Kanye West’s (Ye) eagerly awaited Yeezy Gap collection, which debuted online in February, created in association with Balenciaga and Demna Gvasalia, is now making its way to a few selected shops for sale in-person for the first time, beginning with the Gap flagship in Times Square, New York City. The recently renovated store “has been reengineered and distilled to its most essential form,” designed according to the utilitarian aesthetic of Balenciaga.
Black has been used throughout the store’s interior to create a simple yet modern look. “The vision to deliver Yeezy Gap design on a larger scale.” Instead of hangers, 40 oversized black Frakta bags were used to display the clothing, which was divided into categories such as colour, size, and style. All scattered around the minimalist, monochromatic structure. While the store is stocked with a variety of hoodies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts in the colours black and slate gray in uniformity, at the back of the store, there were dimmed lights, ominous sounds, and images of doves flying through turbulent skies, a juxtaposition worthy of Balenciaga to be sure.
Avatars that are part of the brand’s recently released virtual game float ethereally at the entrance to the store, with a you construct your own avatar by selecting a complexion and styling it in Yeezy gear. The pop-up avatar engine provides a glimpse into the metaverse from Ye’s creative perspective. Your avatar can be seen in the game gliding with doves; a symbol of peace and a recurrent motif in the Yeezy Gap universe.
In a statement, Gap says the Yeezy brand was anticipated to grow later this year in its latest earnings call, but it gave no further information. The business currently appears to be fulfilling that promise. The question is still whether Ye’s perceived ‘coolness’ will be sufficient enough to give the Gap brand some much-needed relevance.
Products made by Yeezy Gap appear to have done well in the past, but the firm hasn’t provided sales data. The firm acknowledged that a $90 hoodie that went on sale in September brought in far more sales than any other single day in the history of the company.
Tala is an Editorial Intern at Liminul. She’s a creative writer/director, graphic designer, and event coordinated based in Toronto. Tala is a third year student majoring in Fashion Communications at X University.