Kanye West, believe it or not, is a thinker. Likewise, he knows how to derive solutions even with limited means and resources. This is part of innovating.
If you’re a listener of Kanye’s albums, you know that his music’s all about overcoming opposition. To find answers to issues, West knows that it takes narrowing them to specific components.
However, sometimes, you have to use teamwork to render the right outcomes. And even when you’re not given free rein over a project — especially when the project is your idea — you have to be able to compromise in that team atmosphere, just as Kanye did with Adidas.
West believes that a person’s solutions can come from certain limitations, as mentioned in a recent interview with Style . After being asked if he was given the freedom to do as he wished with the clothing line, Yeezy Season 1, Kanye’s response was as follows.
“No, they put some boundaries, but solutions come from boundaries. I stepped in, we had to learn [to work with] each other. I had to learn what my voice was because I was still coming off of doing crocodile this and almost irresponsible takes on designing clothes to make up for a lack of skill. And now I have a real purpose to what I want to present. Adidas is the perfect place to be.”
If you’ve followed any of West’s design works, you know that he has mentioned not being a “designer.” In a modest sense, he doesn’t want to defame the title with his inexperience in the field. Yet, when Kanye released his line, it received almost five million views via Style , as mentioned by West’s wife, Kim Kardashian West .
“Now that the Fall 2015 shows are over, Style.com was able to look back at the page views on its site to determine which collections people were most interested in seeing. Every year that the publication has recapped the month, Chanel has grabbed the number one spot on the list, but this year Kanye West dominated with his Adidas ‘Yeezy Season 1’ collection, besting Karl Lagerfield by over one million views.”
From the mentioned statistics, it ranked at the top for the most page views. It seems that many wanted to know what Kanye had in store. For many, it was considered a game-changer.
In the aforementioned interview, West speaks a bit further on the Adidas collaboration. Everyone should be able to have a piece of the “good life,” he says.
“If someone was to say, ‘Hey, do you want to go to a high-end house now?’ I’d absolutely say no. I’m not trying to [sound] presumptuous, I’m just saying that if in my wildest dreams I was presented with the opportunity, I would absolutely say no at this point. Because I’m only concerned with making beautiful products available to as many people as possible
… The least I could do is spend my time trying to give other people a piece of the so-called good life. Everyone should have the good life…I think high fashion is about elitism and separation, and I am completely opposed to that.”
Like Kanye’s music , it seems that he wants his clothing to cater to all those who can relate — not just those with the financial capital to compensate. One can’t forget, at one point in life, West wasn’t able to afford such things either. He had to get there. Likewise, he remains as one who hasn’t forgotten about those still reaching toward such a designated status.
Now, it’s not to say that Kanye’s line is “cheap.” It’s still a little costly — about the same as Jordan’s line. However, you don’t have to be on “Gianni Versace” or “Louis Vuitton” status to make a purchase.
So, knowing West is no stranger to teamwork or compromise, does it change your perspective of him? What are your thoughts on Kanye?
Please share in the comments below.
[Photo Credits: Andreas Rentz | Getty Images Entertainment]