Topline
Luxury fashion house Balenciaga said Friday it would no longer work with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, becoming the first company to sever ties with the rapper and designer after he made a series of controversial and anti-Semitic remarks in the last few weeks.
Kanye West aka Ye is seen wearing a Balenciaga boxing mouthguard, outside Givenchy, during Paris … [+] Fashion Week on October 02, 2022 in Paris, France.
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Key Facts
West and Balenciaga collaborated on his short-lived Yeezy line with retailer Gap—West and Gap ended their partnership last month after West accused the brand of breaching its contract with him.
Balenciaga head Demna Gvasalia and West were reported to have a close relationship—West walked in Balenciaga’s Paris fashion show, and Gvasalia attended his Yeezy show—where West debut his “White Lives Matter” shirts—and West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian has been featured in many of the brand’s recent campaigns, and has frequently worn its fashions.
Forbes has not yet received a response from West and Kering, but West told Bloomberg via text message Friday, “God runs the world. We perform only for God. We serve only God. God bless.”
Key Background
As West has made repeated anti-Semitic and eyebrow-raising remarks since the start of October in interviews and on social media, many of the companies affiliated with him have remained silent. After West debuted the “White Lives Matter” shirts at his show, Adidas said it was putting its nine-year-long relationship with him under review. This week, the Anti-Defamation League called on Adidas to sever its ties to West, and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel called on companies who profit off of West to cut ties with him. West—who has made comments about the “Jewish media” said he was going to go “deaf con 3 on Jewish people”—apologized for some of his remarks this week. On Piers Morgan Uncensored, West said he didn’t regret his remarks, but “I’m sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I have been through.” Earlier this week, the family of George Floyd said it intended to sue West after he made baseless remarks about Floyd’s death. After being restricted on Twitter and Instagram, conservative social media site Parler said West would be purchasing it.
Further Reading
Anti-Defamation League Calls On Adidas To Drop Kanye West After Anti-Semitic Remarks (Forbes)
George Floyd’s Family Will Sue Kanye West For $250 Million Over False Comments About Death (Forbes)
The Fate Of Kanye West’s Career Is In His Fans’ Hands, PR Professionals Say (Forbes)
Kanye West Is Buying Right-Wing Social Media Platform Parler (Forbes)