#PFW: Kanye West "DW by Kanye West" Spring 2012 (Pics)

It feels like we waited eons to see Kanye West’s first womenswear offering! And now that we’ve seen the collection, it seems like he waited too to make sure it was just right.

Unlike his hip hop industry peers (Diddy and Jay-Z for instance), he led with a Womenswear line instead of Mens; sought advice from fashion experts like Louise Goldin and Riccardo Tisci and debuted his collection with a runway show during Paris Fashion Week.

For the show, he enlisted Karla Otto to do PR, hired top models like Karlie Kloss, Chanel Iman and Jourdan Dunn and invited fashion industry heavyweights Anna Wintour, Sally Singer, Stefano Tonchi and Robin Givhan as well as designers like Azzedine Alaïa, Joseph Altuzarra, Alexander Wang and Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared2. Plus a few stars like Ciara, Jared Leto, Lindsay Lohan and fellow celeb designers Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were there. Kanye’s serious about this, guys.

And about those clothes…Kanye West showed a cohesive collection of fitted dresses with plunging necklines and zipper details, luxurious fur jackets and backpacks (yes…for a Spring collection), colorblocked pants, draped oversized tunics and all leather everything.

The line was sexy, sleek and wearable but lacked the kind of imagination you’d expect from an artist who is so innovative when it comes to music and showmanship.

It had traces of Herve Leger, Gucci and Alexander Wang with its sensual and edgy yet refined aesthetic.

The shoes offered a moment of creativity with ruched cloth straps elevated by exquisite beading detail. Accessories were generally understated with studded belts and nameplate necklaces injecting the pieces with tough-luxe attitude.

Hair was kept long and sleek with sexy side parts.

While the line will certainly find fans among women looking for sultry pieces with a gritty edge, I think it’s hard to see “Kanye West” in the collection. It felt guarded and restrained which makes sense for someone who is trying to be accepted by and find his footing in an elite fashion industry. Let’s just hope he doesn’t lose his creative spark we all love in the process of becoming a serious fashion designer.

Still, I find it to be a brilliant attempt for his first collection and a start to what should be a promising career. What do you think?

Are you loving Kanye’s line?

Check out more pics here: