This was part of a series of now-deleted posts in recent days that took aim at the German brand along with various members of its leadership team. ![]() 4, Ye claimed to his 17 million Instagram followers that Adidas had offered him a $1 billion buyout from his Yeezy venture. In the same message, he alleged that the brand made up the idea of Yeezy Day - an annual shopping event where Adidas releases new Yeezy styles - without his consent, and that the brand intentionally slowed down the production of casual footwear he designed for Yeezy Gap with Balenciaga creative director Demna. On August 2, Ye sent a direct message to the Instagram account of digital publication Complex, claiming that Adidas “brought back older styles without my approval picked colours without my approval stole colourways without my approval … went and hired a GM of Yeezy without my approval.” Trouble began brewing in early August, when Ye voiced his frustration with his alleged lack of creative control over his brand’s partnership with Adidas. Only time will tell how long the ceasefire lasts. On Friday Ye took to Instagram, posting a note that he is “releasing all grudges today,” because “life is too precious,” alongside photos of Queen Elizabeth II. “It’s a very critical moment for Adidas and they’ve got to navigate it carefully.”īut there may yet be a respite for Adidas of a different kind. “Kanye has activated other strong voices to speak to a consuming public that will listen to them - and a demonised brand is a hard thing to rescue,” said Douglas Hand, a fashion lawyer and founding member of the law firm Hand Baldachin Amburgey LLP. Celebrities like Swizz Beatz and Diddy have voiced their support for Ye by calling out Adidas for allegedly using Yeezy-inspired sneaker designs without credit, while fans on social media and in Reddit forums have promised to boycott the German brand’s products. Sales could also be hampered if Ye’s position continues to gain momentum. The company’s share price is down more than 15 percent since August 8. Adidas could also move to cut ties, though the costs of antagonising Ye further are likely too high for that option to be realistic, experts say. It must determine the best way to mend fences, whether that’s with a public apology or by offering some new financial incentives or greater control of the partnership (or some combination of both). The company, which hasn’t yet publicly acknowledged Ye’s accusations, has a few options, none easy. The line, which runs until 2026, is no celebrity vanity project either, with nearly $2 billion in annual sales. Since 2015, Ye has given the brand access to an audience it has struggled to engage on its own. It’s hard to overstate how important the Yeezy brand is to Adidas. Later in the month, it announced that chief executive Kaspar Rorsted would exit the company in 2023.īut little could have prepared Adidas for the social media onslaught instigated by their top celebrity collaborator: Ye, the artist and designer formerly known as Kanye West, who has accused the company of effectively shutting him out of his namesake sneaker line. The company issued a profit warning ahead of an earnings report, citing its struggles in China. Adidas already had its share of bad news in August.
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