The End of the Yeezy-Gap Collaboration

Source: Complex

In June 2020, American rapper Kanye West announced a 10-year collaboration deal between GAP and his apparel line, Yeezy. Kanye was not only supposed to receive royalties on sales, but he was set to gain equity in Gap if they met a certain sales target. The announcement alone raised Gap’s stock prices. Considering Kanye's track record of turning anything he touches into revenue, it was surprising to see a brand like Gap pull off a collaboration with him.

Yeezy’s partnership with Gap fulfilled a longtime aspiration of Kanye’s to work with the brand. In 2015, he released a statement saying he would like to be the “Steve Jobs of Gap”. Kanye had collaborated earlier with brands like Louis Vuitton, however, Gap was closer to his heart because it matched his style of everyday basics. Kanye's vision was to bring his fashion to the masses, and the collaborations with brands like Adidas and Gap helped accomplish that.

The relationship between Ye and Gap had always been a rough road. In 2020, Kanye accused Gap of not having diversity among its board members and threatened to walk away from the deal. He called out for more black ownership and representation on the board of major brands like Adidas and Gap, which led to a drop in the share prices of the company.

Source: Complex

In 2021, a year after the collaboration deal, the first product arrived. On Kanye's 48th Birthday the “Yeezy Gap Round Jacket” was released. The jacket was made of recycled nylon and priced at $200, only available for pre-order. A double-layered heavyweight hoodie was the second release priced at $90 and was termed the “Perfect Hoodie”. Ye promoted these products through his music and soon the Yeezy gap hoodies fetched the most sales in a single day in Gap’s history.

2022 kicked off with the announcement of the Gap and Balenciaga collaboration. The first pieces of Yeezy-Gap engineered by Balenciaga were revealed with the release of Kanye’s album. The merchandise ranged in price from $140-$240 and included hoodies, t-shirts, denim jeans, and jackets.

The first Yeezy-Gap collection included a look-book with 36 different styles. The collection included windbreakers, backpacks, boots, cargo pants, crossbody bags, and more. It was the most significant moment in Kanye's partnership with Gap.

The relationship between Kanye and Gap started worsening. Ye accused Gap of copying his work from Yeezy-Gap-engineered Balenciaga. Ye later released a six-minute Instagram video where he is telling the Gap management that he wants to take over the Gap stores with Yeezy Gap products. He also complained about the products not being sold at the lower prices he expected.

In September, Ye went online with Bloomberg talking about ending his partnership with both Adidas and Gap. Gap was accused by Ye's lawyers of breaching the contract and failing to properly distribute the Yeezy-Gap merchandise. Gap issued a statement to the New York Times on September 15 declaring the end of the partnership that was initially supposed to last until 2030.

Kanye announced the partnership's end in an Instagram post. In a Bloomberg interview, he stated that he intends to pursue a career as an independent clothing and footwear designer. He talks about how there are struggles when attempting to build something new, but Gap paid no heed to his perspective and always dismissed his ideas.

Source: Complex

Kanye released restrictions on the sale and promotion of the Yeezy-Gap collection on September 19, 2022, with the assistance of his lawyers. This document will prevent not only Adidas and Gap but also Kanye from independently releasing the merchandise designed as part of the collaboration. Kanye later posted a screenshot from his lawyers stating that the restrictions had been lifted, but no further clarifications have been issued on this matter.

Yeezy-Gap was founded to be innovative and to attract younger diverse clients, but the partnership which had a thrilling start, ended up being tumultuous.

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