Even amidst a heavy tour schedule, Kanye West is making major moves behind the scenes. News has come in that Yeezy has officially closed down the Milan-based offices of his own fashion label earlier this month. "Without warning, like a bolt from the blue, we were asked not to return to the office the next day. The reason was simple, that West has decided to start from scratch to New York City with an unidentified project in fashion," according to an anonymous source who spoke with Italian-based website MFF.
The re-launch of the label has been postponed plenty of times for various reasons. This time around it seems a different strategy in marketing and target demographic was the cause for closing down the office. Before, the brand, which employed a staff of 15, seemed to target a higher end market. But with Yeezy’s decision to switch goals and target a fast-fashion market, the label had to switch gears overnight.
But what could be in NYC that’s not in Milan? For starters this isn’t the only big news that West dropped this week. It is widely reported that he has signed a sneaker deal with adidas’ more fashion forward Y-3 label, which is designed by Yohji Yamamoto. So if we’re following this trajectory, the unidentified project could be with the iconic Japanese fashion designer. And with adidas' resume of collaborating with progressive brands like Rick Owens, Raf Simons, and Jeremy Scott, it seems the brand has the right pedigree to bring out any product from West’s visions. Look for more groundbreaking fashion-related news out of the DONDA camp in the coming days, weeks, and months.
[MFF via Highsnobiety]
