Ye Seeks to End Relationship with Gap, Trademark Donda Sports Brand
Kanye West, now known as Ye, recently took to Instagram in a footwear feud against adidas claiming that the apparel giant has been copying his designs and trying to move his Yeezy brand without his approval or liking. The rapper is once again making headlines, this time in a feud against Gap.
Last week, Ye’s lawyers sent a letter to Gap Inc. notifying the apparel chain that the rapper and fashion designer was terminating his partnership with the company, saying it failed to meet its obligations under the contract. According to an article on Reuters, Gap breached its agreement with West by not selling the Yeezy Gap-branded products at its brick-and-mortar outlets and failing to open dedicated stores for the brand, the letter said.
The company can sell existing Yeezy Gap stocks until the sell-off period, the letter also said.
In 2020, Ye signed a 10-year deal with Gap to create a line of clothing under the Yeezy Gap brand. The first product from the line, a blue puffer jacket, sold out within hours in June 2021. But the relationship has since turned sour.
“Gap left (Kanye) no choice but to terminate their agreement … Ye will now promptly move forward to make up for lost time by opening Yeezy retail stores,” West’s lawyer Nicholas Gravante Jr. said.
One way the rapper is moving forward is through Donda Sports, a brand that initially was aimed to represent pro athletes, according to a report shared on Marca.com. Ye has now reportedly taken a giant step toward competing against sports apparel giants adidas and Nike with Donda Sports.
According to TMZ, Ye’s company Mascotte Holdings has filed new trademarks for apparel items. He aims to start selling his own shirts, jackets, hats, shoes, fanny packs, luggage, wallets, umbrellas, and blankets among other accessories. In addition to these filed trademarks, Ye is also ready to trademark Dove Sports, a label that will specifically be used for athletic services such as training sessions, competitions, tournaments, camps, seminars, field trips, and traditional educational frameworks, according to multiple reports.
One more component of the trademark filings is Donda Dove, which will be utilized for selling sports equipment and accessories ranging from baseball bats to basketballs, hockey pucks, posters, mugs, sporting goods, and online retail stores.