Mr. West’s next chapter as a fashion designer is here. With an assist from Demna Gvasalia, welcome to Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga.
Kanye West’s Gap revival will leap to new heights this Summer. The rapper turned fashion designer is teaming up with Demna Gvasalia, the creative director of Balenciaga, to bring a collaboration to retail shelves in June.
The project is officially titled “Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga.”
“This first of its kind launch sees Ye’s peerless vision bring together the most influential designer of his generation, Demna, with the iconic American brand, Gap. Yeezy Gap engineered by Balenciaga continues Ye’s commitment to bringing creativity to the forefront and delivering his vision of utilitarian design for all. Available globally in 2022 alongside Yeezy Gap releases,” reads an official release.
2022 is the second year of Ye’s 10-year deal with Gap. Some of the first releases of Yeezy’s Gap collection included things like hoodies, crewneck sweaters, and a red puffer jacket.
The puffer jacket, which originally held a $200 retail tag, currently sports a $1,250 asking price in a size extra small on apparel resale website StockX. In other sizes, it ranges from $400 to $875.
“There is a very different challenge. I’ve always appreciated the utilitarianism and the accessibility of Gap. I share some of the same sensibilities in my creative language. This project allowed me to join forces [with Kanye] to create utilitarian fashion for all,” Gvasalia told Vogue. “There are very few people that I know, especially of Ye’s caliber, who really understand my work so well. He makes me come out of my comfort zone and be a better designer. There’s no ego when we collaborate, just a mutual drive to evolve and do something great and new.”