“Everybody knows, you know, I’m the leader, I’m the king, right, so the king can’t live in someone else’s castle. The king has to build his own castle,” West said Thursday on CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”
In June 2020, West announced a partnership with Gap to design and sell a line of apparel under the Yeezy Gap brand.
Several reports indicated that West’s attorneys sent a letter to Gap on Thursday, informing the clothing chain of the termination of the agreement with Yeezy. The letter said Gap breached the agreement by failing to release apparel and open retail stores as planned. West confirmed the reports Thursday afternoon.
Adidas CMO Eric Liedtke and Kanye West at Milk Studios on June 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. adidas and Kanye West announce the future of their partnership: adidas + KANYE WEST.
“I’ve always dreamed of being at Gap and bringing the best products to the masses,” West said before explaining the problem.
The West wants to bring the quality of the world’s top fashion houses to consumers at affordable prices.
“We designed the entire collection, but…I couldn’t set the actual price I wanted for this collection,” West said.
He told CNBC that shirts he designed with Gap were supposed to sell for around $20, but the company priced the line at $200 and up.
“Don’t let a leader come in and don’t let him lead…sorry, I’m not arguing about money with someone who’s more of an agent than me,” he added.
He said he was the only person in the world who could save Gap’s business.
West also took issue with Adidas over its partnership on Yeezy footwear. The company wants to make the shoes in China, while West wants the shoes to be made in the United States.
Kanye West onstage during the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
“They’ve even gone and hired some people from my team specifically to work with me to try to fake versions or downplay my message,” West said.
West said he has been buying factories in California in an effort to bring manufacturing back to the United States.
“In many ways, Europe has been number one for luxury brands and luxury cars, China has been number one for manufacturing, but in America, we invented rock n’ roll … we’re the youngest startup ever,” West said. You know, America itself.”.
