Bringing his relationship with Gap to a full circle, Kanye West, a multi-industry creative entrepreneur, is all set to disrupt retail by bringing his Yeezy brand to millions of customers around the world through a partnership with the iconic and globally recognised brand. The Yeezy Gap line is expected to appear in Gap stores and Gap.com in 2021.
West worked in a Gap store as a teen growing up in Chicago. Since then, West has become a disruptive force across music, footwear, fashion, architecture and more. This new partnership will introduce both the Gap and Yeezy brands to new audiences.
“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,” said Mark Breitbard, global head of Gap Brand.
The alliance will take the creativity, fashion leadership, global recognition and energy of Yeezy and fuel it with Gap brand’s 51 years of expertise, 88 per cent brand awareness, global reach and best-in-class supply chain.
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, with the creative process just getting underway. Additionally, West’s design vision will extend to unique Yeezy Gap expressions in Gap stores and digital channels over time.
West maintains sole ownership of the Yeezy brand and was recently valued at $2.9 billion in April 2020, and Gap maintains sole ownership of Gap brand. This new apparel partnership furthers the size and scope of the Yeezy business, building on the ground-breaking success of Yeezy footwear.
Under terms of the partnership, Gap and Yeezy benefit as the business grows, with Yeezy receiving royalties and potential equity related to sales achievement.
