A Look at Kanye West’s Style Evolution

One could clearly say that with the release of every new album by Kanye, a new era of his personal  style is also born. Even 20 years after dropping his debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye is  still a defining statement in today’s fashion world. Let’s go ahead and have a look at the evolution  of Kanye West’s style which would range from his preppy College Dropout fits to the avant-garde  pieces he wore throughout the Yeezy era - 

1. “The College Dropout” 

With the drop of his debut album, Kanye presented himself exactly like the title of his album. He  went onto dress as a preppy-leaning rapper with a penchant for Polo. He wore popped collars, bright  colors, pink polos, corduroy blazers, rare sneakers, and an actual Louis Vuitton backpack. Polo has  always been a staple within Black culture, but Kanye’s preppy style was different from how his  peers dressed in the early 2000s (oversized T-shirts, baggy jeans, matching denim sets). 

Key Pieces - Rugby polos with a popped collar, blazers, Louis Vuitton backpack, Polo bear  sweaters.

2. “Graduation” 

This was the time when Kanye went ahead and entered the high fashion world. He was seen getting  in contact with designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs at Paris Fashion Week. He traded the  pink Ralph Lauren polo for pieces like a Comme des Garcons x Fred Perry shirt along with his  Takashi Murakami-designed Jesus piece and Louis Vuitton “Millionaire” sunglasses. Who would  have thought that the ridiculous accessories that Kanye wore during this moment would become full  blown trends that took over the world? He really had everyone wearing “Shutter Shade” sunglasses,  for example.  

Key Pieces - Loud designer and streetwear pieces, shutter shades, keffiyeh neck scarves, and  Takashi Murakami Jesus pieces. 

3. “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” 

Kanye has put on plenty of memorable outfits in his lifetime. It could be argued that few (if any) are  as memorable as the bright red suit he wore to premiere “Runaway” to close out the 2010 MTV  VMAs. It wasn’t just the suit though. It was the plethora of gold chains around his neck. It was the  all-red Louis Vuitton Dons on his feet. The tailored black suits and bow ties became a uniform that  Ye championed leading up to the album’s release. 

Key Pieces - That red Phillip Lim suit, a gold Horus chain, and finely tailored suits to represent the  Rosewood movemen 

4. “Yeezus” 

You know all that artist merch that comes out nowadays? It’s safe to say that the success of Kanye  West’s Yeezus tour merch were the catalyst for that. Artist Wes Lang, known for his work with  heavy metal legends Metallica, created the artwork on the T-shirts that included skeletons kneeling  in prayer or dressed like the Grim Reaper. On stage for the Yeezus tour, he provided fans with  another signature look by performing in diamond-covered face covering made by Maison Margiela. 

Key Pieces - Yeezus merch, bomber jackets, distressed denim, and diamond-encrusted Margiela  

masks

5. “Donda” 

For his most recent project Donda, he once again created a new signature style that fans will always  be able to connect to the album. One of the standout items this time around: his face masks. Some  of them have been full face coverings with imagery like growling panthers similar to the one he was  spotted in at the Balenciaga Fall 2021 couture show. Yeezy designer Greg Ross is reportedly behind  the creation. His Yeezy Gap creations have take center stage as well. 

Key Pieces - Custom face masks, Yeezy Gap Round Jackets, and Balenciaga Crocs