Love him or hate him, Ye has once again proved his trendsetting abilities are unparalleled.
Searches for double-denim have spiked following viral photos showing him and actress/artist Julia Fox in coordinating indigo garb at men’s fashion week in Paris. According to fashion shopping platform Lyst, searches for “double-denim” shot up 31 percent week-on-week following the public display.
The duo attended the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022-2023 men’s wear fashion show last Sunday in matching Canadian tuxedo ensembles that are equal parts futuristic and nostalgic. Ye took the opportunity to preview a puffy denim jacket from the upcoming Yeezy Gap partnership with Balenciaga’s Demna, which was announced earlier this month, and paired it with light wash jeans and heritage Red Wing work boots.
Fox’s jean jacket with cone cups by celebrity favorite couture house Schiaparelli was paired with an equally bold winged eyeliner look she sported the following day with an all-leather ensemble.
Ye and Fox’s denim date was reminiscent of an iconic denim moment that millennials remember fondly: Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears’ denim-on-denim look at the 2001 American Music Awards. In 2020, Timberlake stood by the legendary fashion choice—deemed by many at the time to be a fashion faux pas—stating “you could kind of rock that today.”
Though Timberlake may have been unable to garner a wave of denim-on-denim copycats, Ye’s and Fox’s version set off a frenzy of searches among consumers looking to offer their own take. Baggy low-rise jeans—like the Carhartt style modeled by Fox—are also spiking, with searches rising 74 percent since the start of January, according to Lyst.
The industry has long turned to Ye for his fashion sense, best reflected by the mogul’s partnership with Gap Inc. in 2020 which, before even a single Yeezy Gap item was dropped, was estimated to be worth $970 million. As expected, the brand has seen significant success since, with Gap, Inc. reporting successful quarters in part driven by the popular partnership.
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Ye’s newest music video for “Heaven and Hell,” a track off his 2021 “Donda” album, also had a positive impact on the brand. Earlier this month, Yeezy Gap released a black hoodie to coincide with the video, which showed characters dressed in black Yeezy Gap hoodies and face coverings reminiscent of Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala 2021 getup.
According to online sales website Lovethesales.com, searches for “Gap hoodies” jumped 287 percent in the hours following the release of the video. Searches for “black Gap hoodies” also swelled 61 percent; followed by searches for “Gap products” which jumped 18 percent; and searches for “Yeezy products,” which increased 17 percent.
Denim is also the fabric of choice for another A-list couple: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky. On Monday, the duo stepped out in New York to announce their pregnancy. A$AP Rocky mixed a preppy sweater with a Carhartt jean jacket, while the Fenty mogul framed her bare baby bump with a hot pink Chanel puffer coat, gold jewelry and ripped jeans with a split hem.