January 7, 2022 |
The bromance between Ye and Demna just went to third base. The creative collaborators have announced the first major fashion collab of the year: Yeezy Gap engineered by Balenciaga. Yes, it’s really happening. Balenciaga. At Gap prices. Count us in.
Scheduled to be released this June, with a second drop coming later in the year, the “first of its kind” creative partnership will, through “Ye’s peerless vision bring together the most influential designer of his generation, Demna, with iconic American brand, Gap”, as noted in a press release.
Speaking to Vogue, Demna said: “There are very few people that I know, especially of Ye’s caliber, who really understand my work so well. He makes me come out of my comfort zone and be a better designer. There’s no ego when we collaborate, just a mutual drive to evolve and do something great and new.”
The announcement is the first major development of Yeezy Gap since Ye perfected the puffer with his $200 Round Jacket, which crashed Gap’s website when it went on sale last Summer. Simultaneously, Demna has been on his own pandemic success story, revitalising Balenciaga’s couture after 50 years – which Ye attended, masked-up – alongside creating his own episode of The Simpsons.
Both Ye and Demna have been joint at the hip since the pair came together to create a tribute T-shirt to legendary rapper DMX, who passed away in April 2021. In a New York Times profile, Demna explained they’ve known each other for “six or seven years, but developed an intense texting and WhatsApp relationship about two years ago”. Flash forward to summer and the Balenciaga boss would go on to creatively direct Ye’s stadium-sized Donda listening parties in Atlanta and Chicago, design an exclusive merch collection for the events and dress both Ye and his soon to be ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. (Just this weekend, Ye was spotted leaving a Balenciaga store in Miami swamped with shopping bags, and has since been dressing his new fling, Julia Fox, in the brand).
As to what the collaboration will entail, Gap describes the team-up as “utilitarian design for all”. We’re intrigued.
The first Yeezy Gap engineered by Balenciaga drop is due to be released June, 2022.
