Kanye West and Adidas may break up soon. The sportswear retailer released a statement on Thursday (October 7) about their partnership with the fashion designer. In part, they talked about their business model before commenting on Ye.
“Adidas has always been about creativity, innovation and helping athletes and artists achieve their visions. The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful in the history of our industry,” the statement said. “We are proud of our team that worked tirelessly throughout our partnership with Ye and the iconic products that came from it.”
Adidas announced plans to partner with Ye in 2013. In 2016, Ye agreed to allow the retailer to manufacture and distribute Yeezy products. Based on BloombergThe partnership is so successful that Kanye’s business with Adidas and Gap is valued at between $3.2 billion and $4.7 billion.
Adidas says the partnership also requires mutual respect
However, it seems that Adidas is less focused on the coins they have created with the artist. According to the statement, their interpersonal relationships appear to have hit a wall.
“We also recognize that all successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values. After many efforts to resolve the situation privately, we have made the decision to put the partnership under review,” the statement said.
To give context, over the past year Kanye seems to have gotten into the habit of calling Adidas. In June, he accused the company of creating a “fake Yeezy” slide. By August, he had railed against Adidas for organizing a Yeezy day without his consent. Brand Day has been around for the last few years and focuses on the re-release of several Yeezy sneakers. Kanye said Combination the company also made the hiring decision without him and stole his designs for their shoes.
Ye doubles down on accusations of stealing Adidas designs
After the athletic shoe company released its statement on Thursday, Ye jumped on social media to applaud the company. He reposted a CNBC tweet about Adidas’ statement and indicate his work in the caption.
“F-K ADIDAS! I AM ADIDAS,” Ye wrote. “ADIDAS RAPED AND BROWSE MY DESIGNS.”
This week Ye is back an active IG user! He mainly uses his account to respond to constant criticism about his ‘White Lives Matter’ t-shirt design.
“We will continue to co-manage the existing product at this stage,” Adidas said.
