ICYMI #008
A Demna bombshell, an exhaustive timeline of Renzo Rosso & Kanye West’s relationship, & a Kim Kardashian x Margiela SCOOP
Ok I’m early today and I’m not even sure if I should be calling today’s dispatch ICYMI because, honestly, you probably saw IT. Kanye West was on another one of his disgusting rants last night, but in the middle of dragging Renzo Rosso, his last connection to the larger fashion industry after all his controversies, he dropped a bombshell: Demna was allegedly offered the creative director role at Margiela. Let that sink in.
Now, I know this is all a mess, but I wanted to take a moment to explain Kanye’s strange and turbulent relationship with Renzo Rosso, his company Only The Brave ( OTB ) and Margiela. To do that, I’ve put together an exhaustive timeline of events because, trust me, you need the full context to understand the chaos. Oh, AND I’ve also got a KimYe SCOOP for you today. So if you’re adverse to either Kim Kardashian or Kanye West ( understandably ) you may want to skip today’s read.
Kanye West & Renzo Rosso: A Timeline of Their Relationship
Early Interactions with Galliano (2007-2011)
October 2007 – Kanye attends the John Galliano S/S 08’ show in Paris.
March 2008 – Kanye attends the John Galliano F/W 08’ show in Paris.
January 2010 – Kanye attends the John Galliano F/W 10’ show in Paris.
Watch the Throne & Margiela’s Influence (2011-2012)
2011 – Watch the Throne is released; in Niggas in Paris, Kanye famously raps, “What’s that jacket, Margiela?”, cementing his admiration for the brand.
October 2012 – Kanye attends the Maison Martin Margiela x H&M launch event with Renzo Rosso in New York City.
Building a Relationship with Renzo Rosso (2013)
January 10, 2013 – Kanye & Kim visit OTB headquarters in Bassano del Grappa, spending time with Renzo Rosso.
January 23, 2013 – Kanye & Renzo attend the Margiela S/S 2013 Haute Couture show in Paris.
January 2013 – While recording Yeezus in Paris, Kanye starts discussions with Margiela to design his tour wardrobe.
March 2013 - Kim and Kanye attend the Diesel + Edun Studio Africa Launch Party in Paris
August 2013 – Kanye & Renzo vacation together on a yacht in Greece.
September 2013 – Kanye & Renzo attend the Diesel Black Gold S/S 2014 show in NYC.
YEEZUS Tour & Margiela Costumes (2013–2014)
October 2013 – The YEEZUS Tour begins, featuring:
10 couture pieces
20 ready-to-wear looks
Multiple bejeweled, full-face masks from Margiela
February 2014 – Kanye attends the Margiela F/W 14’ show in Paris.
Margiela, Galliano, and Kanye’s Wedding Era (2014)
May 21, 2014 – Kim & Kanye are papped at the Margiela atelier in Paris before their wedding weekend.
May 23, 2014 – Kim wears Margiela S/S 2009 tuxedo gown for their wedding rehearsal dinner at Versailles in France.
May 24, 2014 – Renzo Rosso & his wife Arianna Alessi attend Kim & Kanye’s wedding in Florence.
September 2014 – Kanye is again spotted at the Margiela S/S 2015 show.
Galliano’s Appointment at Margiela & “The Ban” (2014-2015)
• October 6, 2014 – Galliano is announced as Creative Director of Margiela.
• October 6, 2014 – Kanye is one of the first to comment on the Galliano/Margiela news ( many news outlets credit him for the announcement ).
• January 2015 – Galliano’s first Margiela show—Kanye does not attend.
• A source claims Kim & Kanye were BANNED from Galliano Margiela shows and being dressed by the house.
Renzo Keeps the Peace (2015–2016)
May 2015 – Renzo congratulates Kanye on his honorary doctorate.
February 2016 – Renzo visits Kanye’s YEEZY showroom, seemingly mending their relationship.
August 2016 – Renzo wishes Kanye Happy Birthday on Instagram.
November 2016 – Kanye spams Instagram with vintage Margiela looks, reigniting his admiration for the brand.
