Kayne West and Tory Burch at her show last monthPhoto by Clifford Pugh
In 2009, Kanye West sat front row at Central Saint Martins College of Art &Design alumnus Stella McCartney's ready to wear show in New York.
The blogosphere was abuzz Tuesday morning after a few sites picked up British tabloid The Sun’s story that Kanye West had applied to the fashion MA program at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design. The London college has quite a reputation in the fashion industry: its alumni include the late designer Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney.
The official Twitter account for Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week posted an article this morning from The South African Times, which reported West “was interviewed by the school’s board, who will now decide if he’s made the cut.”
Professor Louise Wilson, the director of the program, has a reputation throughout the industry as a “fashion dictator.” According to The London Telegraph, “more than 90 percent of the 20 or so students who graduate from her MA find themselves either starting their own label or are being snapped up by the world's biggest fashion houses, including Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and Chloé.”
Due to the ultra-competitive nature of the program, it can be guaranteed that Kanye will not be granted admission based solely on his fame – that is, if he actually applied. Several sites, including The Huffington Post, Vogue and Rumorfix, have reported that The Sun’s story was false, and that Kanye has no plans of pursuing such a degree.
It’s hard to guess what Kanye is going to do: lately, he has kept an extremely low profile. At New York Fashion Week, he refused to speak with reporters. Nevertheless, bloggers chronicled his every move, and he was spotted sitting front row at Alexander Wang, Band of Outsiders, Rodarte, and others. He and Tory Burch stood and whispered to each other throughout her presentation.
A longtime fixture at Paris fashion week, he has also made appearances at the current shows and parties.
West has a fair share of industry experience: In 2009, he launched a shoe line in collaboration with Louis Vuitton, and he has also worked with Fendi.
This could all very well be a hoax, but it would make sense for West to pursue the MA program at Central Saint Martins. Since his rise to fame with the release of The College Dropout, he’s become a fashion icon in his own right, always making bold fashion decisions.
Perhaps Kanye West is the next John Galliano: He is, after all, known for his outspokenness. Stay tuned for updates on his next career move.
