Kanye West Makes Runway Debut at Sludge-Filled Balenciaga Show During Paris Fashion Week (Let the Mud-Slinging Begin)

Step aside, Kendall Jenner. There’s a new runway model in the family now. (If we still consider him part of the Kardashian clan, that is.) We’re talking about Kanye West, aka Ye, the rapper-turned-born-again Christian and soon-to-be-ex-husband of Kim Kardashian. Ye recently made his catwalk debut at Balenciaga’s show for Paris Fashion Week.

The Summer 2023 show featured an apocalyptic theme that involved a sludge-coated runway. Ye somehow managed to navigate it gracefully as his oldest daughter, North West, watched on alongside her aunts Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner. Ye also brought along the rest of his entourage: 6-year-old Saint West, 4-year-old Chicago West, and 3-year-old Psalm West.

Wearing an oversized military-style jacket with massive pockets, Ye stomped along with confidence along a mud path in a darkened space. He also donned a hoodie, hat, leather pants, and combat boots.

Ye walking at the Balenciaga SS23 Show pic.twitter.com/7Q3dOM4zlF

— Photos Of Ye (@PhotosOfKanye) October 2, 2022

The look was certainly fitting given how combative Kanye West has been since Kim Kardashian initiated their divorce, and dated (then broke up with) Pete Davidson.

But this wasn’t the only look that got people’s attention. Earlier in the week, Kanye West also sported a branded mouthguard (seen above) that is…well…a look we hope doesn’t catch on anytime soon.

But back to the riddle at hand: why the mud? As creative director Demna Gvasalia explained, it was a “metaphor for digging for truth and being down to earth.”

“I hate boxes and I hate labels. … Individualism in fashion is downgraded to pseudotrends dictated by a post in stories of some celebrity of the moment,” he wrote in notes for the show. “I’ve decided to no longer explain my collections and verbalize my designs, but to express a state of mind.”

The vibe was certainly bleak. Luckily for the controversial Grammy winner-turned-model, no one decided to take the metaphor further and start slinging mud.

Cover Photo: Edward Berthelot / Contributor (Getty Images)