Yeezy x Gap Expands Collaboration With Balenciaga

Picture of Kanye West and Demna

Yeezy x Gap Expands Collaboration With Balenciaga

Who loves Kanye more than Kanye West himself? Multiple waves of audiences within the music and fashion industry have supported the American rapper for years through different projects. With the sell-out status of his recent Yeezy x Gap collaboration, West decided to expand his collection by bringing in Balenciaga, a luxury European fashion brand, to further his iconic streetwear image to wider audiences.  

Ye (Kanye West) and Demna. Sourced: Vogue UK

West’s first Gap collection was comprised of a few main pieces highlighting the ubiquitous nature of Gap and Kanye’s streetwear tendencies. From that collection, the $200 round puffer jacket and $90 Yeezy hoodie sold out almost immediately and were resold at astronomical prices up to $7,800 due to such high demand the famous rapper brings. Now, with the expansion of his project with designer Demna at Balenciaga, there is a lot to expect from the launch of this collection in June.

Yeezy x Gap Hoodie. Sourced: GOAT.com
Yeezy x Gap Round Puffer Jacket. Sourced: GOAT.com

Kanye West has gone through multiple phases of rebranding for both his music and his general image to the public. Through many hardships and personal growth journeys, the famous rapper has legally changed his name to Ye, bridging society onto his rebrand. The engineering of Balenciaga combined with the iconic brand that is Yeezy is an intriguing collaboration. In an interview with Vogue, Ye touches on his excitement for the collaboration as “it is a vision come true to work with Gap and Demna, the creative director of Balenciaga, to make incredible product available to everyone at all times.” It will be interesting to see what Balenciaga can come up with while also appealing to the affordability of Gap, which is deemed to be a challenge for Demna. There is much hope within the fashion industry for the success and uniqueness of the designs for this collection.

Designer collaborations are not a new thing for the fashion industry with multiple previous collections that combine the creative instincts of established brands. Demna also told Vogue that Ye “makes me come out of my comfort zone and be a better designer,” which increases anticipation for this collection and collaboration. With the success of Ye’s initial collaboration with Gap, it is incredible to see the growth that it will bring not only for Ye and Balenciaga but also for Gap.

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