He may only have released two collections so far, but Kanye West has got the entire industry talking. Despite a first season that flew off the shelves, fashion insiders remain divided in opinion over West’s design credos – much like the world remains divided over the man himself. Back in September, the musician collaborated once more with performance artist Vanessa Beecroft for a unique presentation that was streamed in cinemas worldwide – just as Season 1 was. Models were lined up according to the colour of their skin and clothes under strips of white light, a set-up which many interpreted as a commentary on race. It was, in fact, simply inspired by the design of his New York apartment. 

Some praised the tonal palette and layered pieces, claiming that the collection represented West’s own sartorial evolution over the past few years. Others were less convinced – most notably Cathy Horyn, who published a scathing view branding anybody interested or impressed by the collection as “fools.” Whether you love him or you hate him, you probably can’t stop talking about him, and the debut of Season 3 looks to be just as grandiose and headline-grabbing as its predecessors. Here’s what we know about it so far.

IT WILL COINCIDE WITH THE RELEASE OF WAVES

West has been teasing his first new album in over two years by promising to release one new song every Friday (so far, he’s only dropped two, “Real Freinds” and “No More Parties in LA”). Originally entitled SWISH, the rapper took to Twitter yesterday to announce the project’s new title of Waves – a tweet which prompted this now widely reported exchange between West and Wiz Khalifa.

A release date of February 11th and the full tracklist were also announced this week, fueling anticipation which, naturally, West has chosen to capitalise on for the launch of Yeezy Season 3. According to Vogue, the designer has made the decision to debut his new collection and his new album live at a special show in New York. 

IT WILL DEBUT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Never one for subtlety, West has managed to secure New York’s Madison Square Garden as the venue for Season 3. Hailed as ‘the world’s most famous arena’, the Garden usually plays host to big-name baseball games and has a capacity of over 18,000. The show will also be available to the public, with tickets on sale this Saturday – a far cry from the industry-only presentations that are usually characteristic of Fashion Week. Finally, as if a physical audience of 18,000 wasn’t already enough, the whole event will follow suit of Seasons 1 and 2 by being live streamed to cinemas worldwide.

THE PRICE POINTS WILL BE LOWER

It’s not exactly news that high fashion is expensive, but the price tags attached to the last two Yeezy collections were exorbitant even by luxury standards. In fact, they were so expensive that they made headlines – even the cheapest items started at around $200, with some of the outwear retailing for thousands of dollars.

Of course, Season 1 sold out almost immediately due to the hysteria surrounding the rapper’s output, but the designer has spoken out about his struggles pricing in an interview with SHOWStudio, explaining that he doesn’t have the resources of companies like H&M to manufacture cheaply...yet. He claims in the above TMZ clip that prices will be lowered for Season 3, so soon we might all be able to have a piece of Yeezy in our wardrobe.

THIS JACKET COULD BE THE OFFICIAL INVITATION

Even Kanye’s invitations are unorthodox. For special guests, Season 1 came with a vacuum-packed white anorak branded with show details, whereas Season 2 was announced via a long-sleeve camo T-shirt. If the above picture is anything to go by, February’s show will come with a khaki military jacket emblazoned simply with “Season 3” – perhaps an indication of the collection’s aesthetic.

THE COLLECTION MIGHT INCLUDE THIS LOOK

The most telling revelation of the aesthetic so far comes in the form of this Twitter post of Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian West. With her head dipped slightly and her hair in twin fishtail braids, Kardashian West appears to be modeling a look from the new collection – a rumour which West alluded to when he tweeted the pic with the hashtag #Season3. Apart from the fur coat, the outfit is uncharacteristic for Kim but not for Yeezy – minus the obvious branding, it fits with the overall feeling of previous collections.

...WHICH MEANS ADIDAS MIGHT BE INVOLVED AGAIN

While Yeezy’s debut was distinctly labelled as a collaboration with adidas, the sportswear giants weren’t involved in any aspect of Season 2 aside from the footwear. However, the picture above shows that, if it is indeed a look from the collection, the adidas logo is back in business. Another collaboration would make sense – the ‘Boost’ trainers from last season sparked hysteria, selling out in minutes and reappearing online for hugely inflated prices.