Kanye West is this season’s newest slash-designer; the rapper is preparing to show a possibly eponymous line of womenswear at New York Fashion Week in the fall. Although most new designers would have to sell their soul for an opportunity to show a collection at New York Fashion Week, it seems like Mr. West has called upon his numerous connections in the fashion industry, instead — not only to make his show possible, but also to make sure that his collection is as chic as can be.
Mr. West was spotted visiting Central Saint Martins, the alma mater of the legendary Alexander McQueen, in London last March, and rumors ran rampant about the possibility of the musician enrolling in the school. His visit to the school remained a mystery, though, after reps for the school adamantly denied the possibility of his enrollment. However, sources have since disclosed that the purpose of Kanye’s visit was to see Louise Wilson, a Central Saint Martins professor, who has been providing him with private design lessons to help him with the collection.
Aside from Ms. Wilson’s expertise, the rapper has turned to knitwear-guru, Louise Goldin, to oversee his designs. Furthermore, he has reportedly hired a “very established stylist to work as a consultant” – looks like he’s covering all of his bases.
You may remember that just 2 years ago, Kanye decided not to go forward with launching his line, Pastelle, apparently in the hopes of creating an eponymous line in the future. Even though the pieces were never sold, a 3-look lookbook was revealed from Pastelle that showed a collection of menswear, dominated by variations on the classic, varsity jacket. This time around, Mr. West will be showing womenswear, and sources report that he’s currently toiling away in studios in both East London and New York City. What do you think: will Kanye be as successful in the fashion industry as he is with music?
SOURCES
http://cocoperez.com/2009-10-13-kanye-wests-pastelle-clothing-line-dead-before-arrival
http://cocoperez.com/2009-10-12-a-glimpse-at-kanyes-new-line
http://cocoperez.com/2011-03-07-kanye-west-applying-for-a-masters-in-fashion