Image via Complex Original
From his humble streetwear beginnings to his current affinity for high-fashion masks, it's safe to say that Kanye West's style has changed. But like any guy, it didn't go from Point A to Point Z overnight. It was more of a gradual evolution over time. Looking through his different fashionable phases, you can see a man who picks and chooses what he wants to say with his clothes, gradually putting together the distinct personal style he's known for today. In order to examine how Kanye became the style icon he is today, we broke down The 15 Stages of Kanye West's Style.
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1. The "Ralph Lauren Was Boring Before I Wore Him" Stage
Era of Prominence: Early 2004
Kanye West came into prominence embodying a lot of the popular hip-hop trends at the time—baggy jeans, fresh Nikes, and a Jesus piece. He added his own twist by adopting pastel-colored rugby shirts into his repertoire, and Polo gear like the Polo Bear sweaters. It was a very avant-garde prep look that didn't shy away from color. and to add to his "backpack rap" crediblity, he opted to carry around an actual backpack that became his signature accessory.
2. The "Sunglasses at Night" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2005-2006
Post-Late Registration, Kanye's career was shining so hard he had to shield himself from it, which may be why he opted to rock a variety of sunglasses—even when it was dark or indoors. His red carpet attire leaned toward the obnoxious than the austure—wide peaked lapels, square toed white shoes, and white dinner jackets with coordinating white-rimmed aviator shades. His performance attire was definitely more streetwear friendly, and he made an impression showing up to the Brit Awards in a Hedi Slimane-designed red cadet jacket from Dior Homme's spring 2006 collection.
3. The "Streetwear Outerwear" Stage
Era of Prominence: Late 2006-Mid 2007
Appearing in LRG ads as early as 2004, this period saw Kanye really repping streetwear brands. From the LRG Dead Serious hoodie to gear from Crooks & Castles, A Bathing Ape, OriginalFake, and Billionaire Boys Club, he wouldn't be spotted in half of these brands today. That isn't to say he's abandoned the streetwear world forever, as he's known to mix in the occasional snapback or Supreme piece every now and then.
4. The "Shutter Shades" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2007-2008
After the release of Graduation, while the Glow in the Dark Tour was coming into fruition, Kanye was often spotted rocking these now-iconic shutter shades. They'd become something of a style signature for him, becoming the de facto symbol of his new album. The custom pair made by French eyewear designer Alain Mikli inadvertently inspired hundreds of Canal Street knockoffs for years to come.
5. The "Emo Nerd" Stage
Era of Prominence: Early 2008-Early 2009
808s & Heartbreaks signified a shift in Kanye's style. Once ostentatious and braggadocious, this Kanye was more somber and profound. His style reflected that, minimal gray suits, sometimes worn with sneakers and nerd glasses. Neckwear was optional, often being ignored in favor of the "air tie." West really began to experiment with pops of color in his wardrobe, and as evidenced in the song "Pinocchio Story," began thinking about high fashion in a new way.
6. The "Martin Louis The King" Stage
Era of Prominence: Late 2008-Early 2009
Foreshadowing his later, bolder adoption of the color red, Kanye began incorporating the color into his wardrobe, usually worn with darker shades like black—save for a performance at the Z100 Jingle Ball. Perhaps the Chicagoan meant to rep the Bulls, but with custom Phillip Lim jackets and Louis Vuitton sportcoats done up in the bright color, this stage was a clear signifier that Kanye wanted to take the gap between the hip-hop and fashion worlds to a different level.
7. The "Non-Michael Jackson" Stage
Era of Prominence: Feb. 2009
With his afromullet in full effect, Kanye West the rapper started to cement himself as Kanye West, the pop cultural icon. What better way to do that than by take a couple of style cues from Michael Jackson? The glittery sportcoat? Straight from "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." The cadet jacket? The King of Pop's custom Gieves and Hawkes joint did it first. The red jackets, varsities, and leather pieces? While Michael had his own iconic shots in similar outerwear, Kanye strived to make these pieces his own, and started to really establish a distinct personal style.
