We truly are living in a golden age of showmanship. There are of course those like Donald Trump, but we also have the incomparable Kanye West.
Who, today, at New York Fashion Week, launched Yeezy Season 5 with a show at Pier 59.
The show comes amid allegations of racism on the part of Kanye by Allure’s fashion director Rachel Wang, who announced she was boycotting the show due to Yeezy Season 4’s casting call which specified the line wanted ”multiracial women only.”
Other editors planned to boycott the launch as well, including The Washington Post’s fashion editor, Robin Givhan, who said going to the show would be like “planning to visit an abusive friend.”
Cutting through all this naked disdain was the announcement that Kanye recruited 2016 Miss USA contestant Halima Aden to walk in his show.
Aden signed with IMG Models after the competition. She made headlines for competing for Minnesota in the contest while wearing a hijab, and for wearing a burkini during the swimsuit competition. Besides being dedicated to wearing the hijab, Aden has also been feted for representing refugees — she herself was born in a Kenyan refugee camp.
Finally, if the derision of fashion’s elite and excitement of Aden’s very presence weren’t enough, it was widely rumored leading up to the show that Kanye would unveil a new collaboration with Drake alongside his new clothes, thanks to teasers in the invitations he sent out.
What actually happened at the show is a little unclear. West barred cell phones and cameras from the event; at least one attendee reported seeing press removed from the room.
Yeezy Season 5 has some of the tightest security I've seen. They just kicked out all the credentialed press for no reason.
— ©DanBassini (@DanBassini) February 15, 2017
However, reports say that film footage of models in Yeezus Season 5 played on gigantic four-sided screens as a prelude to the show; live models then entered in looks that featured camouflage, snakeskin, denim and fur. Many of the looks featured exaggerated dimensions — super high boots and incredibly long sleeves popped up often.
Snakeskin boots, Yeezy #NYFW pic.twitter.com/rc5q3ML2Gp
— Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) February 15, 2017
It's a #yeezyseasn5 fashion video full of LA map points: Calabasas, Lost Hills, more – and damn cool sneakers #NYFW pic.twitter.com/3YFzGCcFlp
— @Booth (@Booth) February 15, 2017
Inside the #yeezyseason5 show by @kanyewest for #Adidas models projected onto huge four-sided screen then walked pic.twitter.com/dcUID7eESA
— AP Fashion (@AP_Fashion) February 15, 2017
Aden walked to a warm reception, but no new music debuted; instead, the models walked to The-Dream singing J. Holiday’s “Bed.”
Finally it's here I couldn't be more happy for her inshallah many more to come #HalimaAden #Yeezyseason5 #Hijabi #Somali #Family ???????????? pic.twitter.com/LUJlncXOhz
— Queen Araweelo (@Aziza_Fashion) February 15, 2017
You can watch a (somewhat low quality) video taken by High Snobiety of a few of the looks here.
