A few days after the rapper wore a T-shirt with the slogan “White Lives Matter” on it at Paris Fashion Week, Adidas announced that it is evaluating its partnership with Yeezy and Kanye West.
However, the company didn’t point out the controversy as the reason for their suspending the team up. Instead, they stated that “successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values.” The rapper responded on Instagram, saying the company “stole” his designs.
The post has since been deleted.
Adidas told the BBC it had chosen to put the team up under review following “repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation.” The “Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history,” said a spokesperson for the German sportswear company.
West also used a strong expletive in an Instagram post, saying “I AM ADIDAS.”
Earlier this week, he was censured after delivering a t-shirt collection designed with “White Lives Matters” to Paris Fashion Week.
Especially after the death of an unarmed black man named George Floyd in the summer of 2020 when a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck, the phrase “Black Lives Matter” became widespread, acting as a protest against racism and police brutality.
Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who works at Vogue as a world-renowned fashion editor, slammed West for the t-shirts, calling the move “hugely irresponsible.”
Meanwhile, West responded by attacking Kalefa Johnson and uploading a photo of her making fun of her looks to his 17.9 million followers.
Vogue has communicated its stand, and it “stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson,” according to its statement. It added, “She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable. Now, more than ever, voices like hers are needed, and in a private meeting with Ye today, she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.”
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Adidas and West
Adidas and West’s nearly decade-long collaboration has been facing some issues for a while.
Their partnership has given birth to a widely popular range of sneakers – aka Yeezy – which cost hundreds of dollars. Yeezy’s new releases mainly sell out within minutes.
Back in June, West alleged Adidas of crafting a shoe that looked the same as Yeezy but was not in the deal. Adidas stated that it would remain co-managing the collaboration while the review is in process.
The news was broken by Adidas less than a month following West’s lawyers sent a letter to Gap to inform that he would cease to team up with the fashion chain. He alleged Gap of a breach in terms of the deal, like failing to launch standalone stores for his Yeezy fashion brand.
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Photo: Page Six
