Kanye West Sparks Controversy with Yeezy’s Latest Hire in Instagram Comeback
Kanye West has returned to Instagram with a bang, reigniting controversy with his first post since reactivating his account. In the early hours of Sunday (December 24), Ye took to Instagram Stories to share a black and white photo featuring a young model donning a t-shirt featuring the cover of Vultures, West’s upcoming collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign.
The post appears to be a screenshot from a controversial announcement by Russian fashion designer Gosha Rubchinskiy, who recently joined Yeezy as the Head of Design. Rubchinskiy’s hiring had previously landed West in hot water due to the designer’s controversial history.
This single image stands as the sole content on Kanye’s Instagram page since his quiet return on December 17, following a year-long suspension for posting a swastika.
Prior to his Instagram return, Kanye West took to Twitter to announce Rubchinskiy’s addition to the Yeezy team, sharing a statement that welcomed the “legendary Russian designer” and hailed the move as a “milestone in design history.”
Rubchinskiy, known for designing the merch and cover art for Vultures, has faced criticism for the cover’s alleged links to Nazism, specifically its use of artwork by German painter Caspar David Friedrich, known to be favored by Hitler. The cover also features a typeface reminiscent of that used by a neo-Nazi metal band, Burzum.
Despite Rubchinskiy’s controversial past, including accusations of soliciting inappropriate images from a minor in 2018, Ye remains determined in his decision to bring the designer on board. The announcement and the subsequent Instagram post have sparked renewed debate about the boundaries between art, controversy, and accountability in the world of fashion and music.
