Kanye West has faced backlash for his latest fashion show look, after wearing a White Lives Matter shirt at a surprise Yeezy show in Paris on Monday.
The 45-year-old rapper took to the stage to showcase his Season 9 collection and gave a speech while sporting the top, which was emblazoned with the Pope's face on the front. Kanye, who now goes by the name Ye, also wore a pair of bedazzled flip-flops.
"White Lives Matter" was written in bold white letters on the back of the shirt, a response to the Black Lives Matter moment which was started in 2013 following the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.
The Anti-Defamation League has previously called the phrase "White Lives Matter" a hate slogan.
Kanye described his new collection as something you can "pull on and pull over", labelling it the future of clothing. Kanye also referenced his ex Kim Kardashian's 2016 Paris robbery, his former manager Scooter Braun, and his public fallout with Gap.
Some of the models in the show wore the same shirt as the musician, with the clothes sparking outrage online.
One person tweeted: "Yall need to let #Kanye go. He's proven himself beyond redeemable."
Another wrote: "I wish black people would start realizing how dangerous and self destructive it is to continue supporting Kanye when he clearly does not give a f*** about our people or our struggles."
"This man Kanye is wearing a white lives matter shirt I can’t defend him on this one, he needs to face the consequences for this one," penned a third.
Others saw the top as a statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, with one person tweeting: "@kanyewest Attacking Racism In The Most Abrasive, Punk & Ironic Way."
Another added: "IF KANYE SAYS WHITE LIVES MATTER THEN I SAY WHITE LIVES MATTER."
It's not the first time Kanye has caused controversy with his outfit choice.
The star previously wore a bright red "make America great again" baseball cap when he met former US president Donald Trump back in 2018.
He also wore a jacket with the Confederate flag on it in 2013.
"There’s just people. From the same planet. And sometimes, in high school, it feels like we don’t fit in.
"And in a situation like this, we have the opportunity to come together to express who we are," he told Vogue of his vision for the runway ahead of the show.
"It’s leaning into the shape of how I see this future world … this alternate world. But in high school. It’s focused on curriculum because both my parents are educators."
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