Gap is seeking over $2M from Kanye West
Gap seeks more than $2 million from Kanye West to cover the costs they may incur in a lawsuit accusing them of altering a rented Yeezy store without permission.
The retail giant is being sued by commercial real estate firm Art City Center, which owns the building in downtown Los Angeles, for allegedly making “numerous, significant, unapproved” changes.
Gap rented the property from April 2021 to September 2022 — when West abruptly ended his partnership with the brand — paying more than $104,000 in rent per month, according to Radar Online.
As part of their agreement, Gap was not allowed to change the building without seeking approval from the company.
In a lawsuit filed in October 2022, Art City Center claimed that Gap hands over $1.5 million to restore the location.
But the clothing brand insists all changes were made by West without their approval and filed a separate lawsuit against the rapper in April to cover potential damages and attorneys’ fees.
Gap is demanding more than $2 million from Kanye West to cover the costs they may incur in a lawsuit accusing them of modifying a rented Yeezy store without permission; seen in 2019
The retail giant is being sued by commercial real estate firm Art City Center, which owns the building in Downtown Los Angeles, for allegedly making “numerous, significant, unapproved” changes
Gap claims their contract with West states that they cannot be held liable for “claims made due to the acts or omissions of Yeezy.”
“Not only was the execution of the work in violation of the Strategic Agreement, but also the method of preparation and execution of the work necessitated the repair and restoration referred to in the complaint,” the court’s filing reads.
They further suggest that West was in breach of contract by “making and failing to repair or restore the foregoing changes,” which then “directly and immediately caused Gap to incur costs to repair and restore the property.”
West signed a 10-year contract with Gap in 2020, but pulled the plug on their partnership late last year, claiming the brand breached their agreement by not releasing clothing as planned or opening stores.
Soon after, Yeezy Gap merchandise was pulled from shelves and online.
A letter from the artist’s lawyers to the company was shared by West on his Instagram on Sept. 15.
It alleged that the Gap company was required to sell 40% of Yeezy Gap merchandise in stores by the second half of 2021.
But the clothing brand insists all changes were made by West without their approval and filed a separate lawsuit against the rapper in April to cover potential damages and attorney fees; seen in 2022
The drama: West signed a 10-year contract with Gap in 2020, but pulled the plug on their partnership late last year, claiming the brand breached their agreement by not releasing clothes as planned or opening stores
Interestingly, a letter from the artist’s lawyers to the company was shared by West on his Instagram on Sept. 15
Only one item from the collection went on sale last fall and was only available online and not in a store.
No Yeezy Gap stores have opened yet; the company was required to open five stores by July 31, 2023.
The Yeezy Gap by Balenciaga merchandise debuted in stores in July 2022, and the letter suggested that merchandise created for Gap in collaboration with Balenciaga would not be affected.
Kanye has claimed that Gap has cut him from both meetings and the creative process and is not promoting the collection.
Three months after signing the deal, Kanye threatened to hold back unless he got a board seat.
Last August, Kanye criticized Gap and spoke directly to his executives, “You really have to give me the position to be Ye and let me do what I think, or I have to do the thinking elsewhere.”
That same month, Kanye came under fire after making the decision to show his new Yeezy line in garbage bags at GAP stores after critics complained that he made fun of the homeless.
The rapper told FOX News’ Eric Shawn at the time that he was just trying to challenge conventional traditions in the way we dress and create clothes that are more egalitarian and unpretentious.
“I’m an innovator and I’m not here to apologize for my ideas,” said Kanye.
He also pointed out that the bags are not “garbage bags” but actually construction bags and the reason for the bags is so that people can informally reach into them and grab what they want to buy – adding that the goal is to make life easier and more informal so we can basically all dress in the dark.
The father-of-four also sparked controversy for saying on his Instagram account that the inspiration behind his fashion label, Yeezy, was “the homeless.”
In January 2022, a Yeezy GAP spokesperson told The Post, “You have a deep and solution-oriented commitment to addressing homelessness issues.”
Gap’s suit against West comes just a month after the company announced it planned to cut hundreds of employees from its global workforce to cut costs and streamline the company amid plans to cut 350 by the end of the year. stores in the US.
Striking: Some of the most sought-after items are hoodies and T-shirts with the iconic Gap block letters on the front and a dove graphic on the back
Fashion: Designs created by the star had a bit of a shadowy undertone
Wow: West was previously roasted on social media after fans complained that his new Yeezy line for GAP was displayed in garbage bags at the rapper’s request last year
The latest round of cuts is part of a restructuring to make the iconic American fashion brand “more agile and less bureaucratic.”
Gap laid off about 500 employees in September, mostly in its San Francisco and New York offices, as part of efforts to save $250 million a year.
The retailer saw net sales fall six percent to $15.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Jan. 28, turning to a loss of $202 million from a profit of $256 million the year before.
Gap used to be one of the largest mall operators in the country, but the brand has been decimated since the pandemic, closing 299 stores in North America as of October 2020.