Adidas has ended its longstanding partnership with rapper Kanye West, the company has announced.
The announcement comes after the iconic rapper stirred controversy in recent weeks with his public outbursts and strong political views.
Adidas confirmed that its collaboration with Kanye had come to an end, but said it was looking forward to continuing its partnership with him on other projects.
Adidas and Kanye West had been a powerful partnership since 2013, when they joined forces to create the Yeezy brand that debuted with footwear and clothing in 2015.
West’s influence on sneaker culture combined with Adidas’ manufacturing prowess produced vibrant graphics and wild new shapes in the Yeezy line – creating massive street-style cred for the Adidas brand.
Change of Course
However, recent controversial statements from Kanye have caused vast public criticism that has prompted Adidas to end its collaboration with him on formal projects.
This decision is reflective of his previous outspokenness which often lead to backlash from multiple sectors.
Controversial Statements
Throughout the years, Kanye has made countless headlines due to numerous controversial statements which have cost him support from fellow celebrities as well as companies.
His most recent controversies include inflammatory statements about slavery being a choice and outspoken views in favor of President Donald Trump’s ideologies which further strained his relationship with Adidas even after his large contributions to the company as artist and creator.
Future Projects
Adidas’ statement also affirmed its desire was to remain connected with Kanye moving forward; however, it didn’t mention any particular project they would be working together on in the future.
According to reports, West will continue designing Yeezy’s sole prototypes under their agreement, but there is no longer a cohesive plan between them anymore like before – meaning Adidas employees will no longer oversee these products before they hit stores shelves under their label.
Significance of Partnership
The thought-provoking creative output from Kanye and Adidias treaded lightly into risky areas, but seemed to succeed more times than not by pushing boundaries through fashion-forward design that incorporated bold prints, contrasting textures and eye-catching color variants all crafted around minimalistic silhouettes – something every fashion buyer looks for each season early or late.
Impact Moving Forward Without Kanye
Since ending its collaboration with Kanye West – one of the company’s most global collaborators known for constantly changing the game within streetwear style.
Many are wondering what direction this could take them going into the future without their widespread recognition once held upon initial launch of their alliance over 5 years ago now.
Outcome
It remains unclear just how significantly this move will affect Adidas in both short-term sales numbers as well as long-term influence within fashion trends.
However sources suggest that yet another chapter between two behemoths may not be completely off the table – potentially giving us a glimmer of hope moving forward for these two icons slated eventually get back together in some capacity yet again.