“You live in the dark, boy, I cannot pretend, I’m not fazed, only here to sin”

MSCHF v Lil Nas X released ‘Satan Shoes’ on 29^th March 2021: a drop of 666 (note the satanical reference here) pairs of adapted Nike Air Max 97s, featuring a bronze pentagram charm, an inverted cross, a reference to the Bible Passage Luke 10:18, and 60 cubic centimetres of red ink and 1 drop of human blood in the mid sole. Priced at $1,018, the shoes were released alongside Lil Nas X’s music video for ‘Montreal (Call me by your name)’ and sold out in under a minute. The conversation is unfolding, the controversy is growing, and the conspiracies are being created. But, most importantly? Lil Nas X’s art is being spoken about. 

^{Photo Credit: MSCHF}

With their embedded references to the religious construct of ‘Satan’ and ‘Hell’, it’s evident why ‘Satan Shoes’ have sparked a turmoil. The collab has projected fashion into a new territory, a conversation on the correlation between religion and homosexuality, an otherwise untouched topic in contemporary culture and society. This new relationship, however, Lil Nas X’s using of fashion to provoke an analytical look into such intersectionality, has generated a question on collab culture, and the space for boundary-pushing fashion in our contemporary world: have MSCHF v Lil Nas X gone too far, or are they pushing fashion in the direction it must go, viewing fashion as art, creating fashion with impact, using fashion to try and make a change?

Given that America is predominantly Christian (65% of American adults representing Christianity in 2019), the uproar was predictable. Avid tweeters have been quick to criticise Lil Nas X for encouraging the descent into hell, misleading ‘impressionable’ youth onto the wrong track, whilst videos have surfaced showing church sermons teaching the dangers of the ‘Satan Shoe’, explaining its sinfulness and the wrongdoing of Lil Nas X. Yet the irony here is rich: our society has the tendency to overlook atrocities such as homophobia, poverty, inequality, homophobia, police brutality, mass shootings yet is provoked by a shoe design and music video. This speaks volumes and, crucially, tells us exactly why Lil Nas X is doing what needs to be done. 

Beyond the fundamental religious controversiality of referencing ‘Hell’ and ‘Satan’, the MSCHF v Lil Nas X collaboration speaks to the truth of being a young, Black, Homosexual man in today’s America. As Lil Nas X himself has since said in a TikTok: ‘yall love telling gay people we going to hell, then get mad when I decide to go!?’. ‘Satan Shoes’ are not simply a two-dimensional, fleeting provocation for fame, they hold a symbolism which expresses the reverberations of his experience of growing up homosexual, the reality of being told you face a life in ‘Hell’ for falling outside of heteronormativity. In a self-addressed letter to his 14-year-old self – ‘dear 14 year old Montero – Lil Nas X explores this: ‘I know we promised never to be “that” type of gay person’ he writes, ‘I know we promised to die with the secret’ … ‘but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist’. His hurt is clear, the imposed judgement from society that he has grown with is evident, and thus the power behind his current presence is unignorable. Self-admittedly ‘pushing an agenda’, Lil Nas X is acting with purpose, his ‘Satan Shoes’ are a protest, not a publicity thrill.

This is not to say that Lil Nas X is not benefitting from the subsequent controversy; it has created a storm which was predictable and undeniably planned. However, it is to say that the ongoing conversation regarding the cultural and religious connotations of being homosexual is one of many which needs to happen. Lil Nas X is working with symbolism, not controversy; he is retelling a narrative which has already been told, reclaiming the identity which has already been forced, he is dancing in the metaphorical shadows of punishment. The problem people have with this collaboration, it seems, is not the association but the disassociation: it is not Lil Nas X’s intertwining with ‘Hell’ and ‘Satan’, it is his interaction with a construct which has been used for centuries to oppress and marginalize people; interestingly, this makes us uncomfortable. 

Is the shoe the problem, or is it our culture? 

