Last week, Kanye West and Gap officially revealed that their Yeezy Gap collaboration was coming to an end. The news arrived just weeks after Kanye and Gap unveiled in-store retail experiences for the hyped Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga collection. Originally unveiled in 2020, Yeezy Gap was envisioned to be a 10-year partnership between Kanye and one of America’s most iconic clothing labels. Although Yeezy Gap will continue to release product slated for release throughout 2021, such as the second part of its Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga collection, Kanye’s Gap collaboration is officially terminated.
During its two-year life span, Yeezy Gap sold heavyweight logoless hoodies that were packaged in brown lunch bags. It delivered zipperless puffer Round Jackets that Kanye wore during Donda listening parties and a Super Bowl commercial for McDonald’s. Who could forget Yeezy Gap’s high fashion partnership with Balenciaga, where the collaboration’s apparel was merchandised inside construction bags and dumpsters?
It may be surprising to see a brand like Gap pull out of a collaboration with Kanye because of his track record of turning anything he touches into revenue. But those who’ve followed Ye’s Instagram these past couple of weeks knew that a breakup was on the horizon. Earlier this month, Kanye announced that he was looking to build Yeezy alone and exit his corporate partnerships with both Adidas and Gap.
So, how did Kanye’s relationship with Gap, a brand he’s publicly praised for most of his life, deteriorate in a matter of weeks and end what was poised to be one of Yeezy’s biggest collaborations yet? Here’s a complete timeline of the history of Yeezy Gap, from its exciting beginnings to its messy breakup.