Ye Says Vanessa Beecroft Is ‘Really Where SKIMS Came From…

The artist formerly known as Kanye West, seen wearing a swastika chain and Sean John t-shirt (not to mention a KKK-style hood) in a new interview with Akademiks, has pointed to frequent collaborator Vanessa Beecroft as being “really where SKIMS came from.” For those somehow unfamiliar, SKIMS first launched in 2019 with Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede credited as its co-founders.

Toward the end of the Ak interview, Ye is seen speaking with Beecroft in a Los Angeles hotel hallway, with the performance artist heard saying she will soon be joining him in Japan. Ye eventually introduces Ak to Beecroft, noting their previous work together includes the “Runaway” short film in 2010.

“This is Vanessa,” Ye told Ak. “We did ‘Runaway’ together, Sunday Service. That’s really where SKIMS came from. That’s her whole style.”

Beecroft, whose work with Ye also includes the Yeezus Tour and a pair of operas, has extensive credits under the SKIMS umbrella. In December, for example, the Italy-born artist photographed Nia Long for one of the brand’s campaigns. That same month, she was tapped to direct a live performance during a launch event for a new SKIMS flagship space in New York City.

Ye is also intertwined with SKIMS’ history, with Kardashian herself calling him a “ghost creative director” for the brand during a New York Times-hosted Q&A back in 2019. At the time, she also credited her then-husband with drawing the brand’s logo, overhauling its approach to packaging, picking photographers, and casting models.

“He really gave us amazing advice,” Kim said.

In February, Beecroft helmed a film starring Ye’s current wife, Bianca Censori. The project’s Los Angeles premiere came days after Censori wore what Ye later dubbed “the invisible dress” on the Grammys red carpet.