The Yeezy Gap collection has a new creative mind guiding its designs.
Yeezy Gap announced Friday that Balenciaga creative director, Demna (formerly known as Demna Gvasalia), will join forces in bringing Kanye West-turned-Ye’s utilitarian designs to the masses.
“This first of its kind launch sees Ye’s peerless vision bring together the most influential designer of his generation, Demna, with iconic American brand, Gap,” Yeezy Gap said in a statement.
Products will be branded as “Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga” with a black version of the Yeezy Gap blue logo when they are released later this year alongside continued Yeezy Gap drops.
Ye and Demna are long-time collaborators, sharing an interest in elevating essential items like sweatshirts and puffer coats—the only items that Yeezy Gap has released since the multi-year partnership was announced in June 2020.
Last August, Demna provided creative direction for Ye’s Atlanta listening party for his album “Donda,” which included controversial appearances by Marilyn Manson, who is facing multiple sexual assault allegations, and Da Baby, who fielded widespread backlash after a homophobic rant that got him dropped from festivals and brand deals.
In December, the duo worked on a limited-edition line of apparel calling attention to the case of Larry Hoover, the Chicago gang leader serving six life sentences in Colorado for a litany of offenses including murder, extortion and money laundering. The phrase “engineered by Balenciaga” was also used to describe the streetwear pieces that were available through Amazon Fashion.
Demna’s designs for Balenciaga have also become the go-to uniform for Kim Kardashian West, who filed for divorce from Ye last month. The mogul’s Met Gala look—a take on wearing a T-shirt head-to-toe—unleashed a torrent of memes and social media posts following the red-carpet event. She stepped out in a hot pink Balenciaga look during his first turn as the host of “SNL” in October and has since been seen in various gloved looks by the French fashion house.
In June, Gap Inc. CEO Sonia Syngal remained hopeful that Ye will continue to make a positive impact on the company, and told investors that “Yeezy Gap is a work in progress and remains a significant opportunity for us.”
Marketing software firm Launchmetrics reported that Gap’s Yeezy partnership has already accumulated $34.9 million in media impact value since news of the collaboration first broke. It expects revenue from the joint collection to top $150 million this year.