Two designers are fuming after rapper Kanye West "stole" their show slots during New York Fashion Week by announcing his own impromptu showing that steps on their times -- and without notifying the coordinating Council of Fashion Designers of America.
The self-described renaissance man and 2020 presidential candidate also fancies himself a fashionista.
The showing for his Kanye West X Adidas Originals Collection line was set for noon on Wednesday, just a half hour before the start of a long-standing "authorized" show scheduled by Anne Bowen at Tao on 92 Ninth Avenue,
reported Women's Wear Daily. As a result, Bowen moved her show to Thursday.
Another show scheduled at the same time by designer Naeem Kahn continued as scheduled, a spokesman for the designer told the
Daily Beast.
"Our show date has been scheduled for months and has been on the Fashion Calendar for weeks," Bowen told Women's Wear Daily. "We went through all the proper channels to make this a reality. And just yesterday we learned that Kanye West is having a show at the same time on the same date as ours."
"Kanye knows he is a media sensation and it is just not ethical to do this. It's like we are David and he is Goliath. We have put our heart and soul into our show, and should not be stepped on like this," said Bowen.
"Most of the designers work though the (Council of Fashion Designers of America ) for this very reason — to make sure that they don't step on each other and that there aren't any conflicts," Bowen's publicist, Lisa Monteleone, told The Daily Beast.
"But he elected to just announce and not work through the CFDA, so there wasn't anything they could do," she said.
Steven Kolb, president of the CFDA, the nonprofit trade organization for North American fashion designers, said neither West nor Adidas notified the organization of their intentions.
Bowen's publicist told Women's Wear Daily that her client was compelled to move her show because her street wear collection would be more in competition with West's line while Khan's show would draw a different clientele because it will be presenting evening wear.
Time magazine said this is the second time West will be presenting his Adidas originals, also known as Yeezy Season 2.
West's show in February was attended by Beyoncé, Khloé Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Sean "Diddy" Combs, as well as West's wife Kim Kardashian, noted Women's Wear Daily.
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