By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
New trademark filings by Kanye West may help reveal the music star’s long-term goals, particularly after he terminated his licensing relationship with Gap Inc.
According to a report from the entertainment gossip show TMZ, the rapper’s company Mascotte Holdings has filed trademarks for a variety of apparel items, including jackets, hats, shirts, shoes and a host of accessories including blankets, wallets and umbrellas.
West (also known as Ye) also filed a trademark for Dove Sports, a completely new brand that, according to the filings, will be used for athletic services, such as training sessions, tournaments, fitness camps, and related educational programs.
Seen by themselves the trademarks would not necessarily mean much, but in addition to his separation from Gap only two years into a 10-year contract, West has also said very clearly he plans to go it alone in his future fashion business ventures. For example, West told Bloomberg this week that he plans to terminate relationships with his licensing and corporate partners, and to instead launch his own online and brick-and-mortar outlets.
In the case of Donda, that would entail the opening of campuses that would include not just a retail store, but might also include an educational facility, fitness centre, and even farms or dorms, depending on the focus of that outlet. Merchandise would be sold at the campuses, but as part of a wider venture focused on both services and physical goods.
“Now it’s time for Ye to make the new industry,” said West. “No more companies standing in between me and the audience.”
It was immediately after that interview that West terminated his licensing deal with Gap. His lawyers did so through a formal letter, claiming Gap had failed to meet the terms of its contract. