From Catwalk To Concert
Maison Martin Margiela – notorious for anonymity – has collaborated with Kanye West – notorious for anything but. The French House have designed a set of outfits for Kanye’s ‘Yeezus’ tour, drawing inspiration from previous Margiela collections. In particular, an indisputable reference to Margiela’s signature crystal encrusted veil.The House have stated their huge desire to work with Kanye West, irrespective to the controversy he has within the media. When interviewed by Vogue, Margiela said, “We have wanted to work with Kanye West for a very long time, ever since he became a close friend of the Maison; supporting us a lot and coming to our shows.”
Admittedly, I initially found myself scratching my head at the thought of the two collaborating. While Kanye certainly has his foot in the door in terms of his music career, the same cannot be said in terms of fashion. On many occasions, he has been known to address – somewhat confrontationally – his affiliation within the fashion industry for 7 years. However, this pales into insignificance upon considering Margiela’s 30 years.
Nonetheless, Kanye’s success within the music industry cannot be denied. Arguably, they are two of the most influential modern artistic ‘geniuses’ in terms of what they do. While I question whether Kanye should be provided with this sense of credibility, Margiela’s powerful influence can finally give him something to shout about. Moreover, the collaboration will open the eyes of Kanye’s fan base to Margiela, which – in my opinion – makes the collaboration justifiable in every sense of the word.
