Kanye West Addresses Ended Partnership w/ Gap, Says Company Pricing His YZY T-Shirts At $200 Played Into The Split

Kanye West

Kanye West Addresses Ended Partnership w/ Gap, Says Company Pricing His YZY T-Shirts At $200 Played Into The Split

Kanye West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, has shared his hopes for making his fashion brand YZY an affordable company for many.

As you may already know, the rapper-turned-fashion designer recently terminated his collaboration with the clothing label Gap. According to reports, Ye spoke to Vogue Business at Paris Fashion Week and gave a glimpse into his long-term vision for YZY to be an inclusive brand. The 45-year-old artist explained,

“Our point, our idea, is that there is no one who is not welcome at YZY, at Donda.”

Kanye West

The rap icon continued,

“And that’s why I went to Gap. And why I brought Demna [Gvasalia, Balenciaga’s creative director] with me. To say ‘OK, Demna’s cut is at the top of what Paris has to offer. And Paris is at the top of what fashion has to offer. So let’s bring Paris to the people.’” 

When asked why the partnership didn’t work out, Ye said,

“They made the T-shirts we had done cost $200. And then, they took our color palette and made a shape that was appropriate to what I think someone in the office thought was at the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. And I felt that was civil rights.”

When asked to clarify his statement, he reportedly began referencing his 2009 trip to Paris with Virgil Abloh and other future fashion leaders and friends. Ye explained,

“Well, when we went to shows, there were certain shows we couldn’t get into. That relates to the civil rights movement. It shouldn’t be that you can’t have this fabric or have this cut until you’ve made it to a certain place or class in life. It’s about dignity. And democracy.”

Kanye West

Reportedly, the “Donda” artist also seemingly suggested that he plans to run YZY as a vertically integrated business. Ye added,

“We just bought our fourth factory in California.”

Despite the billionaire businessman’s outlined plans for his clothing line YZY, he’s currently facing backlash for creating “white lives matter” attire. As previously reported, Ye began making headlines after sporting a White Lives Matter t-shirt at his YZY SZN 9 presentation in Paris on Monday (October 3). Several models were also seen wearing the same top.

YZY SZN 9? pic.twitter.com/T6wvme7JKu

— Outlander Magazine (@StreetFashion01) October 3, 2022

What are your thoughts on Ye’s comments surrounding his split from Gap? What do you think about his latest attire? Let us know in the comment section below! 

[VIA]