Zack O'Malley Greenburg discusses Kanye West's journey in the fashion industry, from Nike to Adidas and Gap. They delve into the highs of Yeezy becoming a billion-dollar brand, the controversies, and the independent future of Yeezy.
Kanye's success in creating highly sought-after designs with Nike Air Yeezy 1
Transition to Adidas due to Nike disputes and multi-billion dollar deal
Challenges of independent sneaker distribution and global partnerships post-controversies
Deep dives
The rise of Yeezy's brand and success with sneakers
Kanye West's partnership with Nike and the launch of the Nike Air Yeezy 1; His ability to create unique and highly sought-after designs; The limited editions and exclusivity of the early Yeezy sneakers; The success and popularity of the Yeezy brand, with sales totaling billions of dollars.
Challenges and frustrations with partnerships and debt
Kanye's frustrations with Nike and their treatment of the Yeezy brand; The financial struggles and debt that Kanye experienced; His desire to have more creative control and ownership of his brand; The transition from Nike to Adidas and the multi-billion dollar deal that followed.
Expansion into fashion and collaborations
Kanye's ambitions in the fashion world and his desire to make a mark in the industry; The launch of Yeezy Season fashion shows and the blending of high fashion with streetwear; Collaborations with other brands like Gap to make his designs more widely accessible; The challenges of creating successful clothing lines in addition to sneakers.
Controversies and downfall
Kanye's public controversies and statements that created backlash and damaged his reputation; The impact of hate speech and offensive remarks on his business relationships; The severing of ties with Adidas due to the controversies and the negative financial implications; Kanye's attempts to release music and merchandise independently.
Current status and future prospects
Kanye's continued efforts to sell Yeezy sneakers independently; The challenges of achieving the same scale and success without a major distributor; The potential for international partnerships and alternative markets; The overall impact and legacy of Kanye's rise and fall in the fashion and sneaker industry.
The rise and fall of the Yeezy brand is a Hollywood screenplay in the making. But this is less like the movie AIR, and more like The Wolf of Wall Street.
To break it all down, I'm joined by Zack O'Malley Greenburg, who covered the Yeezy business through his reporting at Forbes. Together, we explore Kanye West's partnerships with Nike, Adidas, and Gap and the highs and lows along the way.
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