Kanye West brought his staple utilitarian style to Balenciaga’s Spring 2023 shoe — with a runway-ready twist.
The singer left the New York Stock Exchange after viewing Demna’s latest collection in an all-black outfit. His ensemble featured a long black hoodie beneath a black leather coach jacket with a pointed collar. Completing the ensemble was a pair of black jeans.
When it came to shoes, however, Ye boosted his look in a pair of Balenciaga platform boots. In fact, the style made its debut on him prior to the show — where it was actually part of the collection. His style featured Thin ridged soles and extremely rounded toes, complete with calf-high uppers. The pair gained added whimsy from its enlarged silhouette, reminiscent of classic combat boots. Finishing the pair were laces that strapped upwards, giving his all-black outfit added edge.
Held in the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange — whose signature bell ringing marked the show’s start — models on the Spring 2023 runway stepped out in Adidas x Balenciaga pieces. They also donned the latest from Demna, which included oversized suiting, pussy-bow blouses and classic outerwear layered over latex bondage suits. The footwear front ranged from sharp stiletto heels to oversized lace-up combat boots. The collection also included Balenciaga’s new collaboration with Adidas, a range of versatile pieces in a primarily black, red and white color palette with pops of blue and gray, retailing from $210-$5,500. The clothing merged Adidas’ classic athleticism with Balenciaga’s subversive and sporty aesthetic, featuring T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, socks and track jackets with varying logos — mainly “Balenciaga” lettering next to Adidas’ signature three-leaf and triple stripes. On the shoe front, the collaboration hinges on two styles of Balenciaga’s Triple S and Speed sneakers, featuring Adidas’ stripe and leaf logos.available for a limited time on Balenciaga’s website until May 29.
Aside from Ye, the front row also included stars like Alexa Demie, Vera Wang, Chloë Sevigny, Megan Thee Stallion and Pharrell Williams, among others.
You can watch the full show on YouTube, below:
Ye’s appearance at the show comes soon after his announcement that Yeezy Gap — his collaborative line with affordable brand Gap — would release a collection co-designed with Balenciaga. Since the collaboration was announced earlier this February, the first drop has already released and been sold out. The second collection follows suit with sportswear references and ties to everyday casual wear. It also heavily mimics West’s current style aesthetic, where he’s been spotted in casual monochrome black outfits that are often finished with chunky vintage work boots. In fact, his Red Wing boots worn earlier this year went instantly viral — with one pair even selling for $3,000 on eBay.
However, Ye’s recent “Life of the Party” music video also serves as a teaser for fans before the collection officially drops on May 25 at 9 p.m. ET, 6 a.m. PT and 3 p.m. CT. Aside from the password-protected YeezyGap.com, pieces from the collection will also drop on Farfetch, MyTheresa and Luisa Via Roma’s websites as well.
Discover the first drop from Yeezy Gap by Balenciaga in the gallery.
