Kanye West Thinks He Should Have Virgil Abloh’s Job at Louis Vuitton
When Kanye West sat down for an interview with DJ Zane Lowe in 2015, he proclaimed himself “the greatest living rock star on the planet.” In his latest interview with Zane, released today, West has upped himself to “unquestionably, undoubtedly the greatest human artist of all time.” His greatness, apparently, now transcends both mediums and eras. Leonardo Da Vinci, who?
“It’s just a fact,” he added for emphasis.
Though West seems as assured of his all-time greatness as he is that the sky is blue and other basic facts, he still seems perturbed by perceived slights. In particular, West thinks he should, at the very least, be the current artistic director of Louis Vuitton men’s branch.
That job, of course, is currently filled by West’s former associate Virgil Abloh. The two connected over an internship at Fendi in Rome in 2009, and West soon recruited Abloh to work on a number of his own projects. Abloh became the creative director of the Watch the Throne album and artistic director of West’s DONDA creative agency. Abloh soon went solo by launching his own fashion house, Off-White, in 2013 before being named to his post at Louis Vuitton after his predecessor Kim Jones departed for Dior.
West had previously spoken of “mixed emotions” about Abloh’s appointment (one that made him one of the few and certainly most prominent black designers at a Paris fashion house). All the same, West sat front row at Abloh’s debut runway show in June, 2018. The two even shared a tear-filled embrace after the finale.
However, in this new interview with Zane, West still has some mixed feelings about the situation.
“I felt like it was supposed to be me,” West said of the gig. “I was the Louis Vuitton Don. People still call me the Louis Vuitton Don on the street.”
Indeed, West did collaborate with Vuitton on a sneaker in 2009 called the “Louis Vuitton Don,” but he soon set out to create his own label, Yeezy, in association with Adidas.
West does not appear to harbor any ill will towards Abloh. “We’re all on the same court but Virgil scored the touchdown.”
West has recently kept himself busy with fashion in other ways. He admitted that he used to style his daughter, North, “to out-dress Rihanna.” Though he has since halted that approach. “I don’t think North should wear a crop top after I had her wear a slip dress when she was two years old,” he told Lowe. “I think and feel differently now that I am Christian.” West’s wife, Kim Kardashian West, has more recently maintained that North often dresses herself. Yet another fashion job that Kanye was ultimately left without, it seems.
The wide-ranging interview, held at West’s compound in Wyoming, also touched on West’s former porn addiction, his continued support of President Donald Trump, and his upcoming album Jesus is King.
