The CFDA is not happy with Kanye West. The governing body of New York Fashion week delivered a scathing message to the rapper-cum-designer, after he failed to consult with them about his Yeezy Season 5 show, resulting in a schedule clash with a prominent New York label.
Some context: Last season Kanye staged his disastrous Yeezy Season 4 presentation without consulting with the CFDA. This wasn't a huge issue, however, as the show was held a day before New York Fashion Week actually began, so sat outside the official schedule. This year, however, he has changed things up by announcing his fashion show (which is designed in collaboration with Adidas) will take place during the official schedule.
The problem? The CFDA — who spend months meticulously planning the logistical nightmare that is New York fashion week — weren't consulted again, and his chosen time clashes with Marchesa's show.
Steven Kolb, the CFDA's president and chief executive officer responded to the clash with a forceful statement to WWD. "Once again, CFDA was not approached or consulted about the possibility of Kanye West showing on the official New York fashion week schedule," he said. "As the scheduler of the week, the CFDA works with more than 300 brands to identify appropriate times for them to show their collections and avoid scheduling conflicts. Not going though the proper channels is disruptive to the whole week and unfair to designers who have secured spots through the formal procedure."
Kolb went on to call West's behaviour "unacceptable" and revealed the CFDA will not acknowledge the show as being an official part of New York Fashion Week. "This bad behaviour is not acceptable to the CFDA and should not be tolerated by the industry. Because of this, the CFDA will not list Kanye West on the official schedule."
Kolb did, however, hold out an olive branch in the form of an official offer to work with West in the future. "The CFDA is more than willing to work with Kanye on securing an available time slot."
