One of Ye‘s Maison Margiela masks worn for his 2013 Yeezus tour has been listed on Grailed for $50,000 USD. This mask, in particular, is encrusted in black tiles and listed under Maison Margiela number 1, a women’s collection in which the house expresses its love for conceptual and avant-garde designs.
During the tour, Ye famously worked with the Margiela team to craft iconic several crystal-encrusted masks which the artist would wear throughout his performances. The masks would later become era-defining pieces as part of Ye’s ascension to superstardom. The project was led by Matthieu Blazy, the now-creative director of Bottega Veneta who worked at Margiela as head designer at the time.
“This is the iconic Maison Margiela mask worn by Kanye West during the Yeezus tour in 2013,†writes the seller in the description. “This is a one-of-a-kind piece and I will not respond back to low offers due to a high volume of messages I am receiving at this time.â€
Despite the flashy outer appearance, Margiela claims that you can easily through the mask as the black silk chiffon base is embroidered in a way that allows wearers to see through the fabric. In an interview with Vogue, the house further revealed the process behind partnering with the artist.
Whoarethegunters/Grailed
Whoarethegunters/Grailed
Whoarethegunters/Grailed
Whoarethegunters/Grailed
“We didn’t pay attention to what is being said about him in the press, we just focused on what could be done with him,†Maison Martin Margiela said in a statement. “We have wanted to work with Kanye West for a very long time, ever since he became a close friend of the Maison; supporting us a lot and coming to our shows. We like his music and the vision he had for the tour.â€
“We firstly went through the Maison’s archives, finding iconic pieces to be reinterpreted. We then had a few fittings, bouncing ideas back and forth about how to adapt the garments, the fabrics, textures, colours and details, to transform them into a stage wardrobe. Making the pieces in our Parisian atelier allowed us to create pieces without any limits,†the house continued.
According to Ye, he wore the masks to allow viewers to focus on the art while not having to feel self-conscious about his face.
“I ain’t worried about saving face. F**k my face! F**ck whatever my face is supposed to mean and f**k whatever the name Kanye is supposed to mean, it’s about my dreams! And it’s about anybody’s dreams. It’s about creating. It’s not about the idea about being a celebrity, it’s not about the idea of being a black man trying to do fashion and s**t,†he once said at a concert.
According to a supposed email conversation posted by the seller, the product has been authenticated by the Margiela team. Grailed has further listed the product as one of its Staff Picks.
“We can confirm it seems that this model was designed for Kanye West’s Yeezus tour along with a string of outfits to be worn during his concerts in 2013. However, considering this model could have been produced in more than one piece, we can guarantee that the mask currently in your possession was actually worn by Kanye West,†reads the email response.
Find the live Grailed listing here.
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