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Yeezy Gap looks good on paper but is it the right move?

collaboration July 1, 2020
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Friday, June 26, Kanye West announced his collaborative partnership with Gap Inc. — Yeezy Gap.

A tweet followed the announcement with some vaguely curious imagery of what seems to be a sample of what’s to come from their partnership.

West has also hired British-Nigerian fashion designer Mowalola Ogunlesi to channel his Ye’ energy as design director for the 10-year deal penned as Yeezy Gap.

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1276538686595895297

A new Gap-like logo surfaced that has the letters ‘YZY’ which solidifies the collaboration with a visual queue.

 

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Ironically, earlier this year before Yeezy Gap, Gap was intending to collaborate with New York City’s budding fashion star, Telfar Clemens on Telfar x Gap moving into the new year. Clemens spent time talking about the collaboration with many media outlets interested in detailing the story. Gap even threw a party for Clemens during Paris Fashion Week in January in celebration of the Telfar x Gap collaboration. But when the COVID pandemic hit, it seems that the conversation had quieted.

Teflar x gap
Telfar Clemens at the Gap collaboration in January | Source: Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images for GAP

Without hearing much from Gap, it was reported they had canned the collaboration between Telfar, and because of COVID, they had to close some 3,000 stores and suffered some cash flow issues in the same breath.

The Business of Fashion reports the ax, saying they postponed the Telfar x Gap collab indefinitely.

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Now when Kanye West made his announcement, stock for the Gap rose some 30 to 40 percent and the internet had witnessed the #WestDayEver a hashtag Kanye West initiated via Twitter.

This is to say Gap has been having financial problems over the years so adding Yeezy to their roster doesn’t hurt. But what hurts is the fact that they had to cut ties with a younger Telfar to make room for Yeezy Gap.

 

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YZY X GAP COMING SOON

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A source says Telfar and his team have not been paid for creating samples for the line, which Gap still has possession of. And the two did not sign any contracts before the press run or work toward the collaboration in any capacity, even before the pandemic.

All of this raises some questions...

 

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⁣In partnership, West and Gap will create a new Yeezy Gap offering. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ As the press release explains it, “under West’s creative direction, the Yeezy design studio will develop the new line to deliver modern, elevated basics for men, women, and kids at accessible price points.” (West will continue to produce the higher price point Yeezy collections independently.) ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Eventually, West will have a hand in in-store concepts and the design of the company’s e-commerce site. “We are excited to welcome Kanye back to the Gap family as a creative visionary, building on the aesthetic and success of his Yeezy brand and together defining a next-level retail partnership,” Mark Breitbard, Global Head of Gap Brand, said in the release. Earlier this year, Gap announced a collaboration with Telfar Clemens and in the past it’s hooked up Heron Preston, Balmain, and Stella McCartney on a popular children’s offering. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Yeezy Gap is different; it is said to be a 10-year deal. @bof

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Read the rest of this article on PAGE magazine.

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