Watch: Kanye West Make Modeling Debut At The Balenciaga SS23 Show
Balenciaga love to produce over-the-top productions for their collection debuts. Past seasons have found the brand taking over Wall Street (Spring 2022) and turning a glass building into a snow globe (Fall 2022), but for the luxury fashion house's Spring 2023 collection, models walked a muddy terrain runway.
Kanye West opened the show almost incognito, wearing an oversized black utility vest over a matching jacket with black pants and boots. Models trekked through the thick mud carrying faux babies in Balenciaga harnesses and full-sleeved handbags while wearing Dutch clogs on their feet. Additional Statement pieces include a sleeveless leather Balenciaga Le Cagole Dress equipped with the bag's signature trimmings and hardware, devil-horn sunglasses, and oversized suiting!
Image Courstey: Youtube/Balenciaga
According to Harper's Bazaar, the show notes read, "I've decided to no longer explain my collections and verbalize my designs, but to express a state of mind. I hate boxes and I hate labels. Individualism in fashion is downgraded to pseudo trends dictated by a post in stories of some celebrity of the moment." He also stated, “fashion loves boxes and labels more than anything. Luxury, not luxury, street, couture, good, bad, buzz, viral, all the same, who cares. Putting fashion into the box of polished, exclusive, and visually expensive is limited and pretty old school," according to Hypebeast.
Though this is Mr. West's first catwalk experience, he's no stranger to Fashion Week. Kanye West regularly attends Paris Fashion Week to support his friends, including the late Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White and the former Menswear Creative Director for Louis Vuitton, and Demna Gvasalia, the current Creative Director at Balenciaga. Kanye has also presented his Yeezy line and Kanye West collection from 10 years ago (Fall and Spring 2012) during New York and Paris Fashion Weeks, respectively.
Watch Kanye West open up the Balenciaga Spring 2023 Collection runway show below.
And check out some twitter reactions below!
“How hard is this picture? How many likes can it get? Kanye X Balenciaga”
How hard is this picture? How many likes can it get?
— Certified Yardman (@ydmnsxl1) October 2, 2022
Kanye X Balenciaga pic.twitter.com/Bp9Ml24uSO
“Kanye deserved to open up the Balenciaga Runway at PFW! THE REAL GOAT!!!!”
Kanye deserved to open up the Balenciaga Runway at PFW! THE REAL GOAT!!!!
— CHURCH GIRL 🇨🇩🇿🇦🇿🇲 (@NanaNambela) October 2, 2022
“KANYE CAN DO EVERYTHING!! DESIGN CLOTHES & SHOES, PRODUCE, SING, RAP, WRITE, NOW HE WALKING ON THE BALENCIAGA RUNWAY!!”
KANYE CAN DO EVERYTHING!!
— LOTTIE (@SaintSeverino) October 2, 2022
DESIGN CLOTHES & SHOES, PRODUCE, SING, RAP, WRITE,
NOW HE WALKING ON THE BALENCIAGA RUNWAY!!
“Kanye opened the SS23 Balenciaga show and I love it.”
Kanye opened the SS23 Balenciaga show and I love it.
— Victor Scott (@thevictorscott) October 2, 2022
“2 OF MY BOYS SHOWING OFF KANYE MODELING FOR BALENCIAGA LIL UZI JUST GOT HIS NAVEL PIERCED”
2 OF MY BOYS SHOWING OFF
— BUTTACUP89 (@ADIDASKQUEEN) October 2, 2022
KANYE MODELING FOR BALENCIAGA
LIL UZI JUST GOT HIS NAVEL PIERCED
“Kanye chewed that walk for look 1! #balenciaga”
Kanye chewed that walk for look 1! #balenciaga
— P (@PATTDUB) October 2, 2022
Thumbnail Image Courtesy: Instagram/Kanye West
