Kanye West and Candace Owens were seen wearing matching “White Lives Matter” shirts at Paris Fashion Week on Monday.
The two wore the controversial shirts during a surprise fashion show for Yeezy, West’s fashion brand.
West, who goes by Ye, debuted his Season 9 collection in Paris this week.
Ye wore a long-sleeved black T-shirt with bold white writing on the back. The front of his shirt had a photo of Pope John Paul II.
Owens’ shirt was white with black writing and featured a photo of Pope John Paul I.
Both shirts had “Juan Pablo” written at the bottom, reported the Los Angeles Times. They also had the words “Seguiremos Tu Ejemplo,” or “We will follow your example.”
Owens shared photos of herself with Ye on social media. She also reposted a comment from another Instagram user who wrote “She’s challenging the narrative that is being pushed down our throats.”
In 2018, Ye designed “Blexit” t-shirts for Owens, encouraging Black people to leave the Democratic Party.
Last month, he was asked by “Good Morning America’s” Linsey Davis if he had future political aspirations.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said.
Before the show, Ye gave a speech referencing the 2016 robbery of estranged wife Kim Kardashian and his struggles in the fashion industry.
He told Vogue Business that he chose Paris for the show because it’s the “high cathedral of fashion.”
“If I’m doing music, rap music, I’m going to put my hoodie on, and get an Uber, and go over to Future’s house. Day after day. And if we’re working on clothes? Paris,” he explained.
He also opened the Balenciaga show the day before his own.
West and Owens’ shirts were immediately criticized on social media, especially by fellow artists.
Rapper and actor Jaden Smith later tweeted “True Leaders Lead” and “Black Lives Matter.”
“@kanyewest AFTER ALL WE BEEN THROUGH AS A RACE YOU PUT THIS DISRESPECTFUL SH** ON. U GIVES NO F***S ABOUT HOW BLACKS HAVE DIED N SUFFERED TO THE HANDS OF THE WHITE MAN,” said musician Boosie BadAzz.
On Ye’s Instagram story, he said “Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam, now it’s over, you’re welcome.”
