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'I saw Kanye after, and I told him it was amazing,' Ciara tells MTV News via phone from Paris Fashion Week.
By James Montgomery

Kanye West and Ciara at Paris Fashion Week on Saturday
Photo: Antonio de Moraes Barros/ WireImage

Kanye West finally unveiled his much-discussed womenswear line Saturday night (October 1) with a high-profile show at Paris Fashion Week that was as full of eye-catching designs as it was celebs.

From Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour to actress Lindsay Lohan, the stars were on full display for West's show. Minutes after 'Ye took his bow, we spoke to Ciara, who phoned MTV News from backstage to give us her take on the collection. And, yes, she was impressed with what she saw.

"It was amazing. The clothes, the feeling in the room, the energy backstage -- it really feels special," she said. "It was definitely one of the most talked-about events [of Paris Fashion Week], because it wasn't going to be your typical show. This doesn't happen every day, and to see someone like Kanye, who aspires to succeed in fashion, to get so much respect and cross over like this, it was monumental. It was an historic moment."

While she was amazed by the fashion community's embracing of West, Ciara was quick to point out that she was just as struck by his designs, singling out a few favorite looks.

"I loved the pants, the color-blocking and the orange, I loved the fur accessories, I loved the black dresses," she said. "There was a lot of attitude. It was strong, sexy ... I loved it. I kept seeing looks that made me think, 'Oh my God, I want that.' "

Just before she phoned MTV News, Ciara had a chance to speak with West backstage, congratulating him on a job well done. As she was getting ready to head out into the night ("There's definitely an afterparty," she laughed), she also took a moment to reflect on (and draw inspiration from) what she had just witnessed.

"I saw Kanye after, and I told him it was amazing. But there was so much chaos backstage -- good chaos, of course. He was excited, and it was just so much good energy," she said. "And now, I'm walking away from this being inspired. He continues to inspire me with everything that he does. And tonight was definitely a moment."

For complete coverage of Kanye West's Paris Fashion Week debut, check out the MTV Style blog.

• Kanye West Debuts 'Dw' Line At Paris Fashion Week

• Kanye West
• Ciara

West unveils womenswear collection before star-packed crowd, including Lindsay Lohan, Jared Leto and Ciara.
By James Montgomery

Kanye West at his Paris Fashion Week debut
Photo: Antonio de Moraes Barros/ WireImage

Kanye West made his Paris Fashion Week debut Saturday night (October 1), launching a womenswear line with a high-profile show that was sexy, swaggering and, of course, incredibly stylish.

Before an audience that included fashion heavyweights like Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour, designer Alexander Wang and photographer Terry Richardson -- not to mention celebs like Lindsay Lohan, Jared Leto and Ciara -- West paraded a host of different looks, from daringly cut dresses and color-block pants to body-hugging tracksuits and high-end hoodies.

West draped his models in flowing fabrics, leather and fur, propped them up on beaded stilettos and even gave each a matching "Yeezi" nameplate chain to wear on the catwalk. And for an artist to whom subtlety is often a foreign concept, West displayed an unerring attention to the tiny details, as evidenced by the collection's artfully beaded ensembles, knitted tops and even fur-covered backpacks -- all of which had the crowd murmuring with approval.

For a more detailed account of all the looks, check out the MTV Style blog, which kept a running diary of West's fashion debut.

Though it was his first-ever showing, West's bow was also one of the most-hyped events of Paris' annual fashion week, with bloggers hyping stories that he had spent 14,000 pounds on fabric and trimmings at London haberdasheries and speculating that his show would feature only the models he mentioned in his song "Christian Dior Denim Flow." The actual location for the show was kept a closely guarded secret, with invitations being mailed the day before the event, a move that only further added to the frenzy.

And given the buildup, it seemed only natural (and, in keeping with Fashion Week tradition) for West to start his show some 45 minutes after the supposed 9:30 p.m. start time. But that didn't seem to bother those lucky enough to gain entry into Paris' Lycee Henri IV (a posh secondary school taken over by West's team for the event), who chatted beneath soft purple lighting while waiting for the first models to walk.

At show's end, West emerged to applause, wearing a simple white T-shirt, black pants and a pair of Jordans. After taking his bow, he posed for photos backstage with his models, and speculation began that his collection (which doesn't yet have a name) might actually be called Yeezi, as the nameplates seemed to hint.

For complete coverage of Kanye West's Paris Fashion Week debut, check out the MTV Style Blog.

• Kanye West Debuts 'Dw' Line At Paris Fashion Week

• Kanye West