WHEN Bianca Censori reemerged from her mysterious Instagram hibernation this week with some eye-popping lingerie selfies, it didn’t take long for fans to bring up the name of a certain Kardashian.
For months, Kanye West’s wife has teased a project many are predicting will challenge his ex Kim’s SKIMS undie empire. But The Sun can reveal how, behind the scenes, the brand launch has turned into an embarrassing “mess” that makes a mockery of the rapper’s apparent attempts to upstage his former flame.
When Kanye, 48, first coupled up with Kim, 45, back in 2012, he held all the aces – and that’s just how he liked it.
Sure, she was reality TV gold, but she was also still known for flogging tummy-flattening teas on Instagram and attending the opening of an envelope.
Meanwhile, he’d been heralded a visionary: there really was no competition.
Fifteen years later, things couldn’t look more different for the now-divorced exes.
She’s sitting on top of a multibillion-dollar empire, with her shapewear brand SKIMS alone valued at $4billion.
Meanwhile, Kanye’s disgraced himself several times over, thanks to his long-running campaign of spewing online hate and demonstrating increasingly unhinged behaviour.
Most brands now won’t touch him with a bargepole, and he’s generally considered to be far more vicious than visionary.
Yet, while most fallen heroes might admit defeat, Kanye’s instead said to be seeking “revenge”.
And, once again, it’s his second wife Bianca, 30, who’s being used as his ultimate weapon of choice in the battle to one-up his ex-wife.
The question is: how much longer will she continue to be played?
Earlier this week, Bianca took to Instagram after taking a mysterious break from her main feed to plug her upcoming eponymous brand Bianca, revealing it’s finally going live on December 11 – two months later than initially planned.
The Australian former architect, who used to work at Kanye’s Yeezy brand before they got together in 2022, had originally teased the new venture on Instastories in September – posting a link to the website biancacensori.com.
There, followers were informed that something – though it didn’t say what – was “COMING OCTOBER 13”.
Embarrassingly, that date came and went without a word. But this week, Bianca appeared to tease what she’s potentially got in store – posting a collection of selfies modelling a range of bras, knickers, waist cinchers and tights.
While she didn’t confirm that these were pieces from her new brand, speculation has ramped up that she’s headed for the underwear and shapewear market – in other words, Kim’s domain. And all signs point back to Kanye seeking vengeance.
However, speaking exclusively to The Sun, insiders tell us it’s instead shaping up to be one big mess, as Kanye’s influence looms large.
According to one source, Yeezy’s former chief of staff Milo Yiannopulous, notorious in the US for being an alt-right firebrand, has been front and centre of the project – though the political commentator’s camp deny he is the “man behind anything”.
“Milo is much of the brains behind Bianca’s brand and website, and he’s been working on it for weeks,” says an insider. “The launch has already been pushed back to December 11, and nothing has been trademarked.
“There are multiple Bianca trademarks for everything from cheese to jacuzzis that are active with other companies, but nothing with her name attached or the font being used for the website, which could cause issues.
“Milo is very controversial and his hateful comments online are not great for branding.
“There’s demand for Bianca’s shapewear, with many commenting on how her tights never wrinkle and asking her where they’re from.
“But she’s attached to Kanye’s world, and with that comes chaos. Nobody wants to touch him, which is not good news for Bianca.”
‘Designed to compete’
While Kanye’s strategy (or lack thereof) has so far proved a massive own goal, it’s difficult to know just how his wife feels – as she’s barely had her own voice since marrying the rapper in December 2022.
In a further strange twist, one source close to Bianca claims she has “no interest in going into the clothing business”, despite appearing to have morphed into a Kim Kardashian replica, stepping out in beige and nude ensembles that look eerily like Kim’s aesthetic during her Kanye years.
Needless to say, Kanye’s still seething over his and Kim’s diverging fates and fortunes, with sources insisting his wife’s new project is being used as the latest “revenge play”.
“This goes way beyond fashion,” an insider from SKIMS’ camp told Radar last week. “Kanye sees this as his revenge play. He’s determined to outdo Kim on every front.”
Another industry source added: “From the visuals to the vibe, Bianca’s photos are pure SKIMS. That’s entirely intentional. Kanye’s built his brand on stirring the pot, and this is just his latest move to grab attention and assert control.”
A quick glance at Bianca’s Instagram page certainly suggests she’s sending a message with her stripped-down, shapewear-clad photos – that all seem to mimic SKIMS’ minimalist promo style.
What’s especially curious is the fact that she’s tagged designer Marc Jacobs in every photo, despite the fact that he doesn’t sell underwear on his website.
The implication might be that she’s collaborated with the famed brand. If so, this would be a big coup for Bianca – but it would also be a very pointed attack, considering Kim was previously signed as the face of Marc Jacobs for his FW/23 campaign.
Still, just like every theatrical display that Kanye and Bianca do to court controversy, fans have still been left wondering the same thing: is she actually on board with his madcap plans? Or is she another pawn?
Let’s remember that the architect-turned-model has been used by Kanye to cause a stir ever since they got together.
She’s infamously been pictured standing next to him in barely-there ensembles – which came to a head earlier this year, when the couple turned up to the Grammy’s.
Standing on the red carpet, Kanye told Bianca to drop her fur coat – telling her, “Make a scene, I’ll say it’ll make so much sense. Drop it behind you and then turn, I got you.”
She dutifully agreed, revealing her fully naked body underneath, which was apparently covered by a sheer mesh mini-dress that was invisible to the eye.
In the aftermath, commentators reeled over Kanye’s supposed misogyny. He then doubled down on that idea, tweeting: “I HAVE DOMINION OVER MY WIFE. THIS AINT NO WOKE AS FEMINIST S**T.”
Subsequently, it was widely reported that Bianca had finally reached breaking point.
But instead of filing for divorce, like several insiders expected her to do, she stayed silent and reportedly bided her time. The announcement of her brand launch in September was supposed to be the pay-off she’d long been hoping for.
Identity crisis
Bearing the name Bianca, this brand is supposed to finally give her the identity she’s long been denied.
But with chaos, constant delays and no real brand awareness, it seems she’s more disempowered than ever.
Behind the scenes, a source close to Bianca tells The Sun that the last thing she wants is to compete against Kim.
We’re told: “Bianca is mystified as to why people are trying to set up some kind of fake rivalry. She is an artist.
“If Bianca is thinking about a brand war, it’s with (artists) Marina Abramovic or Jeff Koons, not her husband’s ex-wife.”
Still, if a picture says a thousand words, these fresh images of Bianca flaunting leggings and bras seem to suggest quite the opposite.
So, with just over a month to go until Bianca the brand finally arrives – provided there are no more delays – the world waits to see what Kanye’s next power play will be, and whether Bianca will actually be able to claim something as her own.
The one thing we do know is that SKIMS is a global fashion leader, outperforming most legacy brands and major retailers out there.
It’s highly unlikely that Kim’s losing any sleep over her bitter ex’s vengeful schemes.
