Kanye West is trolling us all again with his latest fashion puppet

OPINION

Yeezus, can Kanye West's summer holiday to Italy get any more controversial? Amidst an Italian heatwave, the rapper's butt cheeks were out on display with his pants hanging suspiciously low during a water taxi ride in Venice as his wife Bianca Censori crouched at his feet. Maybe she was feeling a little seasick? A Venetian boat rental company thought otherwise and banned the couple for life over the "lewd" act. But would Kanye care or is he just trolling us with another publicity stunt?

We've been seeing a lot of Bianca as the Wests holiday in Europe, like a lot. The Melbourne-born architectural designer has been bringing a heatwave of her own in what I'm dubbing "ballet-core": sheer bodysuits and seamed tights teamed with tissue-thin, nipple-bearing bralettes and black string bikini tops. In their latest public outing, she took things up another notch by strolling alongside her hubby in nude pants and bra, carrying a cushion to cover her breasts.

We've also seen her earnestly jump on Kanye's favoured trends, such as sock boots and a gamut of full-body and face coverings. She shot an incredibly risqué campaign involving body tape covering her privates for Ye fashion collaborator Mowalola Ogunlesi, and even rocked up to church in a sculptural padded stocking dress, which the internet decided resembled a condom.

It's these antics that make journalists like me write about attention-seekers like them. It's Fame School 101. Whether you're an A-lister, attending the Logies or making a play for Insta notoriety, showing off that amount of flesh, even if it's just flesh-toned clothing, means you will get attention.

Of course, Bianca's fashion lewks ultimately bring attention to her husband. I use the term "husband" loosely, as the pair never officially tied the knot. Their schmarriage could have to do with Kanye's born-again Christianity. In his tribute song to his new partner, Censori Overload, he sings, "And The Bible said, I can't have any more sex 'til marriage." Problem solved. The result of their non-legally binding ceremony in February was, predictably, Kanye being back in the news.

Superstar's downfall

In October last year, Kanye had become person non grata after his horrifying comments that he "likes Hitler" and "loves Nazis" and his grossly anti-Semitic tweets, including sharing a photo of the Star of David combined with a swastika, which saw him briefly suspended from Twitter. The result was, rightfully, a public shunning and Kanye losing all credibility and probably a billion dollars worth of deals. While you may have suspected that was the end of his career, he is a master manipulator when it comes to getting media attention and creating headlines.

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Now comes his reputational transformation, courtesy of his hot young wife softening the narrative with her supposedly avant-garde fashion 'fits. The 28-year-old has undergone quite a makeover since hooking up with her former boss last year (she worked for Kanye's brand Yeezy as head of architecture). For her post-Ye makeover, she chopped off her long brunette locks after being called a Kardashian knock-off, and went for a blonde pixie cut, which she's since dyed back to brunette.

Fashion puppet master

Ye, as he is now known, has a history of styling his lovers in curve-hugging outfits that leave nothing to the imagination, all the way back to Amber Rose. "A lot of it is putting trust into his creativity and into his vision," Amber said back in 2011. He did the same when he started dating Kim Kardashian, who credits him for introducing her to the high-end fash pack. "I really think that my relationship with my husband Kanye changed everything," she told CNN Style in 2016. "I mean, back in the day, I thought I had the best style. I look back at outfits, and I'm, like, mortified."

As well as making Julia Fox's profile soar, Kanye sexed up the actress/influencer's style during their brief headline-grabbing dalliance in early 2022. Julia was spotted in the same Balenciaga thigh-high boots Kardashian famously wore and even turned up on a Miami beach in Balenciaga one-piece swimmers complete with leather pants.

Comeback trail

Now Bianca is putting Ye back in the spotlight, just as the West-approved documentary, The Trouble with KanYe — which "explores the rollercoaster life and career of Ye" — launches on streaming services around the world.

In a puff piece focusing on their relationship in Us Weekly, a source said, "Bianca has been helping Kanye with some designs, and they both think their fashions are going to be culture shifting." Further, the source added, "Kanye feels he's on the precipice of a big comeback."

We see you, Ye. We see you.

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