If you thought Kanye West could no longer bring the “shock” value, guess again. During a presentation of A.P.C.’s fall menswear collection, founder Jean Touitou reportedly repeated the N-word multiple times during his live narration. And guess what? He says since he’s “friends with Kanye” so he was simply paying homage to their friendship. We’re not making this ish up. Get the deets inside….
How far is too far in the fashion world? Well apparently, nothing is off limits (even the N-word) if you’re "friends" with certain people.
Over the weekend, A.P.C. menswear founder Jean Touitou presented his 2015 fall/winter fashions during a presentation. And while his models trekked down the runway in some Timberland boots and sweat pants, Jean popped up on the runway holding up a sign which read, “LAST N*GGAS IN PARIS" (above). Wait what?? Yep...that ish really happened.
And as he opened with his live narration, the A.P.C. honcho also reportedly repeated the N-word multiple times as the show went on.
He explained to Style.com why he chose to use the demeaning and disrespectful term saying,
"I call this one look Last N*ggas in Paris. Why? Because it's the sweet spot when the hood—the 'hood—meets Bertolucci's movie Last Tango in Paris. So that's 'N*ggas in Paris' and Last N*ggas in Paris. [Nervous laughter from audience.] Oh, I am glad some people laughed with me. Yes, I mean, it's nice to play with the strong signifiers. The Timberland here is a very strong ghetto signifier. In the ghetto, it is all the Timberlands, all the big chain. Not at the same time—never; it's bad taste. So we designed Timberlands with Timberland…"
“Strong ghetto signifier” EXCUSE ME?! Jean clearly has no problem publicly using the word because he says he’s “friends” with Kanye West. In fact, he presented his idea to Kanye BEFORE hitting the runway with this foolishness and ironically, ‘Ye approved. He told Style.com in an email the following day,
"I made looks which are a cross-over of those two references: the Timberland shoes and the sweat pants are iconic of hip-hop, and the camel hair color coat, worn with nothing under it, is iconic of that precise movie. I am friends with Kanye [West, who recorded "N*ggas in Paris" with Jay Z], and he and I presented a joint collection at the same place, one year ago, and that this thing is only a homage to our friendship. As a matter of fact, when I came up with this idea, I wrote to him, with the picture of the look and the name I was giving to it, and he wrote back immediately saying something like, 'I love this vibe.'"
The fact that this man feels comfortable using the word "n*gga" to label his latest designs because he's "friends" with Kanye, tells many things. What happened to the Kanye West who spoke out about racism and was fed up with being oppressed (ESPECIALLY in the fashion world) because of the color of his skin? Is he THAT pressed to be accepted by the fashion world that he disregards the very things he was so passionate about when he first stepped into the game?
Or...is all this par for the course since it's a title of one of his songs...and fashion is "art"?
So many questions, not enough answers....
Photos: Splash/@whoisRodneyO
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