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There was virtually no way for Kanye West to top what he did last season for his debut collaboration with Adidas. Nothing can match West launching a collection primarily made up of seemingly unwearable spandex body suits while superstars like Beyoncé, Jay Z, Rihanna, and Anna Wintour looked on. So, instead of trying to one-up himself, West presented a collection that felt like more of the same — albeit with some of the kinks from his debut collection worked out.
After making such a big deal over last season's show, this one frankly felt like a letdown. While we didn't expect the clothes to be much different — given that West personally hasn't changed his look much since then, as many have pointed out — it's difficult to distinguish the first collection from the second. Once again, many pieces looked extremely similar to Spanx. These were styled with oversize sweaters, and plenty of outerwear, which was once again the focus. There weren't many new shoes, either, aside from new colorways of already unveiled models like the Yeezy 350 (the low-top), 750 (hi-top), and 950 (West's take on a duck boot). There was a variety of women's boots, but we've haven't heard much chatter about the similar styles shown in Yeezy Season 1 hitting shelves, so we aren't holding out much hope for these, either.
Even the celebrity roster was underwhelming when compared to the first season. West's superstar buddies, like Jay Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Diddy, Big Sean, and Justin Bieber were conspicuously absent. They were replaced by the likes of Seth Myers, Pusha T, Common, Tyga, Jaden Smith, Vic Mensa, Michael Strahan, Riccardo Tisci, André Leon Talley, Wintour, Drake, and Lorde. Enough star power to push Kendall Jenner to the second row certainly, but still paling in comparison to Season 1, when Bieber was famously ousted from the #FROW.
However, the most notable difference came via West's use of color and approach to the show. He managed to tone down an already subdued palette of tan, green, and black; there was a much heavier focus on the camel shade Kanye has been wearing, and dressing Kim and North in. The clothing also noticeably lacked Adidas branding. It's been announced that the sportswear giant will no longer be involved in the production of West's clothes, starting with this season. (Adidas's partnership with West will be limited to only footwear now.)
Subtle changes to the show's format were one of the few noticeable improvements from Yeezy Season 1. Instead of crowding everyone outside of the venue while waiting for his models to get lined up perfectly, models emerged row by row while a drill sergeant barked marching orders. Not only did this feel more like a fashion show, it also helped with the time delays West promised would be fixed after the infamously behind-schedule Yeezy Season 1. The models were arranged by skin tone and West also matched them in monochromatic outfits to match. The presentation format also lent itself to the collection's military themes, which West explored both in Yeezy Season 1 and in previous collections with A.P.C. Without a blaring horn, North West cried less this time round, uttering noises described by one spectator as "babbling."
Free from the cries of an upset toddler, West was able to debut a new song, featuring fellow rappers Ty Dolla Sign and Post Malone, titled "Fade," without interruption. This was another expected development, though, as West premiered the song "Wolves" during Yeezy Season 1.
While we won't see many of these looks hit shelves for a handful of months, we can finally start looking forward to shopping Yeezy Season 1. Highsnobiety reports that the collection will release on October 29th.