Kanye West unveils new Yeezy line during New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK -- Three months after being hospitalized for exhaustion, rapper Kanye West made his first major public appearance on Wednesday, turning up for his Yeezy fashion show during New York Fashion Week.

With his wife Kim Kardashian West in the front row next to Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, West debuted the fifth season of his high-end athleisure wear collection for Adidas to the fashion world's elite.

The show, which has become one of the most exclusive presentations during recent fashion weeks, was not live-streamed on the music streaming website TIDAL as some of West's shows have been in the past.

Many social media users expressed their frustrations when they learned they would not be able to watch online, but critics were positive about the 39-year-old singer's latest runway show, saying the emphasis was on his new collection, rather than him.

"To me it felt like the most traditional fashion show that he's done," said Rickie De Sole, W Magazine's fashion market and accessories director, who was at the show.

"It had a polish to it. It felt like a serious fashion show. It felt substantial and there was less hoopla. It really was all about the fashion," De Sole added.

The collection was dominated by denim, high-waisted jeans, hoodie sweatshirts, baseball caps, cargo pants, knee-high boots and, of course, sneakers.

Muslim model Halima Aden, the 19-year-old Somali-American who competed for Miss Minnesota wearing a burkini and who recently scored a major modeling contract with talent agency IMG, strutted the catwalk wearing a floor-length fur coat and a hijab.

Buzz had been building around the appearance of the so-called "Yeezy Runner" after West was photographed wearing the oversized white sneakers by paparazzi in January.

Kardashian appeared in athleisure wear herself, a sleeveless, see-through turtle neck shirt, track pants and an over-sized winter coat, all of which were maroon.

During the presentation, there were roughly 150 posts per minute about the Yeezy line on Twitter, according to social media analytics firm Zoomph.

The "Jesus Walks" singer emerged as one of Donald Trump's most high-profile supporters during the 2016 election campaign and met the then president-elect at Trump Tower in New York on Dec. 13, making him the target of outrage and sarcasm from fans on social media.

(Reporting by Melissa Fares and Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Madonna brings Katy, Miley, and more to new video

Madonna has brought out some of the biggest fellow names in pop -- and two of her children -- in a new video she debuted Wednesday on the fledgling streaming service Tidal.

Beyonce, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Kanye West all make cameo appearances in the video for "Bitch, I'm Madonna," off her latest album "Rebel Heart."

Madonna released the video initially on Tidal, where it will appear exclusively for one day before wider distribution.

But a number of users reported technical problems, saying that the video froze up when they first tried to watch.

"We apologize to all the fans excited to watch the #BitchImMadonna video, we're working on a fix," said a Tidal message on Twitter before later reporting smoother streaming.

Tidal -- led by rap mogul Jay-Z with participation of Madonna and other stars -- has promoted exclusives in a bid to win subscribers.

But despite a splashy launch on March 30, Tidal trails more established players in the growing field of streaming, led by Spotify.

The video -- which also features hip-hop star Nicki Minaj, who collaborated on the song originally -- depicts a party atmosphere and was shot at the Standard High Line, a hotel in New York's Meatpacking District known for its nightclub with a jacuzzi overlooking the city.

"Bitch, I'm Madonna" also includes rare appearances by two of the Material Girl's four children, 14-year-old Rocco and nine-year-old David.

"Rebel Heart," Madonna's 13th studio album, shows a growing hip-hop direction for the pop icon whose dance numbers and risque persona have made her one of music's most successful artists since the 1980s.

Madonna, 56, will launch a global tour on September 9 in Montreal. Her 88-date "MDNA" tour in 2012 grossed more than $300 million and generated controversy as she raised her voice on stage on issues ranging from gay rights to the rise of Europe's far right.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com