Last night GQ bestowed its Kanye West cover story upon the internet masses and it is, predictably, highly entertaining. Equal parts earnest, insane, brilliant, and hyperbolic, the Q&A is a tour down the Yeezy rabbit hole. We've pulled the best style quotes for your enjoyment and edification below:
On Balenciaga's Shoe Sales
"Listen to what I'm saying—me, as Kanye West: I guarantee you, I'm more than 50 percent responsible for every men's shoe that they sell. Me, the singular person. More than 50 percent responsible for every Balenciaga shoe they sell. And they would say, "You can't come to the show, because you are a celebrity." But all honesty, no ego, I have a level of influence, and I have a level of respect for the designers. And we move product on that Barneys floor."
On Being a Super Cool Dad:
"Family is super cool. Going home to one girl every night is super cool. Just going home and getting on the floor and playing with your child is super cool. Not wearing a red leather jacket, and just looking like a dad and shit, is like super cool. Having someone that I can call Mom again. That shit is super cool."
On the 150 Percent Style Quotient:
"Skinny pants are rock 'n' roll. And big coats are really hip-hop. I'm looking for 50 percent rock 'n' roll, 50 percent hip-hop, 50 percent genius, because, you know—for genius, you have to be at a hundred and fifty percent."
On Emotional Layers:
"If you're wearing layers, you can be in L.A., New York, Paris, in an airport lounge, or on a plane, taking layers on and off however. And the proportions get emotional. You know how a graphic can express a feeling or an emotion? Layers can, too."
On Carine Roitfeld:
"Carine Roitfeld is the Walt Disney of what Tumblr is today. She is the Kanye West of what Tumblr is today. She's the single most important person to what street style is today."
On the Concept of Kimye:
"So now you take [our wedding photo], and it has a flower wall from the same guy who does the Lanvin shows, and it has a couture Givenchy dress and Givenchy tuxedo in it. That's the point. Now the thing that is the most popular is also communicating the highest level of creativity. The concept of Kimye has more cultural significance than what Page Six could write."
On Cross-Industry Synergy:
"It was just too crazy to do Watch the Throne, "Niggas in Paris," shoot a surround-vision film in Qatar, show the film in Cannes……[put on a] kilt, do two fashion shows with Jourdan Dunn, Joan Smalls, Irina Shayk, have Diddy, Anna Wintour, Riccardo, Kim at the show, and drop the Yeezys? It felt like every single industry that I was trying to tap into looked at every other industry and everyone held hands."
