Men’s Style Icon | Kanye West
Many don’t know West was a successful producer for a while before he became a famous in the industry for being a rapper, however his transition toward becoming a house hold name, and recognised hip-hop star was difficult as the music industry top dogs felt he didn’t look the part, due to his lack of “street” appeal. Yet he stuck to his guns, and didn’t change anything and a few years later his style became a template for men around the world.
He’s another man who’s notorious for his often controversy and antics in the public eye, as well as his idiosyncratic style. He’s not afraid to be the centre of attention and it pays off, for supreme style, and for creating an overall image; confidence is key.
He’s got such a unique mix of retro styles mixed with preppy silhouettes that provides him with a bold swagger with, satin blazers, suits and crisp dress shirts paired with funky, futuristic-looking high-tops constitute much of his red-carpet apparel. Elsewhere, he’s spotted sporting polo shirts, cable-knit sweaters, and ‘70s- and ‘80s-inspired sportswear.
The use of colour is another signature piece of his style handbook, whether its lime green, vibrant pink or electric blue.
However Kanye West’s obsession with style is bigger than what you initially notice. 2008 saw this 10-time Grammy Award winner collaborating on two separate design projects: a men’s footwear collection for Louis Vuitton (Kanye for LV) and the launch of his own label, Pastelle. On January 22, 2009, during Paris Fashion Week, West introduced his first shoe line designed for Louis Vuitton. The line was released in summer 2009. and
Kanye West has said that the line was a natural progression for him, confessing that “[his] first love is for fashion” and that “…[he] was a designer before [he] was a rapper.”
Kanye West’s dedication to music and style, makes him a style icon, inspires us to keep on pushing fashion boundaries, men’s fashion tends to be much more slow moving and less flamboyant to womenswear in many cases, yet West just shows that it doesn’t have to be that way.
Mr. West was also first to bag the new, much awaited Versace range for H’n’M. Not afraid to grab a bargain, west was seen sporting the brightly coloured, baseball-styled jacket at the Victoria Secret fashion show earlier on this month.
Follow your own rules. Thats all you need to do to get the ‘Kanye look.’
Kanye West’s obsession with style is bigger than what you initially notice.
By Melissa Sinclair