2022: A Year of Drama and Public Displays
January 2022 – Kanye begins his public relationship with Julia Fox. After their first NYC rendezvous, he surprises her with an entire hotel suite full of 40 full looks from Renzo Rosso founded Diesel’s Spring 2022 and Pre-Fall 2022 collections. The total worth of the wardrobe was estimated at $85,000–$100,000. Diesel reps told Page Six that Kanye admired Diesel's creative direction under Glenn Martens.
October 2022 – John Galliano is spotted at YZY SZN 9, the controversial White Lives Matter show; following backlash, Galliano along with the rest of the fashion industry distances himself.
Kanye’s Shift to Marni (An OTB Brand) (2023–2024)
September 2023 – Kanye’s new wife, Bianca Censori, starts wearing custom Marni.
They’re spotted in Milan with Marni Creative Director Francesco Risso.
Margiela, Kim Kardashian & Kanye’s Return to OTB Brands (2024)
January 2024 – Kim Kardashian is invited to the Margiela Couture show by Renzo & Galliano, signaling her return to the brand’s inner circle.
February 23, 2024 – Kanye makes his first fashion week appearance since YZY SZN 9 at the Marni show, an OTB-owned brand.
February 27, 2024 – Bianca Censori is spotted with Glenn Martens in Paris.
February 28, 2024 – Kanye & Bianca are papped wearing Y/Project jewelry.
March 12, 2024 – Paris Fashion Week: Kanye stars in the Y/Project lookbook for Glenn Martens.
May 2024 – Kim Kardashian is dressed in Margiela by Galliano for the Met Gala. ( John Galliano wears YEEZY SZN 5 at the fitting )
Reunion with Renzo & Galliano (October 2024 – January 2025)
October 2024 – Kanye & Bianca attend a private viewing of the Maison Margiela Artisanal 2024 collection in Shibuya, Tokyo, with Renzo Rosso & his wife Arianna Alessi.
October 2024 – Kanye & Bianca later attend a Margiela party in Tokyo with Renzo Rosso, Arianna Alessi, and John Galliano.
December 2024 – John Galliano steps down as Creative Director of Margiela
January 2025 – Kanye, Bianca, and Renzo are spotted partying in the Maldives together for Bianca’s birthday.
Mid-January 2025 – Rumors Swirl
Mid-January 2025 – Rumors circulate that Kanye West is set to take over as the Creative Director of Margiela, sparking excitement in the fashion industry.
Kanye Denies Being Hired as Maison Margiela’s Creative Director
January 20, 2025 – Kanye West publicly denies rumors that he has been hired as Maison Margiela’s new Creative Director
End of January 2025: A Major Shift
January 29, 2025 – Renzo Rosso names Glenn Martens as Creative Director of Margiela, making Martens the successor to Galliano.
MARCH 18, 2025 – KANYE GOES OFF ON RENZO ROSSO
Kanye publicly trashes Renzo Rosso on Twitter.
He accuses Renzo of ruining Margiela, treating artists poorly at OTB, and desperately trying to align himself with Demna ( who Kanye used to collaborate with at Balenciaga and on his YZY GAP line, they’ve since fallen out ) & Glenn Martens.
He claims Demna refused to work with Margiela, leading Renzo to recruit Glenn Martens instead.
He says Diesel was only trendy for a summer before tanking.
Kanye insults Renzo’s wife, Arianna Alessi, mocking her appearance.
Glenn Martens & Renzo Rosso unfollow Kanye on Instagram.
Kanye’s war against the fashion industry is finally complete. For years, he’s been systematically alienating every designer, every house, every executive who championed him. But through it all, there was always one last holdout—Renzo Rosso. Even after YZY SZN 9, even after every controversy, Renzo kept the door cracked open just enough for Kanye to still feel like he had a place in fashion. Now, I’d wager that door has been slammed firmly shut.
And given his rants, that’s exactly what Kanye wanted: a final, deliberate severing of his ties to the system he’s been railing against for years.
Awe poor Glenn and Renzo were complicit until they got bit ;( poor them