Kanye West is a game-changer in the realm of music, but when it comes to the fashion world, it seems the art form plays a bit harder than West expected. Kanye presented his first collection, Dw, at Paris Fashion week in late September, receiving generally mixed reviews, all of which questioned the legitimacy of the infamous celebrity as a clothing designer.  

    It would be easier to take Kanye seriously if his clothing line were actually as entertaining as his ego. Plunging necklines in plastic space pod dresses were cringe-worthy at best. One design actually features an odd play on a cowl headpiece that looks like the fabric grew a hungry tumor and decided to mangle the model’s head. Also, someone should let West know that snakeskin does not equal high-end and does not hide a lack of creative direction. No one can hide on the runway, Kanye.

At least Lindsay Lohan applauded the ill-fitting line. Lohan, already a failed designer (never forget her Ungaro disaster of ‘09), probably sees a bit of herself in the line, which reeks of flimsy desperation.

Even if West’s designs were nightmarish, his fashion aspirations actually seem genuine. Perhaps he’s not just a celebrity slapping his name on a bottle of perfume or a slapdash clothing line for Kohl’s. In light of this, Dw becomes less like a cunning branding technique by a fame-hungry celebrity and more like a perfectionist dabbling in other art forms. Regardless, good intentions do not make for good fashion lines—good designers do.

Entering the fashion world would be a difficult process for someone who did not have plenty of friends in high places. Although favoritism is a concept to consider when examining Kanye’s gilded road to Paris Fashion Week, the actual supporters of Dw are scarce, which makes sense, given that the line unfortunately comes across like Balmain’s sloppy sister, who just wants to “look hot and have