Designer Jean Touitou Names Collection ‘Last N*ggas In Paris’ + Kanye West Co Signs

me. Yes, I mean, it’s nice to play with the strong signifiers. The Timberland here is a very strong ghetto signifier. In the ghetto, it is all the Timberlands, all the big chain. Not at the same time—never; it’s bad taste. So we designed Timberlands with Timberland…

Contacted by Style.com after the show, Touitou clarified his position, that sign, and that speech by saying: “One hip-hop song is called ‘N***** in Paris.’ One movie is called ‘Last Tango in Paris.’

In an interview with Style.com about his ‘N*ggas in Paris’ reference, he explained:

I made looks which are a cross-over of those two references: the Timberland shoes and the sweat pants are iconic of hip-hop, and the camel hair color coat, worn with nothing under it, is iconic of that precise movie. I am friends with Kanye [West, who recorded “Ni**as in Paris” with Jay Z], and he and I presented a joint collection at the same place, one year ago, and that this thing is only a homage to our friendship. As a matter of fact, when I came up with this idea, I wrote to him, with the picture of the look and the name I was giving to it, and he wrote back immediately saying something like, ‘I love this vibe.’

Do you find the name of his collection offensive or just an exercise of creativity? [Buzz Feed, Style.com, High Snob Society]

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