Kanye West X Adidas Originals: Did Kanye crack the Pavement? New York Fashion Week 2015

 

After being criticised for his previous design debacle in Paris back in 2012, Kanye West’s latest collaboration with sportswear giant Adidas was one of the most anticipated show at the NYFW15. For the show the musician played a soundtrack saying, “I’m here to crack the pavement and make new ground. There is a lack of creativity in every field, people are afraid to create”. Hmmmmm....... The question is, did he really manage to crack the pavement? Was he able to create something exceptionally new? Was it an awesome collection?

My personal observation is that, though Kanye tried, the collection had nothing new to offer, and not ground breaking as stated by him. His direct inspiration from Helmut Lang’s work was also very much evident. The collection offered oversized and unisex pieces, like nude body stockings, see through tanks, sports bras, bombers, collarless blouson jackets, and distressed sweaters, sweat pants and camouflage parka in a colour palette of olive, camel and gray. Oversized backpacks, duffels and sneaker boots were also other highlights of the collection.

Is there anything that I like about the show? Yes, his showmanship - the way he presented the pieces on models in a military style row and also models of all shapes and size were seen, thus encouraging diversity on the runway, even if not entirely. 

And, yes, it was his front row filled with a who’s who of the industry that made more news than the collection itself. As for the collection, it remains to be seen whether the collaboration can generate the desired “pavement cracking” sales figure.

 

( Image Credit: Style.com )