YEEZY Faces Restrictions on Standalone Activities Following Ye's GAP Partnership Termination
The design label is effectively locked under Ye’s contracts with GAP and adidas.
Though Ye revealed that he terminated his partnership with GAP last week, YEEZY must still follow strict limitations from the company, according to a document shared on Ye’s Instagram, titled “Summary of Restrictions on YEEZY Standalone Activities.”
The restriction notice, which applies to both YEEZY’s licensing and endorsing agreement with adidas and its strategic agreement with GAP, opens with the following message: “Neither YEEZY nor Ye may use, wear, sponsor, promote, market, advertise, endorse, design, manufacture, license, sell or provide consulting services with respect to any of the following products under the YEEZY Trademarks or Ye’s likeness or any other identifiable attribute, feature or indica of Ye.”
Subsequently, the document lists the entire YEEZY catalog, including footwear, streetwear, accessories and effectively everything the imprint makes.
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Last week, Ye’s lawyers sent an open letter to GAP, notifying the company that YEEZY was terminating its partnership because GAP was not opening YEEZY retail stores or releasing apparel as planned. The letter noted that GAP would still be able to sell existing YEEZY Gap apparel, though no new collaborations would be created. Evidently, though, Ye’s contracts with GAP and adidas are obstructing his plans of making YEEZY an autonomous design label.
At the same time, Ye disclosed information regarding an upcoming YEEZY SEASON fashion show, which he allegedly had scheduled for October 3. He openly shared his frustrations about securing a production company for the label’s ninth presentation on Instagram, under an image listing the names of GAP’s board members. “Magically No production companies have been willing to produce my YZYSZN9 fashion show in Paris on October 3rd,” he wrote.
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Ye later took to his Instagram Stories to share a screenshot of a text from an associate stating that GAP had lifted certain restrictions and that a representative was retrieving further information on any remaining limitations, though there has been no official confirmation on whether or not this information is accurate.
Stay tuned for more information.
Elsewhere, Dior will show its Men’s Pre-Fall collection in front of Egypt’s Giza Pyramids.
