Kanye West may be a polarizing cultural figure, but his rise to fashion fame has been nothing short of meteoric. Now, the Yeezy founder is paying it forward by launching a fashion incubator to support young up-and-coming designers.
The first grant recipient is Maisie Schloss, a Parsons grad and women’s wear designer who previously worked under West at Yeezy. Schloss, who hails from West’s hometown of Chicago, will benefit from mentorship and funding to launch her new line. The label, called Masie Wilen, will debut this week in Los Angeles, a rep for the brand told Vogue.
The collection will feature 85 resort-wear items ranging from $100-$900, according to Vogue. Schloss told the publication that her debut line will be inspired by a combination of “rhythmic gymnastics and robotics,” and will feature prominent prints and playful, yet wearable shapes.
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West rose to prominence in the fashion industry after interning at Fendi with friend and fellow designer Virgil Abloh in 2009. Abloh went on to found his own label, Off-White, in 2013, and was appointed men’s artistic director at Louis Vuitton last year. West’s Yeezy line of apparel and footwear is now in its eighth season, and his collaborative line of Yeezy footwear with Adidas is now in its fourth year.
West’s existing notoriety as a rapper undoubtedly has boosted the cache of his brand, which blends a casual, streetwear-inspired aesthetic with futuristic elements and minimalist silhouettes.
West’s Yeezy collection with Adidas has courted a cacophony of buzz with every exclusive drop. With the release of the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in Triple White last fall, Adidas proclaimed publicly that the shoe would be made in mass quantities—a move that subverted the scarcity model that Yeezy has operated on since the beginning. Though the collection demonstrated strong sell through, it did not sell out, as West’s creations have long had a penchant for doing. Subsequent releases have followed a similar pattern.
Still, West is asserting his stylistic influence in myriad ways, and his incubator may prove another outlet to assert his vision. The scope of the program and its future plans have yet to be released.
“Kanye very generously offered to support me; he truly cares about sharing resources, creating opportunities for creatives to grow and be recognized,” Schloss told Vogue in an email.
