Vogue Editor Labels Kanye West’s ‘White Lives Matter’ T-Shirts as ‘Violent and Dangerous’
An editor for Vogue says Kanye West’s “White Lives Matter” t-shirts, which debuted at his “SZN9” Paris Fashion Week runway show, are “offensive, violent, and dangerous.”
On Monday, West debuted his latest Yeezy collection which included sweatshirts and t-shirts emblazoned with images of Pope Saint John Paul II on the front with large font that read “White Lives Matter” on the back.
West attended the show alongside conservative author and podcast host Candace Owens, each wearing a version of the t-shirt.
In response, Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson wrote on her Instagram that West’s “White Lives Matter” t-shirts were “offensive, violent, and dangerous” and called them “pure violence.”
“The t-shirts this man conceived, produced, and shared with the world are pure violence,” Karefa-Johnson wrote.
“There is no excuse, there is no art here,” Karefa-Johnson wrote. “I’m sorry I failed to make that clear — I thought I did. I do think if you asked Kanye, he’d say there was art, revolution, and all of the things in that t-shirt. There isn’t.”
“As we all work through the trauma of this moment, especially those of us who suffered in that room, let’s have some grace for one another,” Karefa-Johnson continued.
Screenshots of Gabriella Karefa-Johnson’s posts regarding Kanye West’s latest Yeezy collection.
West immediately hit back at Karefa-Johnson, posting a photo of the Vogue editor with the caption “This is not a fashion person You speak on Ye Ima speak on you Ask Trevor Noah.”
In another post, West seemingly zoomed into Karefa-Johnson’s boots, suggesting in a caption that Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour would disapprove of her fashion choices.
In addition to Karefa-Johnson, the fashion establishment has had a collective meltdown following West’s latest collection. For the New York Times, fashion critic Vanessa Friedman wrote a piece blasting the collection with the headline “There Is No Excuse for Ye’s ‘White Lives Matter’ Shirt.”
British Vogue editor Edward Enninful also denounced the t-shirts as “inappropriate.”
