Entertainment

Kanye West and Gap sign 10-year Yeezy collaboration deal


Kanye West is bringing his coveted Yeezy fashion label to a major retailer after inking a collaboration deal with Gap, the rapper and the company announced on Friday. 

The 44-year-old rap mogul confirmed the news with a Tweet along with an image of the letters YZY in place of the word Gap in the apparel store’s familiar blue square logo.

The collaboration ‘comes full circle’ for the two brands as West actually worked at a local Gap store when he was a teenager. 

Coming soon: Kanye West is bringing his coveted Yeezy fashion label to a major retailer and has inked a collaboration deal with Gap, the rapper and the company announced on Friday

‘YEEZY AND GAP FORM PARTNERSHIP #WESTDAYEVER,’ he penned in all caps.

In a press release, Gap said that Kaye is ‘poised to disrupt retail’ with the new clothing line, called simply Yeezy Gap, which is expected to launch in early 2021. 

Kanye’s already established multi-billion-dollar luxury Yeezy line is stylistically in step with the San Francisco founded store, featuring neutral tones, solid colored T-shirts and a casual vibe.

West will create ‘elevated basics for men, women and kids’ and, according to Gap, the ‘creative process just getting underway.’

In stores next year: In a press release, Gap said that Kaye is 'poised to disrupt retail' with the new clothing line, called simply Yeezy Gap, which is expected to launch in early 2021

In stores next year: In a press release, Gap said that Kaye is ‘poised to disrupt retail’ with the new clothing line, called simply Yeezy Gap, which is expected to launch in early 2021

His items will be sold at ‘accessible price points’ – a departure from his signature Yeezy line where a basic beige pair of his Adidas slides retails for several hundred.

The retailer and the rapper inked an impressive 10-year deal with an option to renew after just five, according to the New York Times who spoke with a source familiar with the negotiations.

After five years, the insider added, Gap is ‘hoping’ the line will be raking in a billion dollars in sales – a huge boost to the company which took in $4.6 billion in revenue in 2019. 

West is the sole owner of his Yeezy brand which has a valuation of $2.9 billion and under the terms of his new deal with Gap, the designer will rake in ‘royalties and potential equity related to sales achievement’, a press release said.

Style icon: West will create 'elevated basics for men, women and kids' and, according to Gap, the 'creative process just getting underway' and the price-point will be 'accessible' (Kanye and Kim pictured wearing Yeezy during NYFW in 2015)

Style icon: West will create ‘elevated basics for men, women and kids’ and, according to Gap, the ‘creative process just getting underway’ and the price-point will be ‘accessible’ (Kanye and Kim pictured wearing Yeezy during NYFW in 2015)

Kanye West releases preview for Kids See Ghosts animated show with Kid Cudi and Takashi Murakami 

By JUSTIN ENRIQUEZ FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 

Kanye West continued his #WestDayEver by releasing a preview for an animated show titled Kids See Ghosts.

The 43-year-old rapper will voice Kanye Bear alongside fellow rapper and collaborator Kid Cudi (real name Scott Mescudi) who will voice Kid Fox.

The series will be directed by famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami who has worked with West for years.

Bridging the gap: Kanye West continued his #WestDayEver by releasing a preview for an animated show titled Kids See Ghosts

Bridging the gap: Kanye West continued his #WestDayEver by releasing a preview for an animated show titled Kids See Ghosts

Cuddly: The 43-year-old rapper will voice Kanye Bear

Cuddly: The 43-year-old rapper will voice Kanye Bear

Cudders: He will be joined alongside by fellow rapper and collaborator Kid Cudi (real name Scott Mescudi) who will voice Kid Fox

Cudders: He will be joined alongside by fellow rapper and collaborator Kid Cudi (real name Scott Mescudi) who will voice Kid Fox

Kids See Ghosts is also the name of the super group formed by West and Cudi as the instrumental for their 2018 track 4th Dimension could be heard throughout the two-minute clip.

