s.”
The Pablo rapper has rocked women’s pieces in the past, breaking the barrier on what’s “normal” in in fashion.
We also got news that he will be releasing a gender-fluid line named DONDA after his mother.
Kanye will surely continue to launch and impact the music industry, as well as fashion, by incorporating both of these arts into his image.
Kanye West impactful movements will continue to extend beyond his audience and change history forever, and we can’t wait to see what creations the rapper has in store for us next.