quotables

Surprise: Kanye Was (Maybe) Hard to Collaborate With at A.P.C.

Photo: Corbis, BFA

The collaboration that left minimalist-adoring Francophiles and the hip-hop scene with their ears perked for two years was finally released yesterday. Only to crash the site and sell out in minutes. But as simple as the A.P.C. x Kanye West collection was, it appears that working with Nori’s daddy was far from a cakewalk. In an interview with Style.com, A.P.C.’s founder, Jean Touitou, gently hinted at some rather exhausting moments with West — in that time-tested form of a compliment followed by a spewage of wrongs committed. Example: From love (“I just love the guy, so whatever”) to an insult in disguise (“He could want a piece to be baggy and skinny at the same time … [but] oh well, you just find a way.”) Aw, teamwork.

When asked about the back and forth with the hip-hop artist, Touitou opened the door into the two-year creative process (slash nightmare?) a little further, stating, “When you deal with a guy who wants to redesign just about anything so it could fit [into the] kingdom of dopeness, it takes some time to just sit and say, ‘Okay, agreed, but let’s start on something limited, and we’ll see.” He went on to declare, “I am not into the celebrity thing. The only celebrities who impress me are writers. I follow no god, no celeb, no master, no myth”— which we’re sure a man who’s named himself Yeezus probably wouldn’t take too well. To finish off, Touitou relinquished any pent-up frustration he had with West with his final, slightly ominous statement: “Fashion killed rock and roll. Fashion killed contemporary art, and turned it vulgar. And if hip-hop artists are not careful it will also kill hip hop.” Oh là là.

Shop: Summer Beauty Must Haves

Surprise: It’s Hard to Collaborate With Kanye