Kanye West’s partnership with fashion company Gap ends before it really gets going. The musician had recently complained about working with Gap on social media and in an interview with the Bloomberg news agency. Now the end of the cooperation is official.
“Our agenda did not match,” said the star rapper and designer, who only calls himself “Ye”, on Thursday local time on the US broadcaster CNBC. “Everyone knows I’m the leader, I’m the king,” West proclaimed. “A king cannot live in someone else’s castle. A king must build his own castle.”
Gap boss Mark Breitbard confirmed the end of the cooperation in a memo to employees quoted by CNBC. However, the existing product range is still to be sold off. Actually, the partnership should have run until the end of 2026.
Gap and West’s Yeezy brand announced their deal in June 2020, causing a stir in the fashion world. West, who had already entered into successful partnerships with the sporting goods giant Adidas and previously also with its big rival Nike, said he wanted to offer his Yeezy items at Gap at lower prices and thus make them affordable for the general public.
But the partnership never really took off and was accompanied by many tensions. A blue jacket came out as an online release in 2021, later a hoodie. Just this summer, a limited collection came to the Gap stores, which was developed together with the French luxury designer brand Balenciaga.
West has also repeatedly complained about the partnership with Adidas. The eccentric US superstar accuses the German sporting goods company – like Gap – of not having kept to agreements and contracts with him. In general, he does not feel sufficiently involved in decisions and demands more influence. West also accuses the partners of copying his ideas and using them for their own branded products. Adidas was recently concerned with a sandal design that West described as an “obvious copy”. Adidas has so far kept a low profile on the conflicts and allegations. (Fashion United / dpa)