As a child, Kanye West like many others had a keen interest in sneakers. Although he was born in Atlanta, he was raised in Chicago and if you know Chicago in
In 2005, one year after winning his first Grammy, West felt he was ready to make his mark in the fashion world. Stating that he had plans to release a new clothing line called Pastelles in spring of 2006. The clothing line was developed over the years but was eventually cancelled in 2009. With the Pastelles brand behind him, some fashion figures doubted West’s efforts as a fashion designer, with some even labelling him as “just a one of those celebrity designers” or “not a proper designer”. In a bid to broaden his knowledge of the industry, West interned at Fendi in 2009 where he helped develop the Fendi collection for men. Despite all of his efforts, West still couldn’t break down those barriers to the industry which lead him to sought alternative routes, aka the sneakerworld.
In summer of 2009, West debuted his first ever sneaker collection with the luxury French fashion house Louis Vuitton. In that same year, the Nike Air Yeezy line also dropped, which was also the first time Nike had ever offered a shoe deal to someone that wasn’t an athlete. The Nike Air Yeezy sneakers were produced in extremely low quantities and sold out in seconds, making Kanye West and his Yeezy brand a staple in the sneaker world. Many believe that West’s collaboration with the iconic Swoosh paved the way for future collaborations with non-athletes.