Los Angeles, Oct 4 (IANS): Rapper Kanye West recently faced backlash for his latest fashion show look, after wearing a 'White Lives Matter' shirt at a surprise Yeezy show in Paris.

The 45-year-old rapper took to the stage to showcase his Season 9 collection and gave a speech while sporting the top, which was emblazoned with the Pope's face on the front. Kanye, who now goes by the name Ye, also wore a pair of bedazzled flip-flops, reports Mirror.co.uk.

"White Lives Matter" was written in bold white letters on the back of the shirt, a response to the "Black Lives Matter" movement which was started in 2013 following the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin and gained further momentum in 2020 with murder of African-American man, George Floyd due to excessive force by the police in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

According to Mirror.co.uk, the Anti-Defamation League has previously called the phrase "White Lives Matter" a hate slogan.

Kanye described his new collection as something you can "pull on and pull over", labelling it the future of clothing. Kanye also referenced his ex Kim Kardashian's 2016 Paris robbery, his former manager Scooter Braun, and his public fallout with Gap.

Some of the models in the show wore the same shirt as the musician, with the clothes sparking outrage online.