Kanye West Leaves a Message for Chicago at His Hometown Gap
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Kanye West has a message for the city of Chicago.
In honor of Gap’s partnership with West’s Yeezy label, the exterior of the Gap store on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue has been transformed — featuring a handwritten message from the designer himself.
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“Hi Chicago. It’s Ye. This is the Gap store I used to shop at when I would drive my Nissan from the South Side. So blessed. I thank God and I am humbled at the opportunity to serve,” West wrote. “I put my heart into the color palette and every detail.”
West went onto inform fans that he loves “Tron,” the 1982 sci-fi flick starring Jeff Bridges as a computer programmer transported into a miniframe computer — perhaps offering a glimpse into the apparel that will be offered through the new Yeezy x Gap partnership.
The alliance between Yeezy and Gap was announced on Friday, and a Yeezy Gap line is expected to appear in stores and on Gap.com beginning in 2021. According to Gap, Yeezy will receive royalties and potential equity related to sales achievement. The line will offer apparel for men, women and children at accessible price points.
While West has long been a fan of Gap’s wares, his relationship with the company goes beyond that: In fact, the hip-hop mogul was an employee at one of the brand’s Chicago stores during his teenage years.
“We are excited to welcome Kanye back to the Gap family as a creative visionary, building on the aesthetic and success of his Yeezy brand and together defining a next-level retail partnership,” said Mark Breitbard, global head of Gap Brand, in a statement.
West owns 100% of the Yeezy brand. While the Gap partnership is new, Yeezy has long been in the shoe business through a deal with Adidas. According to Forbes, the Adidas Yeezy line likely made about $1.3 billion in revenue for 2019, with its designer taking home approximately $140 million of that. In April, Forbes estimated that West’s net worth is about $1.3 billion. That figure includes $1.26 billion from his Yeezy empire plus $102 million in real estate holdings and roughly $90 million from his musical label, along with his own recording and publishing rights.
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