Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, debuted his Yeezy Season 9 collection on Monday at a pop-up Paris Fashion Week show. However, he was not trending for his collection. Instead, the internet went into a frenzy when West wore a t-shirt with the words “White Lives Matter” printed on the back.
Kanye West flaunts ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt: Here’s what we know
As per TMZ, before the models arrived, West delivered a speech while sporting the same bejewelled flip-flops he wore last week and a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt with the Pope’s face on the front. The shirt read, “We shall follow your example.”
In his speech, Ye made numerous references, including Taylor Swift’s former manager Scooter Braun, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s 2016 Paris heist, his difficulties breaking into the fashion industry, and his most recent dispute with Gap.
Before the show, Ye teased several famous faces on his Instagram who were expected to make appearances on his runway: Kardashian, ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk, and alleged current flame Candice Swanepoel.
He also mentioned others like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Lauryn Hill, Angelina Jolie, Naomi Campbell, Emily Ratajkowski, Gisele Bündchen, Amelia Gray Hamlin, and Bella Hadid.
However, it seems that only Shayk, Campbell, and Hamlin made an appearance.
Ye was not the only one to sport his “White Lives Matter” t-shirt, as some of the models in the show wore them too. Ye posed with conservative commentator Candace Owens in matching shirts.
Over the past week, West has been attending fashion shows in Paris and London. On Sunday, 2 October 2022, he made his runway debut as a model when he introduced the Balenciaga show. The rapper’s trip down the runway was watched by Khloé Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, and his daughter North West from the front row.
West faces backlash on social media
In response to West’s shirt, social media users flooded the platform with disapproval for his insensitive choice, especially given his history with ‘black lives’ commentary. Here are some of their reactions, including some from fellow artists.