Kanye West made his runway debut Sunday at Balenciaga’s Paris Fashion Week, and his strut has people talking.
The rapper and business mogul took his turn on the catwalk with confidence and highlighted a unique, mud-filled backdrop specifically designed for the Summer 2023 collection. West was dressed completely in black and had a portion of his face obscured with a dark hoodie that he wore over top of a baseball cap, giving the illusion of dark, cryptic style.
Ye opening for Balenciaga SS23 at Paris Fashion Week pic.twitter.com/1qyIJy87Vb
— Donda’s Place (@dondas__place) October 2, 2022
West’s appearance at the show was unannounced, and seemed to catch everyone off-guard.
West opened the show and immediately commanded attention with his oversized jacket that featured a “security” patch and some loose-fitting, textured leather pants.
Online chatter and commentary suggests West’s confident, upbeat strut was a big ‘win’ for the rapper, and fans want to see more.
His children Saint, Chicago and Psalm attended the show, alongside Khloe Kardashian. The family commanded the front row, however Kim Kardashian was notably missing from the group.
Creative director Demna Gvasalia said he used a set of sludge and mud for the background because it represented a “metaphor for digging for truth and being down to earth.” (RELATED: ‘Come And Get Me’: Kanye West Says Porn Ruined His Family, Wants More Say In His Kids’ Lives)
Balenciaga SS23 Show Notes written by Demna (2022) pic.twitter.com/4yJZ56eLAO
— Outlander Magazine (@StreetFashion01) October 2, 2022
“I hate boxes and I hate labels. … Individualism in fashion is downgraded to pseudotrends dictated by a post in stories of some celebrity of the moment,” Gvasalia wrote in the show’s notes.
“I’ve decided to no longer explain my collections and verbalize my designs, but to express a state of mind,” Gvasalia said.