A Major Fashion Critic Once Compared Kanye West to the Olsen Twins

Kanye West, aka Ye, is among many celebrities who’ve ventured into fashion. He expressed a strong interest in the industry early in his career. The fashionable rapper launched a clothing line in 2006, only to have it canceled four years later, but soon began working with designers such as Fendi and Louis Vuitton. West’s fashion career has seen ups and downs as it has evolved. He has designed everything from shoewear to silk scarves and received scrutiny and praise. One prominent fashion critic even compared West to the Olsen twins. 

Kanye West’s fashion empire has taken a hit due to recent controversies

The rapper and fashion mogul had been raking in major cash. He once had an estimated net worth of $2 billion due partly to his Yeezy-Adidas deal. However, Kanye West’s net worth has plummeted to $400 million due to recent controversies. So, what happened?

The designer began displaying “erratic” behavior that caused concern, even wearing a shirt bearing a slogan associated with white supremacists. To make matters worse, he made antisemitic remarks, prompting one of his corporate partners to place its relationship with Ye “under review,” The New York Times reported.

Soon after, several companies cut ties with West. Balenciaga’s parent company, Kering, said, “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.” Other partners followed suit with similar statements. Among them were JPMorgan Chase, Gap, Foot Locker, and Home Goods.

A fashion critic once said Kanye West could ‘do as well as the Olsen twins’

It was evident from the beginning that Kanye West was obsessed with high-end fashion. According to Complex, critics didn’t keep their opinions to themselves when upon his entrance into the industry in 2015. Several agreed the rapper-turned-designer was genuinely interested in fashion and a welcome addition.

Vanessa Friedman, the fashion director and chief fashion critic for The New York Times, acknowledged West gets knocked down a lot in the fashion world, but she added that “he gets right back up.”

Overall, observers were supportive of West. “The fashion industry is lucky to have him interested,” New York Times fashion critic Alexandra Jacobs said. “Every show he attends swivels more eyeballs to their brands … I don’t see any reason why Kanye couldn’t do as well as the Olsen twins, who, let’s remember, had a line at Walmart before starting The Row.”

Ye’s relationship with the Olsen twins

It might be true that Ye could take a page from the Olsen twins’ book, and luckily, he appears to have (or had) a close relationship with them.

E! News reported that the rapper was spotted hooking up with Mary-Kate at his 34th birthday party in 2011. The twins were also photographed at one of his fashion shows that fall. Regardless of whether West is still in contact with the Olsen twins, their career segue serves as inspiration for any celebrity looking to make a move into fashion.