A history of Kanye West dressing the women he dates: Kim K to Bianca Censori
Whoever has Kanye West’s love locked down can look forward to a high-fashion makeover, too.
Just look at his current “wife,” Bianca Censori; since “marrying” the rapper in a non-legal ceremony in January 2023, Yeezy’s Head of Architecture has traded her long brunette locks for a platinum pixie cut and started dressing exclusively in sheer, stretchy styles that embody West’s signature design aesthetic.
Of course, the Grammy winner is no stranger to starting trends, and it seems the ladies in his life are often “Bound 2” switch up their style or don designs from some of his favorite labels.
From makeovers to modeling, here’s a brief history of how the “Donda” musician changes how his significant others dress.
Selita Ebanks
From the runway to “Runaway.” Before his brief romantic relationship with the Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2010, West cast her as the glamorous phoenix in his “Runaway” short film. He outfitted her in Phillip Lim wings and an elaborate breastplate for the role – the latter of which she previously told MTV she only found out about when she arrived in Prague for the shoot.
“A lot of it is putting trust into his creativity and into his vision,” she explained.
Amber Rose
This pair became front row fixtures over the course of their tumultuous relationship, and even attended the Met Gala together in 2009. They weren’t exactly a perfect match when it came to personal style, however, with Rose telling Elle in 2009 that they were “total opposites.”
That didn’t stop West from styling her for the photoshoot accompanying that Elle article, however, as he selected several curve-hugging styles for his then-beau.
“He’ll pick out something and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, God, I don’t like that at all,’” Rose told the magazine of collaborating with West. “And then I’ll pick out something and he’ll be like, ‘Babe, just … no.’ I’m more electric pink and bright yellow. And Kanye’s more like nude and bone. Like, bone is his favorite color. I’m like, whose favorite color is bone?”
Rose, known to try adventurous styles herself, assured the magazine at the time that she was “not his Barbie,” recounting a time when she opted to attend the Metropolitan Opera’s 125th Anniversary Gala in a cocktail dress with a thigh-high slit, rather than the gown West wanted her to try.
“I didn’t want to wear a long gown,” she said. “So then we get to the Met and everybody has a long gown. I was like, great. I didn’t know what the Met was!”
However, over the course of their courtship, Rose did end up stepping out in some more minimalist, monochromatic looks, donning a long gown for the 2009 Met Gala and sporting a simple white dress for the BET Awards the same year.
Kim Kardashian
While Kardashian has become a style icon in her own right over the years, her look wasn’t always so fashion forward. West’s long-lasting influence on the Skims founder’s wardrobe began back in 2012 when he overhauled her closet on camera for an episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” ditching her pattern-heavy pieces and paving the way for her later “less is more” aesthetic.
“I really think that my relationship with my husband Kanye [West] really changed everything,” Kardashian told CNN Style in 2016. “I mean, back in the day I thought I had the best style. I look back at outfits and I’m, like, mortified.”
In addition to transforming her style over the course of their relationship and seven-year marriage, Kardashian also has the Yeezy mastermind partially to thank for entering more fashionable circles. Long before she was the belle of the Met Ball, she made her gala debut as his plus one in 2013 – a year before the pair finally scored the coveted cover of Vogue.
Even after their early 2021 split, West’s influence on Kardashian hasn’t seemed to “Fade.” In addition to coordinating with her estranged husband at his “Donda” listening parties this summer, she also sported a face-obscuring mask to the 2021 Met Gala, attending alongside Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia. West — who’s a fan of fashion-forward face masks himself — has teamed up with Gvasalia on several musical and visual projects over the years, most recently partnering with the Georgian creative on his Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga collection announced in January 2022.
The French luxury label has practically become a uniform for Kardashian of late; she’s worn the brand’s distinctive designs for everything from her October 2021 “SNL” hosting stint to her family’s 2021 Christmas Eve celebration.
If her current wardrobe wasn’t enough proof of West’s continued influence, the Skims founder also thanked him while accepting the Fashion Icon Award at the 2021 People’s Choice Awards, crediting him with “really introducing me to the fashion world.”
Irina Shayk
Before West got together with the Russian model post-Kardashian split, fashion may have foreshadowed their brief courtship. In addition to starring in his 2010 music video for “Power,” Shayk walked in the star’s Fall 2012 show at Paris Fashion Week, while he was designing under his pre-Yeezy Kanye West label. He even name-checked her in his fashion industry-centric 2010 song “Christian Dior Denim Flow,” which includes the lyrics, “All of these girls at my shows, they keep lovin’ me.”
