Though most wouldn’t imagine it to be true, apparently Kanye West is a breeze to work with, according to one of his favorite designer labels, that is.
After infamously rapping, “What’s that jacket, Margiela?” on the hit single “Niggas In Paris,” Maison Martin Margiela became a household name in the Hip-Pop community. As fate would have it, the international superstar would go on to use the avante-garde label to create costumes and masks for his worldwide Yeezus Tour.
So what was working with Yeezus, The God, like? And how much input did Kanye actually have in regard to designing the inspirational tour looks that have become hot topics on blogs across the globe? The Belgian designer has all that info and more in his most recent interview with ELLE Magazine, and he has nothing but great things to say about working with Kanye.
Find out more in the highlights below.
What was the process of working with Kanye like?
Everything went very smoothly between Kanye West and Maison Martin Margiela, as we had wanted to work together for a long time. We have the same eye for detail and care for quality and design.
How did you arrive at the designs used?
We firstly went through the Maison’s archive as we both wanted the wardrobe to encompass the whole spirit of Maison Martin Margiela’s creations. We selected iconic pieces and proposed silhouettes that would match with artist Vanessa Beecroft’s scenography. We then found different ways to transform the pieces into a stage wardrobe.
What techniques were used?
We had to source new fabrics to adapt the garments—a military cape was made out of vintage military jackets and bags, for example. Embroideries, fabric treatments, and washing treatments were strengthened so that the pieces would remain in the same shapes and retain the same freshness throughout the duration of the whole tour. Creativity was maximized as we realized haute couture pieces in our Parisian atelier; we had no creation limits.
Which costume took the longest to create?
The haute couture elongated embroidered bomber jacket that Kanye is wearing took a lot of time to create as we had to adapt a 1900s dress onto a bomber jacket.
What input did Kanye have?
Kanye has been very involved in the project since the very beginning and brought a lot of his own ideas into the creative process. While the Maison was able to visualize the garments and the overall construction, Kanye brought a stage expertise, knowing how to adapt pieces in a stage context, so that they would be seen from afar and retain all original functions from the first date, till the very last.
SOURCE: ELLE
