“Every bad bitch up in Equinox,” Kanye West boomed over the speakers at Madison Square Garden today—but it wasn’t long before Yeezy Season 3’s shout-out to boutique fitness was overshadowed by the extreme feat of strength taking place onstage: Rows of models standing pin-straight and motionless in a Vanessa Beecroft—curated arrangement for the 90-minute fashion show.
It was a display of stamina that, at a certain point, nearly threatened to eclipse West’s show itself—with live stream cameras honing in on models who stood with the kind of perfect posture and stillness that takes years of meditating beneath waterfalls to achieve. Once or twice, we glimpsed models sitting down for one brief and glorious moment, before pulling themselves back up again, which had our own legs aching in sympathy—and our minds marveling at their resilience.
Inside the Yeezy Season 3 extravaganza:
Before the closing song played, a sheet of performance rules had surfaced on Twitter, displaying a single-spaced list of 38 commands from Kanye and his team, a laser-focused guide to maintaining the Yeezy mindset. The artist’s secrets to a supreme stance? Maintain inner and outer calm (“No whisper. No smile.”), and keep yourself centered (“No sexy posing. Do not be casual.”). Move naturally (“No fast movements. No slow movements. No sharp moves.”), but be mindful of others (“Know that your actions reflect within the group.”). Above all, stay humble: “Do not act cool. You are a picture.” Words to live by.
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