first looks

Exclusive Video: Kanye West for Anja Rubik’s 25 Magazine

For the launch of Anja Rubik’s new magazine, 25, photographer and director Barnaby Roper teamed up with Kanye West to make a video dedicated to the issue’s theme of eroticism. Rubik knew West from bumping into him at various fashion events over the years, and they became close friends when he started working on his clothing line (she’s since opened both of his runway shows, and he rapped about her in “Way Too Cold”). “He’s like a machine, not only with music but also with fashion and videos,” Rubik told us earlier this week. “He’s a workaholic, and always talking about all these crazy thoughts and images running through his head.”

When Rubik was putting together the first issue of 25, she and West discussed how she wanted the magazine to approach sex. “It’s funny. We talked about porn looks these days, and he agreed with me that there’s no porn out there that is beautiful aesthetically and integrates fashion to make a beautiful image,” she explained. “We were on the same page about a lot of things.” He agreed to work with Roper in a video that explores some of the sensual imagery from the magazine. “I thought it would be really interesting to make it seem like we were entering Kanye’s head,” Rubik said. “It’s not pornographic, but it’s very sensual.” See the full video here.

Exclusive Video: Kanye West for 25 Magazine