Ye Has Fired Steven Smith
After eight years of working together on YEEZY, the legendary designer — who says Ye has “lost his mind” — has been shown the door.
No matter if you know Steven Smith’s name, you’re sure to know his work. The legendary sneaker designer has been a leading creative in the sneaker industry for decades, working with the likes of New Balance, adidas, Reebok, FILA and Nike before rejoining adidas on the YEEZY team, where he helped bring designs like the YEEZY BOOST 700 and YEEZY FOAM RNNR to life. Despite all of the trouble surrounding Ye, Smith was steadfast in his support of the multi-hyphenate, that is, until now.
According to a new report from Fast Company, Smith was fired by Ye this month after working together for a total of eight years. The news comes just over two years after Smith was appointed head of Donda Industrial Design, the team that dropped the YZY Pods for $200 USD, only to later sell them for $20 USD.
“He’s lost his mind, the whole of YEEZY is circling the drain and this is just part of it. He has surrounded himself with toxic, C-grade losers,” shared Smith when speaking with Fast Company after being fired. According to the publication, Smith and Ye had ongoing trouble that took place between April and August, ultimately resulting in the firing of Smith early this month and the blocking of him on Instagram.
Smith was been one of Ye’s most staunch defenders during his tenure at YEEZY, standing beside the artist through a raft of antisemitic comments and serving as the “one and only” employee of Donda Design, a creative company Ye started after his split from adidas, and, besides his work on footwear over the years, had been prototyping some of Ye’s more wild ideas from yurt houses to foam cars. However, Smith told Fast Company that Ye’s since-cancelled launch of YZY Porn was a “breaking point” for him.
While it’s the end of an era, Smith is poised to continue breaking boundaries in the sneaker scene. “I will certainly be a priceless asset to whoever I work with next. It’s all his loss and the result of his foolishness,” Smith concluded in his conversation with Fast Company. Stay tuned for updates as we eagerly await the announcement of where Smith will be heading next.
