5 times Kanye West shocked the internet with his fashion choices

Long a fashion and music lightning rod, Kanye West is well-known for his relentless will to challenge conventions and create discussions. Whether via his provocative public appearances or his bold runway shows, his wardrobe choices have often spurred intense social media debate.

Besides music, Kanye West is known for depressing himself through his fashion sense, which, to many, is unconventional. From rattling sections of the internet with the White Lives Matter T-shirt to his Swastika T-shirt, we have compiled five times Kanye West's fashion sense shocked the internet.

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5 times when Kanye West shocked the internet with his fashion choices

Five examples of Kanye West's clothing that shocked the internet community are shown below:

The “White Lives Matter” T-Shirt

West did something out of the ordinary that grabbed everyone's attention at Yeezy Season 9's Paris Fashion Week presentation. He and conservative commentator Candace Owens visited the stage sporting "White Lives Matter" T-shirts.

The tagline infuriated supporters as well as critics of the Black Lives Matter movement as it was a clear and hostile reaction to it. Later on, West stated he intended to spark a discourse and challenge ideas, but many regarded his choice as endorsing a divisive and austere mindset.

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Ku Klux Klan Outfit During a Live Interview

Once again stunning bystanders, Kanye West entered an interview with DJ Akademiks in a fully Ku Klux Klan outfit.

With his outfit—a black leather robe with the now-iconic pointed hood and a swastika necklace—West made a clear reference to one of the most well-known American hate groups. Critics felt it was a horrific violation of America's racial horror legacy, not just a declaration in avant-garde design.

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Swastika T-Shirt

West pushed the limit shortly after appearing in a Klan costume by trying to profit off his provocative flair. He promoted a white T-shirt with the name "HH-01," often known as "Heil Hitler," and a large swastika, a symbol intimately linked with Nazi doctrine.

The shirt was on sale on his Yeezy shop after the Super Bowl. Shopify took the item off sale for violating its standards of service. The idea of mass-marketing the Swastika T-Shirt nevertheless generated controversy online.

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Runway moments with Yeezy

Beyond just making public appearances and doing interviews, Kanye West has embraced the runway as a concept and run with it at Yeezy events. Maintaining a simple yet futuristic look, his shows often include unusual forms, large ponchos, and even 3D printed boots that subvert accepted fashion rules.

One of his most talked-about events was a runway exhibition combining industrial materials with organic forms that subverted audience expectations. The presentation confused the lines separating fashion and art.

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Unconventional collaborations

During tours, Kanye West's merchandising approach has often been a topic of discussion. For the Yeezus Tour, for instance, West worked with clothing firms to create items with racy images that harked back to the 1980s heavy metal era.

In some of his pieces, he reworked controversial symbols like the Confederate flag, an emblem with strong racial and historical connotations, as part of his "reclaiming" narrative. Notwithstanding the designers' best intentions, these pieces generated strong criticism and spurred debates on the relative advantages of social responsibility and artistic freedom.

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One cannot dispute how much Kanye West influences the fashion business. Though many have denounced his decisions, many have also begun discussions on free expression, the value of art in society, and how far one should push the edge before it becomes objectionable.

Whatever people's opinions on his provocative or innovative design decisions, he has irrevocably changed the business.