On 1^st April, 2021, Nike filed a lawsuit (under trademark infringement) to stop MSCHF reproducing or selling any further ‘Satan Shoes’, under the grounds that they did not approve nor authorize the use of their brand and logo in the collaboration. Understandably, they are removing their brand away from the rising controversy, protecting their name and reputation. Yet the repercussions of this lawsuit, the constricts it may pose on future creators and collaborators, poses an important question on the nature of fashion and its interactions with reality. How much is it an independent expression of art, a platform for free creation and empowerment, and how much is it a place of limited consumerism, a static, image driven environment?

As Lil Nas X sings, ‘Call me when you want, Call me when you need, Call me in the morning, I’ll be on the way’, it is clear that the conversation is ongoing, and has only just begun. Although unavailable to buy, the storm created by Lil Nas X and his ‘Satan Shoe’ is more important than we are may at first understand. It is not the blood; it is not the symbols; it is not the references; it is the real, life-changing implications on those who identify within the cross-sections of intersectionality and representation. Hopefully, this conversation won’t stop. 

Words By Hannah Emery

The post MSCHF v Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes’: What You Need To Understand About The Controversy appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Lil Nas X’s recent music video drop ‘Call me by your name’ has caught the attention of many. The song is named after himself and this theme is reflected through the video, in his multi-rolling acting, where Lil Nas X plays several characters. Visuals within the video, such as the make-up, costume and CGI animation are impressive and engaging. Lil Nas X uses his music video to tell a story, segregating the plot into three defining locations. Making biblical references throughout, the overriding theme of his video becomes clearer in an Instagram photo he posted straight after the video was released. Where Lil Nas X shares a letter he wrote to his fourteen-year-old self, the letter reveals that the song was created to inspire other people who share his experiences and struggles as a gay male. It is thought the song and video should empower his desired audience to avoid hiding and to embrace their true selves.

The first section of the video begins in a Garden Of Eden-esque location surrounded by flowers and clouds. The shoot location composes of beautiful shades of purples and blues, portraying nature in powdered, vibrant tones enforcing a whimsical heavenly vision. His gem style make-up, bejewelled nails and sparkling tunic enhance this glowing state. Within this scene, Lil Nas X encounters the devil, whom is seen to chase and haunt him, exemplifying fear and control through seductive capturing. 

The next chapter of the story is Lil Nas X’s imprisonment, where he is under the control of Mari-Antoinette look-a-like guards. These guards seem to act as a metaphorical display of traditional standards. The creative direction of this video takes a contemporary twist on the classic. Through the use of figures such as the heckling crowd of Greek statues infer this reference to a dated past. The guards also enforce this idea of challenging traditional ideas through their attire that mirrors old fashioned upper echelons of society but created with 2021 flair. For example, the pastel blue colour runs through their suits, tall locks, striking eye shadow and talon-like acrylics. The prisoner wears a light and fluffy candyfloss fur top, his hair emulating the guards’ tight pink curls; this style infers cupid/fairy vibes; suggesting his innocence. The visual aesthetics throughout this video are an impressive tool used to subtly refer to a deeper subjective understanding of society. 

In contrast, a bold entrance establishes the final scene of the music video; it begins with Lil Nas X being assisted to heaven by a form of deity. This ascendance is interrupted from an uprising pole forced into Lil Nas X’s grip, where he pole dances into a cascading fiery hell. To echo this location, the final look of the music video radiates a more scandalous and sexy vibe. With bright red cornrow braids, Calvin Klein boxers, knee high leather boots and crowded tattooed skin, Lil Nas X transforms his look whilst embracing Hell. Meeting the devil through seductive encounters, he achieves the desired goal to take over hell, becoming the devil himself.

The Montero music video is enticing and visually incredible. The talent in the cinematic effects, hair, make-up and costume design deserve serious praise and recognition. Its creativity and contemporary flair permit great subjectivity for interpretation but the publishing of a meaningful letter along side the video enforces a subtle recognition for a deeper meaning of the artist’s personal intentions. 

Words By Theodora Wood

The post Lil Nas X Gets Bold, Biblical and Bizarre in ‘Montero’ appeared first on Voir Fashion.