More clarity… I have no agency representing me currently… William Morris was fired after Cara Lewis quit. I love Cara Lewis. I love being back at my fashion office learning and creating. It’s so challenging and fun and I’m surrounded by amazing people. They say you only live once, but every time I come to work, I feel like I’m starting a second life. You guys might think I have some type of backing for my line, but I don’t. I did the first fashion show out of my own pocket and used the money I made touring to follow my passion. I’ve been working at this for 8 years now,,, from the first offers to do urban clothing lines that I turned down, to begging Bape to do my line and never making any real headway…
To having an office in LA that was shut down after the “MTV” moment along with my tour with GAGA, I moved to Japan one month after that and designed every night in my room… I had this opportunity to intern at Fendi and was also offered a position at Versace which I could not take due to my contract with LV which was for 2 years.
I moved to Rome after I left japan and worked at Fendi for 4 months undercover. I was there to give ideas for the men’s collection. I snuck to Giuseppe Zanotti’s factory still under contract and learned to design women’s does for 2 years before my first show in Paris. After doing the first LV collection, I was sure i would get a second shot to create but was never given the opportunity. I designed a sneaker called “Yeezy” with Nike. I’m ‘allowed’ to design one pair of sneakers every 2 years. I have more ideas. eARLY 2011, I moved to Paris and opened a small design studio the language barrier was quite difficult, I still don’t have a Paris VAT number to this day… I don’t know what a VAT is, but every time I asked why we didn’t have fabrics, they said it was because of the VAT.
In Paris, I met many great people in design, including the master Azzedine Alala… zzedine even came to my studio one day 
This was the greatest feeling to stand in this presence in my embarrassingly small Paris studio in a courtyard opposite Collate. I remember being 5 years old and my mother taking me with her chopping at the discount fur spots. She said I would always point to the most expensive furs even as a child LOL It’s something about making clothing that always brings me back to that point. For the first 16 or 17 years of my life, the only thing I knew about my woman’s clothing was what my mum would wear. I guess some critics would joke that I still don’t know anything LOL My mom would wear blue jeans with a fur and an embellished “Cosby Show” sweater to pick my up from school. The teachers said I couldn’t focus… I used to get kicked out of class for bringing dirty mags and drawing Nikeys in 4th grade.
Being a celebrity has afforded me many opportunities, but has also boxed me in creatively. I was just discussing becoming the creative director for the Jetson movie and someone on the call yelled out “You should do a Jetsons tour!” This just happened a few hours ago. I was very insulted of course, because for anyone that’s seen the Watch The Throne tour, or Coachella, or Glow in the Dark or Runaway, you know I have real ideas…
I appreciate having the most nominations at the Grammy’s, but I feel so conflicted by the fact that award shows sometimes are completely illogical.
Good logic tells me “Smile, Kanye… The world likes you again. Red of blue pill? aaaand swallow” lol I wouldn’t have the prestige I have if it wasn’t partially for the Grammy’s validation and I honour that.
Hmmmm… what to wear… here I do again, Yeezy the trend-setter or complete fucking fashion victim…. the verdict is still out. Tis is just a train of thought… but I figure it’s better to read than trained thoughts.
What good is fame and prestige if you can’t use it to help people… I want to help by doing what I know I do best… create. I have started a new company and I’m so excited about the name… It’s got the best name ever of all companies of all time!!!
The name of the company is DONDA.
Donda is a design company which will galvanise amazing thinkers and put them in a creative space to bounce their dreams and ideas. Dr Dre redesigned headphones and made more impact off of one product. I am assembling a team of architects, graphic designers, directors, musicians, producers, AnRs. writers, publicists, social media app guys, managers, car designers, clothing designers, DJs, video game designers, publishers, tech guys, lawyers, bankers, nutritionists, doctors, scientists, teachers…
DONDA will be comprised of over 22 divisions with a goal to make products and experiences that people want and can afford… I want to put creatives in a room together with like minds that are all waaaaay doper than me.
We want to help simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see, hear, touch, taste and feel. To dream of, create, advertise and products driven equally by emotional want and utilitarian need. To marry our wants and needs.
DONDA.
This will all take time but I wanted everyone to know what I really care about… I care about people. I care about my fans.
I care about people who have never heard of me… There are over 7 billion people on the planet now… It’s something about coming fro music that makes me so optimistic, music travels and is not limited to only the wealthy.
Sometimes, my grammar is wrong, but my thinking is right.
My mom was an english teacher, so I know she sends as SMDH from heaven. 5.18am in London… My dreams keep me awake.
The Watch the Throne tour was a small example of what a DONDA experience can be. I am currently working on a new 7 screen experience.
I wanted to put this in the world in hopes that the people who can actually make a difference will stand up and reach out.We need as many amazing powerful smart talented wealthy people to be involved… Come get on board… don’t just sit there… reach out. We can collectively effect the world trough design. We need to pick up where steve jobs left off. When I said wealthy I wanted to point out there are so many billionaires in the world that can come together and help to redesign it help education.
Help education. School systems were designed to turn people into factory workers.
We need to take what Michael Jackson felt and Mcqueen and Steve Jobs and we need make things better… When me and Jay toured… ever night I peered into the audience astonished by the different walks of life that came to support us.The adrenaline is running… I don’t know if I can even get to sleep now… From Wall street to the London riots to Chicago murders…
I sit everyday and ask what can I do to make a difference…
I know this is not a very rapper thing to say but I haven’t bought a new car or piece of jewelry in about 2 years… I invest every dime back into creativity… hiring amazing creatives paying for flights, offices … etc…
My area of expertise is in music, my passion is in music design film and products… my strength is connectivity…There are so many broken systems from the economy to school systems jail systems… we need experts for this, we need scientist and top world designers to directly affect governments. I just wanted to share what’s been on my mind…
“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple, but if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.” – George Bernard Shaw
I’m so excited to see this all unfold.
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