The War’s not over! Seems like war has only just begun. And the battlefield’s certainly not a fair one. It’s a two-against-one kinda fight. It’s not only Kanye versus Adidas, but also a Kanye GAP war. Ye’s decision to leave all partnerships behind and make it on his own involves both Adidas and GAP. The companies didn’t like this news drop and attacked Kanye with legally drafted restrictions that Ye shared on his Instagram account.
Therefore, if Ye ever thought of a smooth transition after ending the Kanye Gap venture, then he’s in for a surprise. It’s evident that GAP won’t play a fair game. Going solo requires a price to pay, and the price here is a legal quarrel that might threaten West’s fashion career.
Kanye GAP History
Ye’s obsession with GAP seems to have come to an end!
Believe it or not, Ye WAS once literally obsessed with GAP. All he talked about in his interviews was how he wanted to become the Steve Jobs of the Gap. His dream finally came true in 2020 when West sealed the deal with a partnership with the brand. This partnership had a great sentimental value for him since he worked at a GAP store in his teenage years. He even rapped about it in his College Dropout album and mentioned it in several interviews. So, in June 2022, his dream finally came true, teaming up with GAP. Ye signed a ten-year contract with the brand.
The Yeezy Gap clothing line proved to be successful in generating BILLIONS of dollars yearly. So, can it be said that Yeezy was GAP’s savior? In fact, the latter had been struggling for years in the fashion industry, barely making progress in their annual net sale, excluding 2014.
However, after Kanye, The overall net sales of GAP spiked from $13.8 billion in 2020 to $16.7 billion in 2021. Now, that definitely says something about the good this collaboration brought to the fashion industry.
Kanye GAP Now
Now? Now it’s going down in flames between Kanye and GAP. And it appears that the latter wasted no time drafting some intense legal restrictions against Ye’s brand. Ye sent GAP a termination letter. Their answer? A draft full of mind-blowing restrictions!
On September 19, Ye shared an instagram post of a summary of restrictions on Yeezy standalone activities. The funny part? It’s under the agreement of both GAP and Adidas. Did the two team up against Ye or something?
Moving on, the terms of this agreement are out of this world. They look like arbitrary rules. If you haven’t taken a look at them yet, let us humor you. So, let’s start with the rule that Ye can’t use HIS face or name to promote his products until the partnerships expire. Which is like in more than EIGHT years! He also won’t be able to wear anything with the brand’s name on it. So, if this contract were to be legally approved, Ye will be handcuffed in every way possible. These conditions will restrict his creativity and ambitions from coming to life. However, it isn’t so surprising for companies like GAP and Adidas to file such regulations in fear of potential direct competition.
In addition, Kanye’s not only worried about being banned from almost everything concerning the fashion industry, but what he’s currently concerned about is the upcoming Yeezy fashion show in Paris. Now, that GAP won’t be sponsoring his show, no other companies seem to take the initiative to do so. This is due to potential blowbacks the sponsoring company would suffer.
Why Is Kanye Ending It All?
If you just know the name Kanye West, now officially named Ye, you’ll know how ambitious he is. BUT that same ambition could be his downfall, after all.
Not a while ago, Kanye announced the termination of his partnership with both GAP and Adidas, stating that he didn’t want any company standing between him and his audience anymore. Fair enough.. But sadly for Ye, it’s not that easy to take such a decision and move on with life. There’s always a catch. And the catch here is trying to make it out of this legal war unscathed. As in without losing his company for years to come.
However, this isn’t the only reason Ye’s calling it off with the brand. He declared that the company haven’t been answering his demands, nor did they fulfill what was recently planned. For instance, GAP was supposed to have opened five retail stores mainly centered around Yeezy selections by mid-2023. Now, 2022 is coming to an end and this deal is yet to take place.
Regarding the reason Kanye’s leaving Adidas as well, just the idea of Adilette 22 and McCartney’s Clogs explains it all.
What Happens Now?
Guess there’s no way back from such a decision. So, will Ye be strong enough to win this battle? Or will he suffer the loss of control over Yeezy for years to come? Well, we can only wait and see. However, one thing is certain. Yeezy GAP and Adidas Yeezys are gonna go extinct, whether now or in the near future. Therefore, if you’re a fan, now is your only chance to score the pieces you want. AND if you’ve been here long enough, you’d know how much the worth of the Yeezy GAP clothing line and Adidas Yeezy sneakers is gonna skyrocket when the collabs are over.
In other words, this is your chance to know more about bots. Sneaker bots to be specific, since they promise great resale value in the aftermarket. So, know your Yeezys to know which promises the highest value.
