Kanye West is undoubtedly a trendsetter—but who knew one of his secret style icons is Shia LaBeouf?
In the April issue of Esquire, Shia answers fans' burning questions about how Kanye came to possess all his clothing.
Shia's unique style is a combination of "military, athleisure and (mostly) normcore," which Yeezy is definitely here for. In an outtake from Kanye's song "No More Parties in L.A.," the rapper included the line: "I wish I dressed as fresh as Shia LaBeouf."
So, when Shia invited Kanye to his house to discuss possible collaborations, he seized the opportunity to ask for some of the actor's clothing for a planned pop-up shop.
Around the same time, Shia attended one of Kanye's concerts with his mom, Shayna (a.k.a. "his everything"). When he was growing up, he'd watch his mom sell barrettes, purses and pins at a trade fair, so he didn't feel particularly attached to his own wardrobe. After the mother-son duo went backstage at Kanye's show, Shia made the decision to donate his wardrobe to the rapper. Now, he says, "The dude has a lot of my s--t."
Shia says his mom "is, of course, obsessed with Kanye West. When I brought her backstage, he was a f--king sweetheart to her. And it just felt fair. So I'm like, 'Go for it, my guy. Take everything you want.' And he did. He took all my f--king clothes."
"Me and him haven't really been in contact since he blew up onstage and, you know, s--t on me," he adds. (During an onstage rant in 2016, Kanye said, "Shia LaBeouf: Kid Cudi feels a way. Call him." Shia had directed Cudi in a music video and a short film five years earlier, but it remains unclear what Kanye meant.)
Despite their current lack of communication, the actor and rapper aren't at odds. "I f--king love Kanye West," Shia says. "He's going through a lot. And I don't know where he's at or what he's doing."
Fortunately for us, we do know what Yeezy's been up to: recording new music in Wyoming.