Over the past four years it has been noted that Kayne West attended his fair share of shows. Unfortunately, becoming a regular fashion week fixture does not guarantee respect when trying your hand at designing. Hotly anticipated, particularly due to the celeb-fest FROW, Kayne had a lot to prove on the Paris catwalk for the debut of his KW collection. Design and fit are of course the number one ingredient for success and if both are absent, then criticism will ensue.

Making a positive impression on the fashion world, whilst avoiding the negative press, musician turned designer collections have yielded success in the past. Victoria Beckham is a prime example. Kayne certainly worked hard to get approval from the fashion pack but the celebrity fanfare and screaming teenagers outside meant the focus was already far away from the clothes. Rumours also arose about an 80-strong posse of Kayne’s friends, all watching the show online backstage. Jay Z, Beyonce and Rihanna reportedly among them as they supported the rapper.

If the intended audience and subsequent buyers of the collection was the flashy A-list and their fans, then Kayne most probably hit the nail on the head. The attire was decidedly more A/W than S/S, featuring leather and fur heavily. The dresses were tight and slashed for maximum flesh impact, referencing Balmain and Pucci as big influences. Other articles included white bombers, slouchy fit leather trousers, backless snakeskin dresses and just a touch of sparkle here and there.

Overall, the outcome was opulent in all the ways you might expect (expensive fabrics adopting a tough chick aesthetic etc) yet slightly let down by an imprecise fit. Nonetheless, the paparazzi attention and subsequent press coverage will do little to stop Kayne’s super fans and celeb friends from supporting his designer dream.