Kanye West sparks controversy with his 'White Lives Matter' t-shirt at Paris Fashion Week

It was billed as a surprise fashion show, but landed as a bigger surprise than expected. A "secret" show hosted by Kanye West at Paris Fashion Week included a t-shirt with the slogan "White Lives Matter".

The t-shirt, which featured a picture of Pope John Paul II on the front, was worn by models on the catwalk and by Ye, as West prefers to be known, as well as right-wing commentator Candace Owens, guest at the show.

Before the Yeezy Season 9 show started, Ye said to the audience, “Everyone here knows that I am the leader… you can’t handle me. It's an unmanageable situation."

He went on to refer to ex-wife Kim Kardashian's flight to Paris in 2016, his former manager Scooter Braun and his recent falling out with Gap. Naomi Campbell modeled in the show but she didn't wear the controversial T-shirt. Rapper North West's daughter led a children's choir that performed at the event.

The Anti-Defamation League categorizes the phrase White Lives Matter, which reframes the phrase Black Lives Matter used to protest brutality, as a statement of hate.

Ye has made problematic statements about race before. In 2018, he said 400 years of slavery in the United States "looks like to a choice," though he later attempted to backtrack on that comment.

The show marked Ye's return to high fashion after collaborations with Gap and Adidas recently came to an abrupt end.In September, Ye broke off a two-year partnership with Gap, claiming the store had failed to meet the terms of the contract.

He has since criticized the $200 price tags that Gap put on the t-shirts.The same month, Ye announced his plans to break up with Adidas, saying "it's time for me to go it alone."

In 2016, a previous Yeezy show in New York was criticized after that the models had to stand for long periods without shade or water. The parade, held on the grounds of Roosevelt Island, was two hours late and a model passed out before the end.

It was the Ye's fourth fashion show in Paris, where he made his fashion designer debut in 2011. His fashion career began in 2008, when he interned at Fendi; the following year, he attended Paris Fashion Week for the first time.

Ye told Vogue Business: “Paris is the high cathedral of fashion. If I'm doing music, rap, I'll put on my hoodie and take an Uber and go to Future. Day after day. What if we worked on the clothes? Paris."