8. The "Eccentric Couple" Stage
Era of Prominence: March 2009-Early 2010
Kanye's coordinating outfits with Amber Rose were cool at the time, but in retrospect were kinda like "yo, I can't believe you let each other out of the house like that." From bright pastels to murdered-out kits, Rose's penchant for skintight catsuits and revealing outfits were ultimately bringing Kanye's own steez down.
9. The "Kan Draper" Stage
Era of Prominence: Summer 2010
For a time, Kanye traded in the gold chains and covetable sneakers for slim Dior Homme suits, solid black ties, and velvet slippers. You couldn't set foot in the studio without dressing to the nines. XXL did a photoshoot centered around the movement, which aimed to bring a sophistication and classiness to hip-hop, almost a precursor to what would become the "luxury rap" Kanye is known for today.
10. The "Big Red" Stage
Era of Prominence: Sept. 2010-Early 2011
While in the summer of 2010, Kanye's pseudo "Rosewood" movement championed Dior suits and gentlemanly manners, his austere style at the time merely set the stage for his re-emergence as a cultural force. Kanye staged his VMA comeback perfectly, making himself seem like the flawed yet brilliant artist many recognize him as today. The bold red Phillip Lim suit became a staple, and this iteration painted him not as a brash showboater, but a true artist with a vision. Revolutionary performances on SNL followed, and the red blazer became something of a style signature for the pensive, calculated Kanye.
11. The "Furnomenon" Stage
Era of Prominence: Late 2010-Early 2011
Kanye's rivalry with PETA began with fur-lined collars in the fall of 2010 before just letting his mink drag all over the floor in 2011, when he was spotted leaving the Mercer Hotel in a fur kit with Jordan 3s. His luxurious outerwear is enough to make the entire cast of Game of Thrones jealous.
12. The "Mitchell & West" Stage
Era of Prominence: Summer 2011
Although Kanye is no stranger to wearing hats, for a time it seems all he was wearing was Don C's luxe take on the Mitchell & Ness snapback. These snakeskin hats went for about $400, and seeing the JUST DON line on Kanye at the prestigious CFDA Awards really hyped them up. Style-wise, by mixing it with a white tux jacket and velvet slippers, this was a signal that even though Kanye was feeling more at home in high-fashion, he wanted to elevate the rest of the culture with him. Taking the snapback to a more luxe level did just that.
13. The "Yeevonchy" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2011-2012
After dropping Watch the Throne, the era of "luxury rap" was ushered in by Kanye and Jay-Z. While the two had long been fans of Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci, who'd been making gear like rottweiler print tees since 2009, having him art direct the album and tour was a huge step in melding the worlds of fashion and hip-hop. Custom T-shirts and leather kilts featured heavily into the tour and Kanye's own style at the time. Kanye even managed to finagle a custom leopard bomber jacket from Tisci, and wore one of the label's flannel shirts around his waist, and even to the Occupy Wall Street Protest.
14. The "Tux Jacket and Js" Stage
Era of Prominence: Sept. 2012
During Paris Fashion Week, Kanye established a uniform that really embodied his style at the time. It was fashion forward yet austere, while keeping his street cred intact thanks to the gold chains and red/black Jordan 1s. The tuxedo jacket kept everything classy, while the leather pants and black trousers took things to a different level.
15. The "Coordinated Couple" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2012-Present
Unlike the last time he started coordinating kits with his girl, Kanye and Kim actually helped each other's style. Kim's closet got an instant upgrade, while Kanye struck a balance between maintaining a killer casual wardrobe of sneakers, jeans, and statement pieces like Louis Vuitton kimonos. They're a couple that not only dresses well, but looks classy.
BONUS: The "Yeezycognito" Stage
Era of Prominence: Dec. 2012-2013
Although it falls outside of the realm of his personal style, Kanye's on-stage affinity for masks may not yet be as parodied as his leather kilt, but as the year goes on, we'll no doubt continue to be surprised by his style evolution. The all-white motif is in line with the Baroque themes from Cruel Summer, but with events like the birth of his child coming up, and of course another album, it'll be exciting to see what's next on Kanye's sartorial plate.