Kanye West is ever present in the fashion world, whether he's sitting front row at shows around the globe, or making bold statements with his own wardrobe. West tried to capitalize on this notoriety by creating his own line in 2008-2009 called Pastelle.
In Sept. of 2009, after a year of devotion to the project, West was said to have only produced three articles of clothing and a belt. Images from his look-book were then released, but West's rep told the press that the line would not be produced. Some say he was too meticulous with the designs and was never satisfied with the samples. Others speculate the clothing line was just a trick to gain more press.
West told Ellemagazine that same year, “Did you not see the Lindsay (Lohan) and Ungaro collection? That was 911 for celebrities doing fashion. After that I thought ‘Well I can't do a line now’."
In May 2011, West released a limited run collection of scarves inspired by the artwork from his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
West collaborated with M/M (paris) to produce five silk-printed scarves sold exclusively on M/M’s website, the RSVP Gallery in Chicago and the French Boutique Colette. Only 100 of each scarf print was produced and were last quoted at selling around $410.
West's additional forays into fashion include: working alongside Nike to release his popular high-end "Air Yeezy" sneakers, collaborating with Louis Vuitton in developing a line of casual footwear for the company’s 2009 spring/summer lineup and interning at the Italian luxury brand Fendi while staying in Rome around the time of his album 808s & Heartbreak's release.
According to a recent report by the UK's Telegraph, a sources close to Kanye said he will start working on a new clothing line in Paris shortly. This high-end collection will be for both men and women. It is rumored that he is setting up shop there to receive inspiration and to study from the world-renowned designers that also create there. Not that he hasn't already been seen cramming. During this year's Spring 2011 shows, West was seen on the front rows for Rodarte, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Alexander Wang, Sonia Rykiel, Givenchy, Lanvin, Vivienne Westwood, and Jean Charles de Castelbajac.
He is rumored to be presenting Céline designer Phoebe Philo with an award at the CFDA Awards today, June 6. This may come as little surprise since he's mentioned her in his music ("...and my chick in that new Phoebe Philo,") and recently got a lot of flack for wearing a Céline blouse to perform at Coachella.
Hopefully, West will continue to make his mark on the fashion world, through his own style and perhaps (yet another) pending clothing line. While there is no fixed date for West's first showing, it is believed that a presentation-style format is slated for September, in time for the 2012 spring/summer season collections.
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