DUBAI: Rapper and designer Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and Balenciaga creative director Demna have released their highly anticipated Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga collection.
The duo first previewed the offering at the “Donda 2” event in Miami before unveiling it online on Instagram.
The 25-look lineup merges Ye’s oversized silhouettes with Demna’s bold shapes. The first eight looks will be available for order on yeezygap.com and pre-order for those living in the Middle East on ounass.com.
Ye struck a ten-year partnership with Gap for a “Yeezy Gap” apparel line in 2020. The aim was to create “modern, elevated basics for men, women and kids at accessible price points.”
He has so far released the round jacket puffer and a series of oversized, colorful hoodies.
Ye and the clothing retailer go way back. Die-hard fans of the “Stronger” rapper will recall that before he became a Grammy-winning artist he worked for customer service at Gap when he was 15-years-old.
In 2015, the rapper referenced his time working at the retailer, revealing to Paper Magazine that although he loved Gap’s clothes, he couldn’t afford to shop there.
“I don’t think I had any desire to actually make clothes, but I always felt like that’s what I wanted to be around. I loved the fabrics, I loved the colors, I loved the proportions,” he said.
“Abercrombie was too expensive for me and the Gap was too expensive for me. Even though I worked at the Gap, I didn’t get enough hours to get a discount because I was a part-time employee, because I went to high school.”
Meanwhile, Demna is the first major collaborator Ye has brought on to Gap, although the duo have a longstanding relationship with the Georgian designer masterminding the look and feel of the rapper’s elaborate “Donda” album roll-out.
The new collaboration includes face-coverings, medium-wash jeans, oversized logo hoodies and T-shirts and matching denim sets.
Fans can expect to pay $240 for the dove hoodie, $140 for the dove three-quarter-sleeve tee, $140 for the dove longsleeve tee, $140 for the dove no-seam tee, $180 for the fitted sweatpants, $440 for the padded denim jacket, and $220 for the five-pocket denim pants.