It’s no secret that Kanye West has been having some issues when it comes to his partnership with Gap. Previously, it just seemed like the problem was with how his clothing was being presented to customers in stores (with all Yeezy clothing being piled into giant bags that patrons had to dig through). But it’s possible that that was a sign of bigger troubles between the rapper and the company, as he’s now ended their partnership. And, Gap isn’t messing around with removing as many traces of the “Donda” artist as possible, just one day after he made the announcement.
How Did Gap Respond To Kanye West Ending Their Partnership?
Though Kim Kardashian’s ex-husband defended his Yeezy Gap choices, even with them angering customers, it now appears he was very unhappy with the way Gap carried out (or, rather, didn’t carry out) their end of the deal. He announced the end of the contract Thursday, and, according to TMZ, the clothing giant responded swiftly, and had already removed visible signs of the partnership several hours before the news went public.
Gap’s flagship store in New York City, which is in Times Square, used to have several ads for Yeezy’s clothing covering its storefront and on massive video screens above the store’s entrance. However, by Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET (12 hours before West let everyone know the deal was dead), all of that had been taken down.
Why Did Kanye West End His Deal With Gap?
Originally announced in June of 2020, the deal between Gap and the “Jesus Walks” rapper was supposed to last through 2026. While the first design (released a year after their partnership was made public) had already been a hit, selling out quickly, West has recently become dissatisfied with the fact that the retailer hadn’t successfully distributed his products in its stores by the end of 2021, or opened any of the Yeezy Gap stores it had agreed to.
His lawyer told CNBC that the company had been notified about his worries in August, and those behind Gap were given “a contractually-designated 30 days to cure its breaches,” but that none of the required changes were made. And, West himself noted to CNBC’s Closing Bell, that he didn’t approve the colors for his clothing and wasn’t allowed to set pricing. He added:
Obviously there’s always struggles and back-and-forth when you’re trying to build something new and integrate teams. It was very frustrating. It was very disheartening…Our agenda, it wasn’t aligned. Everyone knows that I’m the leader, I’m the king. A king can’t live in someone else’s castle. A king has to make his own castle.
The frequently controversial businessman has been under fire a lot lately, with a homeless shelter taking offense at a post that was meant to inspire, him attacking Pete Davidson online, in interviews, and in song to the point where, reportedly, the comedian needed trauma therapy, and being faced with a number of lawsuits against him at the same time.
Mark Breitbard, Gap’s CEO, agreed with West in part, admitting in a memo to employees about its work with Yeezy that “how we work together to deliver this vision is not aligned,” but said that the company kept its end of the bargain. The attorney for the rapper/mogul said he will now work on opening his own retail stores. In the meantime, fans should know that whatever product is left will be sold at Gap, but once that runs out, new designs will need to be purchased somewhere else.
