Kanye West lectures at a fashion design school for community service
The Yeezus singer turns teacher of apparel design, but just temporarily
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Your support makes all the difference.Kanye West turned into ‘Professor Yeezy’ teaching students fashion design at an LA school as part of his community service.
His stint as teacher, however, doesn’t emerge from a career change, West was ordered to complete 250 hours of community service following a confrontation with paparazzi last year. It appears he’s embracing his sentence with his passion for fashion by turning teacher at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, a school known for its courses in fashion design and technology.
Mr West is probably the only celebrity whose roles include both, rapper and fashion designer. Well, and Kim Kardashian’s husband.
The 37-year-old Yeezus singer was teaching a class last week on apparel design and has been visiting the school since May. The lectures include creativity and fashion, topics that are close to his heart -West is well known for his outspoken opinions about the fashion industry.
According to Refinery 29, “the midterm would be a haiku about the intersection of fashion and creativity, written in the medium of your choice on a textile whose identity can be gleaned from a riddle”.
“For your final exam, you'd have to design an entire tour wardrobe, complete with video tie-ins and a merchandising plan that includes costs for only locally-sourced fabrics and labour.”
Students were undoubtedly surprised when waiting for their teach and Mr West walked in.
He launched his own label of womenswear in 2012 and even had a fashion show in Paris the same year. But his fashion debut was slated by industry insiders who gave the musician less than flattering reviews.
He then collaborated with French label APC, which sold out within hours. Following its success, earlier this year he presented his second collaboration for the same brand, which showcased six complete menswear looks that included fur coats, cargo trousers and knits, all paired up with hip-hop-classic Timberlands.
Whether he plans to revive his failed fashion house is unclear, but in the meantime he’s sharing his experiences and knowledge of the industry with students who one day will say “Yeezus taught me”.
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