Like many of you, I was surprised to hear Kimye were in Uganda. What was not shocking though, was Mrs West’s personal style. It had Yeezy written all over it. The pant silhouette that accentuates the legendary assets; narrow waist and curvy body, a turtleneck bodysuit and the sock ankle boots.
Kim is her husband’s greatest muse. And her famous body has been moulded into three mannequins to reduce the amount of time it takes for Kim to do fittings.
Inasmuch as she is scandalous for her penchant for undressing, Kim is the very reason the word "influencer" exists. She sells merchandise in a way only one other person in the world can — her youngest sister Kylie.
But, even more fascinating, is how Kanye publicly trashed her closet, throwing pretty much everything out, branding her style as terrible. Then he took her round to meet established designers, asking them to dress his wife, who at the time was a pariah in the fashion industry. He succeeded.
This is not a phenomenon that happens only with famous couples. Brad Pitt has been accused of being a style chameleon, always changing his style depending on the woman he is in a relationship with.
Before you high five yourself smugly for looking nothing like your significant other (SO), keep in mind there is, in fact, timeline threshold that couples cross before they start to simulate each other’s look.
That timeline is six months. By this time, you are somewhere between the honeymoon phase and the pragmatic stage of your relationship.
You may not have a husband who will pay you $1 million on your birthday and give you 10 per cent of his Yeezy shares for your birthday because you are loyal to his brand, and did not accept a big fat cheque endorsing a company famous for knocking off his brand — yes, true Kimye story — but this loyalty is shown in other ways.
Now is when you start to wonder, is this a subconscious thing or a deliberate act of claiming your partner. It turns out to be both, yet neither. It is not really a conscious decision. At the same time, you do start to look like you are on the same page.
Los Angeles stylist Lauren Messiah calls it “this mighty morphing.” The challenge with this style sync is, does someone end up losing their identity? Is it forced, or is it real?”
You have to be emotionally woke enough to know if this change is because of what your significant other says, feels or does, and their tone through all of this.
When Kanye revamped Kim’s wardrobe, he bought her a whole new closet of clothes. He upped her game and status in the industry. He basically transformed himself into a superstylist.
This teaches a woman something. If he does not like what you wear, he should pay for what he thinks you should wear. That’s my story and I am sticking to it.
That being said, the experience was quite traumatic for Kim. Ugly cries were involved. Feminist words were written. It turns out change is very, very hard and sometimes your SO does really have your best interest at heart.
More often than not, the situation is reversed, with men finding themselves on the receiving end of a wardrobe extraction.
Women are the ones who shop for their clothes, and they buy knowing where these will be worn.
It is done subtly, with suggestions and recommendations as well as the kidnapping of caps, T-shirts, shoes, and all the trappings of being a single male without a feminine touch.
How do I know this? I listen to coupled-up. My style icon, aka Mrs O, also happened to whisper this in my ear. This is because it is not common for both parties to be stylish.
Everyone is not the edgy, award-winning half of Annabel Onyango and Marek Fuchs, or Polycarp Otieno aka Fancy Fingers of Sauti Sol and wifey stylist and fashion designer Benie Amanda aka Lady Mandy.
Why do you think stylish couples are #goals? Aside from the fact that we are initially attracted to a future SO's appearance, which includes their sense of style, lies the unacknowledged truth that similarities make for a more workable relationship than unlikely opposites.
South African couples like Black Coffee and Enhle Mbali, Nandi Madida and Zakes Bantwini, and Naija sweethearts Tiwa Savage and Tee Billz or Gbenro and Osas Ajibade have audiences so invested in them and the brand that is their relationship, it gives them an advantage when it comes to emotional bonding.
Doubt me? Which side did you pick when you realised Jay Z cheated on Queen Bey? Of course, a couple can and do choose to be matchy matchy. Power to them.
Then there are couples who are like eyebrows — similar, but not identical.
It is an elegant way to remind others and yourself that while you may be loved up, there is room to be an individual in the relationship.
