We’re at the tail end of Paris and for all the Big Bang of a post pandemic full season return, it’s alas been taken over by the seemingly ceaseless drama of Ye - We court Ye because there’s money to be made hence the numerous stuttering relationships with LVMH, Nike, adidas, Gap and the like We schlep to whatever Ye thing is happening because the PR agencies make us feel like it’s a Golden Ticket We gram Ye because of clicks, likes and eyeballs that get us as individuals and our publications clout and traction And that is fine ... fashion’s relationship with notoriety and celebrity is nothing new. Ye is certainly not the only figure we uplift obsessively whether it’s deserved or not - But at some point we also need to admit complicity in indulging someone who is a) clearly not well and b) flagrantly giving platform to messages that already taint an industry that doesn’t give black people (well, all minorities!) their fair dues, repeatedly pelting them with product and marketing “gaffes”, apologising (insincerely) and then moving on swiftly when it suits the brand strategy, assuming that we all collectively have short term fashion amnesia - When we talk about sustainability I think that also pertains to consistency of messaging and values, because fashion does have a big role to play in shaping culture at large - And more to the point, is it worth it? We court, schlep and give airtime only to see designs that ape other designers that he’s mates with, but that’s ok because he’s a “George Lucas” svengali of talent. Not denying that there is cachet (£ and association) in working with Ye - give it up for @shaynehba @dingyun_zhang who need real credit in this latest season of Yeezy. But for all the brouhaha can we say that his impact on fashion is truly worth all this strife? To get to the point where we simply write off a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt as a stunt or “courting controversy.” I’m sorry but that’s all too polite for such an incendiary and violent act. Reading the write-ups is making me angrier than the actual incident itself. - So what will we do. Next season, more collusion and collaboration with Ye the genius and we’ll move on from this. Plus ça change.