The partnership, which formed in 2020, was designed to make West’s Yeezy apparel line more accessible to a mass audience by selling it with an iconic American retailer. In return, Gap would benefit from the halo effect of the hype surrounding the Yeezy label and the artist-turned-designer himself, drawing in new customers and injecting the brand with buzzy newness.
“The Yeezy partnership really never lived up to its full potential. The goal was for Gap to expand and capture a new customer base with Yeezy’s reach and relevance in addition to helping to reinvigorate the Gap brand,” says equity analyst and CEO of Telsey Advisory Group Dana Telsey.