SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kanye West, a multi-industry creative entrepreneur, is poised to disrupt retail by bringing his YEEZY brand to millions of customers around the world through a partnership announced today with the iconic and globally recognized Gap brand. The YEEZY Gap line is expected to appear in Gap stores and Gap.com in 2021.
West Returns to Gap Brand
This partnership brings the relationship between West and Gap full circle, as Kanye 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.
Combining Forces of Two Cultural Icons
This bold 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% 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.
Kanye West maintains sole ownership of the YEEZY brand and was recently valued at $2.9 billion USD in April 2020, and Gap Inc. 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.
About Gap
Gap is one of the world's most iconic apparel and accessories brands and the authority on American casual style. Founded in San Francisco in 1969, Gap's collections are designed to build the foundation of modern wardrobes – all things denim, classic white shirts, khakis and must-have trends. Beginning with the first international store in London in 1987, Gap continues to connect with customers online and across the brands about 1,600 company-operated and franchise retail locations around the world. Gap includes Women's and Men's apparel and accessories, GapKids, babyGap, GapMaternity, GapBody and GapFit collections. The brand also serves value-conscious customers with exclusively designed collections for Gap Outlet and Gap Factory Stores. Gap is the namesake brand for leading global specialty retailer, Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) which includes Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Intermix, Janie and Jack and Hill City brands. For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com.
