Relations between the American artist and the sports equipment supplier have deteriorated in recent months. The rapper recently criticized the brand with the three bands, expressing his disagreement with the latter’s commercial initiatives.
Le Monde with AFP
Relations between Kanye West and Adidas, which has been deteriorating for months, could definitively end. “After repeated attempts to clarify the situation outside the public, [Adidas has] decided to reassess this partnership” with the American rapper, explains the German sports equipment manufacturer in a press release. “A successful partnership is based on mutual respect and shared values”, underlines the group, which does not specify the reasons for its decision.
The collaboration around the Yeezy sneaker collection designed by the rapper and developed with the German equipment supplier since 2014, until I was experiencing huge success, made Kanye West billionaire. However, the latter, now renamed “Ye”, recently criticized the brand with three bands, expressed its disagreement with the latter’s commercial initiatives. The specialized press has relayed many messages from Kanye West on social networks indigging, on its Instagram account, which Adidas launches a “Yeezy Day” without its approval, while multiplying the harsh comments against the brand.
controversy “White Lives Matter”
accustomed to controversies, Kanye West also aroused controversy a few days ago, during the Fashion Week in Paris. On the occasion of the parade of his brand Yeezy, he wore a T-shirt on which one could read “White Lives Matter”, a slogan echoing the formula “Black Lives Matter” part of the United States and embodying the fight against racism towards blacks. Adidas did not however mention in its press release this recent episode.
According to the specialized press, Kanye West also criticizes Adidas for having reissued older Yeezy collections, as well as designed by Yeezy and debauchery of employees, including the director general of Yeezy, without his approval.
With Beyoncé, Stella McCartney and Pharrell Williams, Kanye West is among the celebrities with whom Adidas has established a partnership to delight his customers in the Lifestyle segment and more generally doping its sales, especially online.
The Yeezy sneakers line was born in 2008, first in association with Nike before being linked to Adidas a few years later. “The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in the history of our industry. We are proud of our team that has worked tirelessly throughout our collaboration with Ye and emblematic products that were born” , underlines Adidas in his press release.
In mid-September, Kanye West announced that he was unilaterally ended his partnership with the ready-to-wear Gap brand, judging that the conditions of the collaboration had not been respected.