Graphic design is his passion. Kanye West is now dipping his toe into logo-making, crafting—or, at least, helping to craft—the “X” in the logo for Blexit, a self-described “frequency for those who have released themselves from the political orthodoxy” started by conservative commentator Candace Owens. Teal and orange T-shirts and hats featuring the Blexit logo and “We Free” on them were handed out at the Young Black Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., last weekend, where, according to Page Six, Owens credited West with their design. With their bright colors, they do look a little more fashionable than your average MAGA hat—but the human-shaped “X” in Blexit is about on par with the Trump administration’s efforts at a Space Force logo. So, is the Blexit logo what happens when MAGA Kanye overtakes Fashion Kanye?
Don’t worry too much about that just yet. On Monday, Owens seemed to backtrack a bit on West’s involvement and, as per usual for a Trumpworld denizen, blamed the media for getting it wrong: “I said on stage that my friend and fellow superhero helped me design the ‘X’ for BLEXIT. This may shock the world, but Ye is a world renowned designer. Everyone who knows him asks him for advice on design. Ye supports various people in different regards, because at the end of the day—his [is] a message about unity and love.”
While West’s Yeezy line usually sticks to muted colors and neutrals, the bright colors of the Blexit merch touch on the 90s nostalgia taking over the fashion industry, so it seems likely that West had some say in the design process, even if Owens would rather you not talk about it.
Shortly before he re-tweeted Owens, West tweeted, “We’re about love unity and we design for the world.”
The much-discussed “X” that West helped design, to whatever degree, isn’t much to look at, just a shapeless figure outstretching its hands and legs in the shape of the letter. The new logo was reportedly released in tandem with a broader launch of the organization’s Web site, which includes articles with headlines like “Democrats vs. Civil Rights Protests” and “President LBJ’s True Motivations” depicting Democrats as those perpetuating racism and Republicans as misunderstood heroes.
Owens ended her statement echoing a common thought of West’s, writing, “Let’s not politicize love.”
It’s an interesting ask coming from the woman who proudly posted a photo of a Blexit hat next to a MAGA hat and accused “angry leftists” of keeping the black community apart. While West enters into his controversy-of-the-week with Blexit, his wife, Kim Kardashian, seems to be going out of her way to stay out of it, staying busy on social media to promote her new line of fragrances.
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