The rapper and fashion mogul will apparently pursue his future endeavors independently.
The deal between West and Gap was initially announced as a partnership to develop a clothing collection under the Yeezy Gap brand. On Thursday, West’s attorneys sent a letter to Gap notifying the company that Yeezy LLC would terminate the agreement. According to the letter, as seen by The Wall Street Journal, Gap violated the agreement by not releasing the clothing or opening a retail store as planned.
Although no further collaborations will be released, Gap retains the right to sell existing Yeezy Gap products prior to discontinuing the use of the brand name. This does not affect merchandise in partnership with Balenciaga, also sold through Gap.
Under the agreement, Gap is required to open “up to five retail stores” dedicated to displaying Yeezy Gap products by July 31, 2023. So far, the company has only had one store. do not open.
West has been extremely vocal about his displeasure with Gap. He took down the company on social media, accusing the company of excluding him from the creative process. Last month, West posted a video mentioning Gap executives, saying, “You really have to give me the position as Ye and let me do what I think, or I have to think somewhere else .”
He added that he wants to open his own retail stores. “We will be opening Yeezy stores around the world,” West posted on Instagram in August. “Starting in Atlanta.”
The first Yeezy Gap merchandise arrived last year, including a hoodie only available on the Gap website. Next up is the Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga line, due out in July. More products are expected to hit stores for the fall and holiday season.
With Gap, West has made public his disagreement with Adidas, with whom he has a 10-year contract, until 2026. He claims they broke their agreement, firing him out of meetings and kicked him out of Yeezy Designs. West told the company on Instagram: “It would take billions to keep me. “Let me go will cost billions of billions.”
West has since deleted all posts from his Instagram, except for some promoting Yeezy’s “shades” collection.
Earlier this month, West told Bloomberg that he wants to conduct his future business independently.
“It’s time for me to go alone,” Ye said. “It’s okay. I made money in business. Business made me money. We came up with ideas that would change outfits forever. Like the round, padded jacket, the spout shoe has changed the shoe industry. Now it’s time for Ye to create new industry. No company stands between me and the public anymore.
He also issued a warning to both sides: “If these companies, if they want to play with me, I’ve played well so far.”
The two-year deal had been announced to develop clothing under the Yeezy Gap brand. According to West’s attorneys, Gap violated the agreement by not releasing the clothing or opening a retail store as planned. He has been extremely vocal about his displeasure with Gap on social media. The rapper/designer has a 10-year contract with Adidas until 2026. He claims they fired him and kicked him out of meetings. He also says he wants to conduct his business independently.
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