Kayne West is one of the most influential individuals in the menswear fashion industry. The American rap and hip-hop artist first rose to fame in the early 2000s when he went from being a producer to getting a record deal and releasing his own tracks.
Over the last couple of decades he has become one of the world's top selling musicians, having sold more than 160 million records worldwide. He has won 24 Grammy Awards and been nominated 75 times.
The star also had a high-profile marriage to reality star and businesswomen Kim Kardashian, with whom he has four children. In 2020, Kayne launched an unsuccessful United States presidential campaign.
West isn't only a music artist but also a very successful entrepreneur and fashion influencer. He is famous for his own fashion sense and the clothing lines and collaborations he has managed over the years.
Here is a look at Kayne's own style evolution as well as his business ventures in the world of fashion:
Kayne's style evolution
Early on in his career, around the time of 'College Dropout', Kayne West didn't dress the same as the other rappers of the 2000s. He was known to wear more preppy pieces, such as rugby polo shirts, bright contrasting colors and corduroy blazers.
Following the success of his first album, the star's style became a little more refined and 70s style suits and aviator glasses became a part of his wardrobe. At the 2006 Grammys, Kayne stole the show in a lavender tuxedo with white lapels.
Around the time of the release of 'Graduation', West took a liking to both high fashion and streetwear. Around this time, you could find him in streetwear pants like super stacked jeans as well as neon clothing and futuristic looks. He also sported designer items like the keffiyeh neck scarf.
As we entered the 2010s, Kayne realized his influencer status in fashion and put real effort into ensuring his looks received the attention they deserved. Many will remember the red Phillip Lim suit, which he styled with a gold Horus chain, at the MTV VMAs in 2010.
Next came the Yeezus era. Kayne had artist Wes Lang create the designs for his Yeezus tour merch and wore many of the pieces himself. Around this time Kayne began collaborations with Louis Vuitton, Nike, and Adidas as well as bringing out his own Yeezy clothing line.
Kayne in the fashion business
Kayne's venture in business has now helped him to achieve billionaire status, he now owns a number of businesses with most of these concentrating on clothing and footwear. Yeezy is one of his biggest and most successful investments in fashion. It saw people across the world saving to purchase the luxurious trainer brand even with their high price band.
Kanye combined art, pop, rap and culture together to create a stylish shoe and has an excellent marketing strategy. Utilizing his large fanbase and unusual PR stunts set his product and brand apart form others.
His Yeezy has formed a collaboration with Adidas and offers limited edition sneakers, as well as apparel such as jackets, shirts, track pants and sliders. The collab was highly successful and generated over $1 billion in sales. Since 2015, Yeezys have been seen as highly desired sneakers and have been sported by the likes of Justin Bieber, Karim Benzema and Brooklyn Beckham.
At times, Kayne has utilized his music events to promote the Yeezy brand. For example, in 2021 The Adidas Yeezy 1050 was first promoted at his listening party at the Atlanta Mercedes-Benz Stadium for his Donda album. They are shaped as a skinny boot and come in a 'hi-res' orange shade.
The collaboration between West and Adidas has now come to an end after the brand parted ways following Kayne's antisemitic remarks on social media. This controversy also saw other brand deals with designer labels Balenciaga and Vogue come to an abrupt end.
He also ensures his children are a part of his fashion creations. In 2022 we saw his daughter North West, singing and being the main star at her fathers Yeezy show. This reached people who weren't Yeezy's usual audience and made quite the impression. He has a very unserious/ serious approach to his fashion shows and brand which in turn works highly in his favor.
Kayne West has been a huge influence on men's fashion over the last two decades, he is a trendsetter and unafraid to stand out from the crowd. The star has been able to utilize the fame and capital he has gained from his music career to succeed in the world of fashion. This is seen especially with Kanye making an appearance at Balenciaga's Paris Fashion week show runway. Not any model can open a fashion week show.