The “Power” of West’s style influence stayed strong in recent years, too, with Shayk having sported a series Yeezy designs — including the $200 Yeezy x Balenciaga DMX tribute tee that helped raise $1 million for the late rapper’s family.
Vinetria
Page Six exclusively confirmed in November 2021 that Ye had been hooking up with 22-year-old model Vinetria “for awhile.” While their relationship was short-lived, it’s possible West hooked her up with some clothes. She was decked out in head-to-toe Balenciaga — West and Kardashian’s favorite luxury label — for their courtside date at the Donda Academy’s debut basketball game in Minneapolis.
Julia Fox
Even before being linked to West, the “Uncut Gems” star had already sported multiple designs made famous by Kardashian, and even showed off her Skims on Instagram. After meeting West on New Year’s Eve 2022, Fox was spotted on multiple high-profile — and high-fashion — outings with the Yeezy designer.
Fox took cues from West’s “Famous” fashion preferences from the start, sporting a Balenciaga swimsuit at the beach (with leather pants, no less) following her first date with Ye in Miami.
On their second outing, West’s fashion influence became much more overt, with the rapper treating Fox to racks upon racks of Diesel duds. A rep for the brand told Page Six Style that the brunette beauty was presented with a whopping 40 looks to choose from, and ended selecting six outfits to keep.
As their romance continued to heat up, the pair headed to Paris Fashion Week, making their red carpet debut in matching denim at the Kenzo show and sitting front row at Schiaparelli in his-and-hers leather looks. West even stepped in as Fox’s makeup artist while in the City of Light.
In the most over-the-top display of affection during their whirlwind courtship, the rapper gifted five Hermès Birkin bags to Fox and her friends for the star’s 32nd birthday in February 2022. Personal shopper and stylist Michelle Lovelace, who secured the purses for the party, told Page Six Style that “there was no budget” for the job.
“[West’s] team was like, ‘Well, he really wants this, so you have to try to find it,’” she recalled of tracking down five Birkins in just a few days. “My anxiety was definitely through the roof.”
Sadly, even a quintet of prized purses couldn’t save #Juliye: By mid-February, Fox and West had broken up.
Chaney Jones
West’s newest muse, Chaney Jones — who bears an uncanny resemblance to Kardashian, but doesn’t see it — is the latest lady to get the West wardrobe treatment.
The brunette beauty, who dresses very similarly to the rapper’s ex, was spotted shopping with him in Miami during the early days of their courtship at (where else?) Balenciaga.
In March 2022, Jones copied the sexy swimwear photos that Kardashian has posted on Instagram in the past, rocking the same poses as the Skims Swim founder.
She also admitted to having a Brazilian butt lift on an Instagram Story, perhaps in an attempt to get Kim’s famous derrière.
“Same face, same nose lol I’ve never been in denial about surgery and to answer everyone’s questions yes I had a BBL but I’ve always been thick before surgery,” the social media influencer posted.
Ever an Hermès fan, the Yeezy mogul treated Jones to a Birkin bag racking in at a whopping $275,000 that same month. And not just any Birkin; a source exclusively told Page Six Style that West chose a “very very rare” silver metallic style that is no longer sold.
Sadly, their love was short-lived; by June 2022, the duo’s relationship was done.
Bianca Censori
Talk about mixing business with pleasure; in January 2023, West “married” Yeezy’s Head of Architecture in a non-legally binding ceremony in Beverly Hills, and wasted no time in taking his new paramour shopping.
In addition to switching up her hairstyle, Censori soon began stepping out in Yeezy signatures like seamed tights, skintight bodysuits and sheer bralettes, in addition to West-approved sock boots and face coverings.
She also tried on a few wackier outfits for size, posing in little but body tape for a shoot with fashion brand Mowalola, turning a pair of tights into a transparent top and attending church in a sculptural padded stocking dress that many on social media compared to a condom.
In August 2023, photos illustrating the extent of her post-Ye makeover went viral on TikTok, and it would appear the frequently barefoot couple aren’t done leaving their mark on the fashion world just yet.
“Bianca has been helping Kanye with some designs, and they both think their fashions are going to be culture shifting,” a source told US Weekly that same month. “Kanye feels he’s on the precipice of a big comeback.”
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