Kanye West’s Brand Yeezy Is Going Downhill, And There Are Several Signs Behind The Scenes
Kanye West has been on a downward spiral for a while, and it’s unclear if his career will ever recover – and the same can be said about his fashion brand, Yeezy.
It has become one of the largest streetwear brands in the world, but it appears Yeezy is suffering in the wake of its founder’s controversial behavior. Not only has damage been done to Yeezy’s reputation, but it appears the brand may also be suffering financially. Here are all of the signs that Kanye West’s brand Yeezy is struggling.
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Kanye West’s Behavior Made Yeezy Lose Its Partnerships
© Provided by TheThings
Kanye’s Brand Yeezy Is Going Downhill, Here Are The Signs
Kanye has long been known for his controversial behavior, but it finally had an impact on his career – and businesses – in 2022. The rapper received backlash after he made a series of controversial remarks. He even defended dressing himself and several models in “White Lives Matter” t-shirts at a Yeezy fashion show in Paris in the fall.
For months, Ye also made headlines for confusing and often jumbled social media posts. He wasn’t afraid to call out fellow celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and her family. He also made jabs at various colleagues and collaborators, including Adidas.
His behavior led to significant fallout. Many fans and businesses began boycotting the artist to make it clear they didn’t support his behavior.
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One of the biggest partnerships Kanye’s Yeezy lost was with Adidas. For nearly a decade, the fashion brands collaborated on highly-coveted products, resulting in billions of annual revenue.
Adidas initially released a statement saying it was re-evaluating the partnership. “After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
But Adidas was met with criticism for not officially cutting ties with Kanye, like other brands.
Within a few weeks, the brand shared another statement confirming Adidas would no longer work with Yeezy in light of his actions.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” Adidas said. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
The same day, Footlocker and Gap both announced they would no longer carry Yeezy products or collaborate with Ye.
Other brands and personalities have followed suit. Balenciaga issued a statement confirming it was cutting ties with Ye. Vogue also will no longer associate with Kanye or Yeezy, despite a long-standing relationship, a decision made by its editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour.
There’s no doubt that Yeezy’s annual revenue will be affected after the loss of so many partnerships. Kanye’s wealth, too, has been impacted by the fallout. After losing the partnership with Adidas, Forbes reported that Kanye no longer qualified as a billionaire without the collaboration’s annual income.
Yeezy Is Being Evicted After Falling Behind On Rent
There’s even more evidence that suggests Yeezy is having financial problems – the company is being evicted after falling behind on rent. CT Calabasas, the company that owns the office space occupied by Yeezy headquarters, sent the brand an eviction notice after it fell over $63,000 behind in rent over several months.
"Within three days after service of this notice on you, you must pay the amount of said rent in full or quit said premises and deliver up possession of the same to the authorized agent for your landlord," the letter read.
"If you fail to pay or quit, legal proceedings will be instituted against you for possession of the premises, forfeiture of the agreement, and for monetary damages as may be allowed by law,” it continued. “You are further notified that by this Notice the Landlord elects to and does hereby declare a forfeiture of said Lease if said rent is not paid in full within three (3) days."
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Yeezy Employees Are Turning On Kanye West
© Provided by TheThings
Kanye’s Brand Yeezy Is Going Downhill, Here Are The Signs
Finally, another sign that Yeezy is experiencing a downward spiral is the fall-out from employees. An increasing number of people who’ve worked for the brand have come forth with startling allegations.
After Adidas cut ties, a group of employees sent an open letter detailing the mistreatment they faced while working on the Yeezy collab. They accused Kanye of discrimination and bullying in the workplace as well as fostering a toxic culture. The rapper reportedly praised Hitler and the Nazis during office meetings.
The letter also claimed Ye of showed pornographic videos to staff. He’s also been accused of firing a staffer for suggesting they play Drake’s music in the office.
Kanye has had to pay undisclosed settlements to former employees over similar allegations. With the rise in allegations, he could experience more pay-outs, or at least legal bills if he’s faced with a lawsuit. This stands to affect both Kanye and Ye’s reputation as well as finances.
