The artist formerly known as Kanye West wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “White Lives Matter” on the back while addressing attendees at his YZY SZN 9 presentation in Paris on Monday.
Ye, who was also wearing his pair of previously-headlined diamond-studded flip-flops, was spotted in the shirt early into the livestream experience. At the time of this writing, a detailed look at the full design of the t-shirt in question had not been disclosed, although the front does feature a Pope John Paul II photo collage. Several models in the presentation were also seen wearing variations of the same design.
Candace Owens was also in attendance and wearing a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt.
During his opening remarks on Monday, Ye touched on a variety of topics, including how certain outlets focused on the delayed start time of his prior events when such delays were (in Ye’s words) merely a side effect of trying to “present the best idea.”
As for the “White Lives Matter” design, the phrase itself, of course, is often associated with various far-right ideologies and frequently used (as is “All Lives Matter,” et al.) among fervent Trump supporters. In the past, Ye has expressed support for Trump and related assertions.
Ahead of Monday’s YZY SZN 9 unveiling, Ye made his runway debut as part of Balenciaga’s Summer 23 show, the mud-covered set for which Demna described in show notes as being “a metaphor for digging for truth and being down to earth.”
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