Adidas has revealed that it is reviewing its Yeezy partnership with Kanye West days after he showed a ‘White Lives Matter’ T-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week.

Adidas indicated that it made the decision to put the partnership under review after “repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation”.

A spokesperson for the German sportswear company also noted that the “Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history”.

In his Instagram post, Mr West used a strong expletive, adding “I AM ADIDAS”.

The company failed to mention the controversy but stated that “successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values”.

The rapper and fashion designer responded on Instagram, claiming the firm “stole” his designs, although the post now appears to have been deleted.

The almost decade-long partnership between Adidas and West has been strained for some time. At the centre of their collaboration is a hugely popular range of sneakers – known as Yeezy, which cost hundreds of dollars, with new releases often selling out within minutes.

In June, Kanye West accused Adidas of making a shoe that looked similar to the distinctive Yeezy design, but was not part of their deal. Adidas, on the other hand stated that it will continue to co-manage the partnership while the review is under way.

The announcement from Adidas comes less than a month after West’s lawyers sent a letter to fashion chain Gap saying he would no longer work with the firm. He accused Gap of failing to honour terms of the deal, including by failing to open standalone stores for his Yeezy fashion label.

The first item produced under the partnership, a $200 puffa jacket, did not go on sale for a year. That led to reports that Gap was frustrated by the slow rollout of Yeezy products, which also included a plain hoodie in bright colours for $90.

Kanye criticised over ‘White Lives Matter’ t-shirts

Earlier this week, Kanye was criticised after he presented a collection at Paris Fashion Week that included T-shirts with the slogan ‘White Lives Matter’.

The phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’, which represents opposition to racism and police brutality, was widely used after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis in the summer of 2020.

Editor-at-large at Vogue Magazine, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, was among those who criticised West over the T-shirts, calling the move “hugely irresponsible”.

With this, Kanye responded by lashing out at Ms Karefa-Johnson and posted photographs of her mocking her appearance to his 17.9 million followers.

Reacting to this in a statement, Vogue emphasized that it “stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson”.

“She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable. Now, more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.”
Vgue Magazine