Spotlight: YZY x GAP

Gap, Michigan Avenue (Chicago, IL)

Designer: Kanye West

On June 26, Kanye West announced his upcoming partnership with Gap, INC. The partnership is a 10 year agreement that will introduce a new line of apparel for men, women and children. Although the line doesn’t debut until 2021, there is much anticipation around what this partnership means; not only for the Gap brand, but for in-store experiences overall.

There’s no denying Kanye’s influence creatively. His music influenced a new generation of artists and his groundbreaking Adidas sneakers shifted how brands view partnerships with celebrity talent. Hate him or love him, there’s no denying that his business interests push the culture forward.

I’m not going to lie, when I heard that he signed a 10 year partnership with Gap, Inc… I was shocked. Gap hasn’t been the strongest player in the game as of late. It wasn’t long ago that the company was rumored to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Not only that, but it isn’t necessarily culturally relevant. With prices that don’t match the quality, many people see the Gap as a passive destination whom shelves they’d only explore if Zara, H&M and other fast retailers were out of stock of essential items.

All that being said, this Kanye partnership couldn’t have come at a better time. 10 years worth of Kanye providing his creative input and reviving this foregone brand will be immeasurable. Plus, at the end of the day… it makes sense. But, will Kanye be this influential 10 years from now? 10 years ago State Property was still a clothing line… (I’ll let that sink in).

Many of you know that Kanye was a former employee of the Gap before he made it big. This is a full circle experience for him to graduate into a position of selling his clothes over the same counter he once worked. Not only that, but the color composition that graces Kanye’s Yeezy Season collection is exactly the rejuvenation that Gap needs. While they pride themselves on offering basics and essentials, the Kanye partnership positions Gap to compete with fast retailers (the Zara’s, Uniqlo’s and H&M’s of the world) by offering updated cuts, fits and color options to its mainstream consumers.

In Kanye’s words… it’s a beautiful, dark twisted fantasy.

The biggest challenge for the two is how this agreement will translate to an in-store experience (which is vital to the partnership). From his fashion shows to his concerts, Kanye is probably one of the more intimate entertainers of our generation. He brings an experience and emotion to every project and wants to vividly communicate his vision with the end consumer.

COVID-19 has changed the dynamic of how we shop as consumers. Storefronts are not required in order for a brand to sell merchandise, similar to how CD players aren’t required for us to consume music anymore. Change is inevitable, it’s how we adapt to this change that will define a retailers success.

Nevertheless, I’m eager to see how this partnership comes to life. I’ll remain optimistic for the next year and just hope and pray the hypebeasts and bots don’t buy all the merchandise on launch day.