The retail/pop culture and wholesale apparel worlds have collided once again, but not in a way I would have expected. Kanye West, who goes by Ye, is reviving his Yeezy business, and according to Rolling Stone, he has Dov Charney by his side. Charney is known for founding American Apparel, which he ultimately had to leave behind due to allegations of sexual harassment. Later, he founded Los Angeles Apparel, where he now serves as a senior partner.

While the Ye-Charney partnership might be news to some, the pair’s working relationship started several months back. According to Rolling Stone, Charney printed the “White Lives Matter” shirt Ye wore during the Yeezy Season 9 Show in October 2022.  A source tells Rolling Stone that since April, Yeezy employees were told to keep Charney in the know on any major decisions, including finances.

Partnership in Controversy

Despite being the catalyst for the fall of his brand and name — making unsympathetic remarks about George Floyd’s murder and various antisemitic comments, among other incidents — Ye has been rebuilding the Yeezy brand at a new headquarters in West Hollywood, California.

Although Charney and Ye seem to come with similar backgrounds, having both built massive fashion brands and dealing with their fair share of controversy, the pair were at odds over the “White Lives Matter” shirt last year. While Charney, who is Jewish, was reported to be the manufacturer of the T, according to Rolling Stone, he had plans to make it widely available but pulled out after Ye’s antisemitic Tweets. Ye followed it up by complaining about Charney’s decision on the “Drink Champs” podcast and having his team distribute the excess shirts for free in Los Angeles’ Skid Row.

There’s no word yet on the pair’s plans for rebuilding the Yeezy brand, but they were recently spotted in Tokyo, Japan, shopping together.

Credit: Twitter by Tokyo Fashion