The Sartorialist: Dinner for 25 Edition IV

Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) underwent videotaped force-feeding to protest treatment of Guantanamo detainees

With Ramadan looming, Yasiin Bey—formerly known as Mos Def—is protesting the force-feeding of Guantanamo prisoners by undergoing the procedure himself. To raise awareness for the more than 40 hunger-strikers who are force-fed at the prison each day, Bey underwent it himself for the video below, filmed for the human rights organization Reprieve. As you might expect, it’s absolutely horrible to watch, and even worse to imagine happening to someone—prisoner or not—day after day. And as the video itself warns, “Some viewers may find these images distressing.”

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Front Row at Kenzo : A Country Called Earth (A.C.C.E.)

BRANCHING OUT: Mos Def could be the definition of a Renaissance man. Not content with his music and film careers, he is launching a multi-disciplinary design collective named A Country Called Earth.

“I’m working with Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh from Art Comes First,” he said, pointing to Maidoh, a fellow guest at the Kenzo men’s show, held at the Académie Fratellini circus arts school on the outskirts of Paris on Saturday.

Dressed in a Kenzo blazer and shirt, paired with a djellabah and an Art Comes First fez, Mos Def — who likes to go by the name Yasiin Bey these days – said his collective was working with various brands. “Fashion, of course, but furniture, other consumer goods, household items, audio — a lot of different areas,” he explained.

Bey also has a residency at the Nouveau Casino club, where he is DJing for three nights next week under the header “Bright Moments.”

Guests entered the Kenzo show venue through a wooden building, where fresh fruit was arranged on the floor to form a colorful carpet. Carts festooned with bananas or apples served fresh fruit juice blends.

Between posing for pictures with Japanese DJ Mademoiselle Yulia, South Korean singer Taeyang said his band Big Bang was working on a new album and planning another world tour.

“We’re not sure if it will take in Paris or not, but I hope so,” said the musician, who has a devoted following in France. “When I arrived, there were a lot of fans waiting for me in front of the airport. It was really surprising.”

Source: http://www.wwd.com/runway/mens-spring-collections-2014/fashion-scoops/kenzo

Louis Vuitton X Mos Def

here stands only a handful of hip-hop emcees who have been able to successful transcend the musical culture and find high fashion relevance. Yasiin Bey is one that immediately comes to mind as a long-standing personality known just as much for his outspoken position in the culture as well as his smooth flowing rhymes. Together with Louis Vuitton‘s “Core Values” campaign, Yasiin Bey pays homage to one of sports’ greatest showman, one Muhammad Ali. Focused around his greatest quotes, Bey takes on the role of story-teller, offering some powerful sound bites over these two videos directed by Stuart McIntyre.

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Why Is Fashion Important?

A Set Free Minute With Mos Def

Source: http://thoughtsofahiphopjunkie.tumblr.com/post/5154061952/a-set-free-minute-with-mos-def