Fashion house Balenciaga has ended its relationship with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, according to reports.
This move came after several of Ye’s offensive comments, including antisemitic posts that led to his suspension from Twitter and Instagram memberships.
“Balenciaga no longer has any relationship nor any plans for future projects connected with this artist,” said parent company Kering in response to a Friday inquiry from Women’s Wear Daily without further details.
Fashion House Balenciaga Ends Ties with Kanye West
The company did not respond to several emails and phone calls from The Associated Press requesting comment. A representative for Ye also did not respond to a request for comment.
Ye collaborated with Balenciaga and its creative director Demna Gvasalia in several areas. The brand also actively worked with Kim Kardashian, Ye’s ex-wife, who appeared in their advertising campaigns and credits her former husband with introducing her to the brand.
Ye was recently banned from Twitter and Instagram due to antisemitic posts that violated the social networks’ policies, according to the platforms. He also suggested that slavery was a choice and referred to the COVID-19 vaccine as the “mark of the beast.”
After being banned from social media, he offered to buy the right-leaning social network Parler.
During Paris Fashion Week, the rapper walked as a model in Balenciaga’s ready-to-wear show, which designer Gvasalia called an “iconic moment” at the time. He was later seen at the Givenchy collection wearing black braces from Balenciaga.
That week, Ye was also criticized for wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt to his Yeezy collection show in Paris, and the shirt also appeared on the runway itself. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, White Lives Matter is a neo-Nazi group.
In recent weeks, Ye has ended Yeezy’s partnership with Gap and told Bloomberg that he plans to sever ties with his business suppliers. Adidas ended its contract with Ye for sneakers, and JPMorgan Chase and Ye ended their business relationship—though the bank split was planned before Ye’s antisemitic comments.
Michal Záruba je specialista na digitální marketing a konzultant v oblasti sociálních médií a SEO. Více než 8 let pomáhá značkám růst online prostřednictvím strategického obsahu, optimalizace pro vyhledávače a efektivní komunikace na platformách jako LinkedIn, Instagram a YouTube.
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