Show Review: Yeezy Season 3

Fashion lines created by celebrities need to have an element of that star’s style baked into the designs in order to be successful: the classic glamour of Victoria Beckham and downtown cool of The Row are just a couple of successes that come to mind. Kanye West struggled in this area for quite a few seasons with his eponymous label, but it seems he’s caught his stride with Yeezy—his collaboration with Adidas Originals. Sporty, functional, and cool with high price points, the pieces are designs Kanye actually wears in real-time—an approach that has proven profitable for other star-backed brands.

West rattled the cage of the fashion industry by staging his Season 3 show at none other than Madison Square Garden: completely leaning on his prowess as one of the world’s biggest superstars. He also chose it as the platform for the listening party of his latest album, The Life of Pablo. Whether he’s referencing Pablo Picasso, Escobar, or Neruda is something we’re still uncertain of. And the audience for the presentation was just as momentous—a sold-out throng of 18K fans and supporters who were able to purchase tickets for the momentous event, opening up yet another show to the public as friend Riccardo Tisci did with his Givenchy show last season.

The man of the hour was clad in a graphic t-shirt with “I Feel Like Pablo” embroidery: one of the designs sold for $40 at merchandise stands and currently going for close to $200 on eBay. He partnered with Italian contemporary artist Vanessa Beecroft on outfitting over one thousand models as well as on the set—detailed with tents and feeling very The Walking Dead meets The Book of Eli. The duo were inspired by the current refugee crisis—a quite scalding and contradictory reference when compared with the high price Yeezy price points and his complete embrace of luxury and capitalism.

Athleisure, street-inspired silhouettes, and athletic elements were on the agenda yet again, though colors were a bit more punchy with shades of rust, mustard, yellow, and even a pair of turquoise boots making an appearance. There were also some heavy hitting supermodels in the lineup including Liya Kebede, Naomi Campbell, and Veronica Webb.

West also gave a sneak peek of his Only One video game, dedicated to his late mother Donda West. He also stated that he discussed his dream of becoming the Creative Director of Hermès for at least two seasons with Anna Wintour. It wouldn’t be a Yeezy event without a rant, right?

If the fashion industry was a table, West definitely shook it to his heart’s content. Will more brands take a cue from the designer-producer-mogul and stage their shows concert-style with booming music to boot? Only time will tell. For now, we’re just interested in the prices of the shoes and all the wares on display. And for The Life of Pablo release of course.