Kanye West Wears ‘White Lives Matter’ Shirt At Yeezy Fashion Show

Topline

Ye, also known as Kanye West, wore a shirt with “WHITE LIVES MATTER” written on it at his Yeezy SZN 9 fashion show in Paris on Monday, in yet another controversial move from the outspoken fashion designer and rapper.

Key Facts

West and at least one other model wore the shirts, which featured a photo of Pope John Paul II’s face on it, according to Page Six and the New York Times.

Conservative commentator Candace Owens was pictured at the show and seen wearing a version of the shirt while standing with West, according to images shared online.

Model Naomi Campbell walked in the show, though she did not wear one of the shirts.

Key Background

West, who recently ended his business relationship with Gap and vowed to end his long-standing partnership with Adidas, has previously made several questionable comments about race and the Black community. In 2018, he told TMZ that slavery in the U.S. “sounds like a choice,” though he attempted to walk back the statement. While running for president in 2020, West said that Harriet Tubman “never actually freed the slaves” and “just had the slaves go work for other white people.” West visited former President Donald Trump at the White House during his presidency, and wore one of Trump’s Make America Great Again hats. He faced criticism for doing so, and said “one of my favorite of many things about what the Trump hat represents to me is that people can’t tell me what to do because I’m Black.” Earlier this year, West was temporarily banned from Instagram for calling Trevor Noah a racial slur. Owens has previously defended West online.

Further Reading

Kanye West Leaving Adidas And Gap Partnerships Once Contracts Expire, He Says (Forbes)

What’s Eating Kanye West? Leaving Adidas Would Drop The Volatile Superstar From Billionaire Status (Forbes)

Ye: Light, Liberation, Fire And Freedom (Forbes)

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/10/03/kanye-west-wears-white-lives-matter-shirt-at-yeezy-fashion-show/