You Guys! Kanye West Won a Fashion Award!
Kanye West accepts his award. Photo: REX/Shutterstock
Praise Yeezus: Kanye West has won an award for his accomplishments in fashion.
The 38-year-old rapper-turned-designer was presented on Wednesday night in New York City with Footwear News’s "Shoe of the Year" award, for the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350—the marled gray and black sneaker that sold out its entire initial stock in under an hour when it was released in August. Footwear News first announced that West had won the honor on October, calling West’s sneaks the “most-coveted, most-talked-about, most-recognized shoes this year.”
West, who was absolutely beaming ear to ear, began his lengthy, four-letter-word-laden acceptance speech with an explanation for his casual looking outfit, and an easy out for anyone who didn’t feel like listening. Courtesy of Fashionista:
“It’s cool to be up here with the three people that I’ve screamed at the most in the past year. I bet you’re thinking, where’s my suit jacket? But if my wife’s not here, no suit jacket. I have absolutely no plans for what I’m going to say, so this could land completely wrong. But it doesn’t really f–king matter, does it? If you don’t like 10 minute profanity-ridden speeches that end with a presidential bid, you can go to the bathroom.”
West went on to recount some of his life’s major milestones that led to his now-successful fashion career: Dueling with Taylor Swift, working with Off-White’s Virgil Abloh in Japan, moving to Rome to do Fendi stuff, hiding out in Hawaii (where he couldn’t wear layers), sneaking into an Alexander McQueen show against Jay Z’s advice, feuding with Jimmy Kimmel, making Adidas design decisions in Kris Jenner’s pool house, etc etc etc.
In two words, it was very Kanye West.
Though West’s wife, Kim Kardashian (who’s due to give birth to their second child sometime this month) wasn’t in attendance, she shared a sweet, encouraging Instagram post of her husband onstage, captioned, “So well deserved!!!! Congrats babe on winning Shoe of the Year Award! I see how hard you work and how meaningful this award is!#JustGettingStarted #Yeezys #Adidas”
Read West’s colorful acceptance speech in its entirety at Fashionista.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
