Kanye West Isn't Backing Down After Yeezy Gap Collection Backlash
Kanye "Ye" West is no stranger to stirring up controversy. Whether he's rapping about his ex-wife's boyfriend and burying him in a music video – we're looking at you, Pete Davidson – or making a statement with his fashion, he's always unapologetically himself. There's no doubt that Ye has been vocal in his split from Kim Kardashian, and there are plenty of other topics he doesn't shy away from.
The rapper has built an empire thanks to his music and Yeezy label, and a recent collaboration with Gap has excited some fans. In contrast, others have questioned the rapper's decision to present the clothing in what looks like garbage bags. Photos show Ye's Gap collab in big black bags, and many people have taken to social media to weigh in with their thoughts. "Instead of buying Yeezy's, 'homeless inspired' clothing for $200... How about donatin' the money to the people this man is mocking and makin' bank on?" one person tweeted. "Kanye West's Yeezy GAP clothes are being displayed in trash bags. Who says there's no truth in marketing?" another social media user quipped. Another Twitter user pointed out that customers have to "dumpster dive to find their size."
Once Ye caught wind of all of the negative press about his collection, he made sure to stand up for his brand, the decision to market in "garbage bags," and why things aren't as they seem.
Kanye West slams the haters
Kanye "Ye" West isn't letting the backlash from his Yeezy Gap collection blow by. In true Ye fashion, the star spoke out after people commented on the collection's, ahem, unique trash bag display. "I'm an innovator, and I'm not here to sit up and apologize about my ideas," the rapper said in an interview with "Fox and Friends" on August 18. "That's exactly what the media tries to do. Make us apologize for any idea that doesn't fall under exactly the way they want us to think."
The bags, which resemble garbage bags, are actually construction bags, and Ye is unhappy about the people who think he's making fun of the homeless community — presumably prompted by a since-deleted Instagram post (via The News) in which he called the homeless "the biggest inspiration for all design." Ye continued, "I'm up here literally working on homeless shelters. There's documentation of it where the city came and tore down my creations while I was doing it," adding that nobody can tell him he's "insensitive" since he thinks about his vision every day and puts his "mind and innovation" to everything he does. He also shared that he's working with Gap to make "egalitarian clothing" in addition to "fighting for a position to ... bring the best design to the people at a price they can accept."
According to the YeezyGap website, items will still set consumers back a pretty penny. The least expensive item — a keychain — sells for $40, while the most expensive retails for $300.