 The rappers could be heard in the previews doing grunts and yells throughout it but no actual dialog could be heard.

Kanye’s bear should be familiar to fans as he appeared on the cover of his third studio album, Graduation, in 2007 as the art was designed by the aforementioned Murakami.

Talented: The series will be directed by famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami who has worked with West for years

Talented: The series will be directed by famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami who has worked with West for years

Stunning: The rappers could be heard in the previews doing grunts and yells throughout it but no actual dialog could be heard

Stunning: The rappers could be heard in the previews doing grunts and yells throughout it but no actual dialog could be heard

Cudi,  36, also worked on the sound design along with William J. Sullivan.

Takashi Murakami is a contemporary artist who has worked in fine arts as well as commercial media. He has collaborated with several high-fashion brands including Louis Vuitton.

It's a hit: Kids See Ghosts is also the name of the super group formed by West and Cudi as the instrumental for their 2018 track 4th Dimension could be heard throughout the two-minute clip

It’s a hit: Kids See Ghosts is also the name of the super group formed by West and Cudi as the instrumental for their 2018 track 4th Dimension could be heard throughout the two-minute clip

 

‘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. 

True Kanye fans will likely be unsurprised by this new collaboration. His teenaged job working in a Gap retail store was something that always stuck with the star who has spoken about it in numerous magazines and even rapped about it.

‘When I was working at the Gap at 15, I don’t think I had any desire to actually make clothes, but I always felt like that’s what I wanted to be around,’ he wrote in Paper Magazine in 2015. ‘I loved the fabrics, I loved the colors, I loved the proportions.’

Kanye’s success as a prolific rapper has been nearly eclipsed by his meteoric rise in the fashion industry since his initial collaboration with Adidas to produce his first Yeezy collection in 2015. 

'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.

‘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.

His signature Yeezy Boosts went flying off the shelves and subsequent collection drops consistently sold out. 

While promoting his first collection in 2015, Kanye told what was then style.com that he wanted to be for the Gap what Steve Jobs was for Apple. 

‘I’d like to be the Steve Jobs of Gap,’ he said at the time. ‘When I say Steve Jobs of the Gap, as I talk to the people at the Gap right now [leans into tape recorder], I’m not talking about a capsule. 

‘I’m talking about full Hedi Slimane creative control of the Gap is what I would like to do. And I can say this because it doesn’t conflict with my Adidas contract. [laughs]’ 

Destiny: While promoting his first collection in 2015, Kanye told the now-defunct style.com that he wanted to be for the Gap what Steve Jobs was for Apple (Pictured at the Yeezy show with daughter North in 2020)

Destiny: While promoting his first collection in 2015, Kanye told the now-defunct style.com that he wanted to be for the Gap what Steve Jobs was for Apple (Pictured at the Yeezy show with daughter North in 2020)

Supportive wife: Kim Kardashian West took to Twitter to express her excitement over Kanye's 'dream come true' news

Supportive wife: Kim Kardashian West took to Twitter to express her excitement over Kanye’s ‘dream come true’ news

Now, five years after he first changed the shoe game with his must-have sneakers, he has gotten one step closer to his long held dream.

Echoing that sentiment, wife Kim Kardashian posted a sweet message in support of her husband on Twitter following the announcement.

‘If anyone knows Kanye they know how much the Gap and Yeezy means to him so this partnership is his dream come true! I am so proud of him,’ she penned.

‘You guys are going to love what they have in store for everyone! From working at the Gap to this partnership is so inspiring #WestDayEver’

Big time billionaire: Forbes dubbed Kanye an official billionaire in 2020 (after leaving him off the list in his 2019 cover story) and West is the sole owner of his Yeezy brand which has a valuation of $2.9 billion

Big time billionaire: Forbes dubbed Kanye an official billionaire in 2020 (after leaving him off the list in his 2019 cover story) and West is the sole owner of his Yeezy brand which has a valuation of $2.9 billion



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