Yeezy Season 4 RTW Spring 2017

This has become an abusive relationship. To a great extent, fashion and the press have only ourselves to blame. We’ve been world-class enablers of Kanye West, allowing him to put us at his mercy. Given him permission to stage stunts like the one he pulled Wednesday for Yeezy Season 4, for which he withheld basic logistical information, such as the show’s location — Roosevelt Island — until 12 hours before the 3 p.m. show. Shuttle buses were arranged as a “courtesy,” departing against all logic from one of the furthest points west in Manhattan to slog crosstown to an island in the East River. Round-trip, the event clocked in at about four-and-a-half hours. This is behavior that would not be tolerated from true design visionaries — Karl Lagerfeld or West’s friend Riccardo Tisci. Not that they would display such audacious disrespect for people’s time — nor would their employers allow it. In 2007, there was nearly a bounty on Marc Jacobs’ head when he made his audience wait two hours. Yet West will likely be rewarded with splashy coverage and maybe even applause for a collection that was at best predictable. Adidas should be embarrassed.