Kanye West On The Fashion Industry: “I Wouldn’t Say Anyone Is On My Side”

June, Kanye West sat down for an interview. It was the night after Game 7 of the NBA finals and the Golden State Warriors were on his mind. Though on the face of it, West is a colossus in pop culture, a LeBron James if you will, he was feeling more like Stephen Curry – a winner, sure, but not a champion. He was speaking specifically about the court of fashion, an industry that has embraced him as a celebrity but not necessarily as the designer and creative visionary he believes himself to be. A few months later, he would present his Yeezy Season 4 collection at Roosevelt Island, a show that would earn him some of the worst reviews since he seriously ventured into fashion five years ago. Still, early this summer he was already exhibiting some of the anger and skepticism towards the industry that was on display just last week at The Plaza when, while performing Runaway, he flipped off the fashion-heavy crowd while he sang, “Let’s have a toast to the douchebags.” “No matter what they write I just couldn’t stop!” he said later, evidently referring to his critics. To West, it didn’t matter that Yeezy sneakers are a huge success; what he craves most – both as a musician and as a designer – is respect, and he may not be satisfied until he gets the acknowledgement he demands. See more at W Magazine.