Before Kanye West partnered with adidas, he was forming his own apparel brand called Pastelle. While it never formally launched, the defunct line is still very much in demand.
As spotted on Page Six a long lost prototype crafted by the “We Major” rapper that never saw the light of day has resurfaced. A shoe under his former Pastelle brand is now on the resale market making it one of the rarest feet pieces ever. Fashion model Gio Mitchell apparently made a good impression on ‘Ye back in 2009. The story goes that West gifted him a sample size 9 while at a photo shoot. The shoe features a canvas upper, velcro fastening while “The Past Tells Everything” branding lives on the bottom of the soles.
Upon inspection, the low-tops bear a strong relationship to the Nike Vandals which Kanye wore occasionally during the Late Registration era. While Mitchell claims they have never been worn the pair isn’t in mint condition. The listing states they “have some discoloration due to aging”.
Nevertheless, the fact this release never made it to shelves makes it a hot commodity in the sneaker community.
Originally founded sometime in 2008-2009, the Pastelle brand was intended to represent the embodiment of West’s vast tastes, interests and philosophies. To properly bring the idea to life he enlisted some of the most talented designers from different product categories including clothing, jewelry, accessories and eyewear. Even though he was seen wearing some, at the time, pretty cool looking samples the line just quietly died a slow death. Almost ten years later Complex did an interesting report detailing who was involved and how great it could have been for the culture.
Currently, these 1 of 1’s are going for a cool $5,000 dollars. You can purchase them here.
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Photo: WENN.com
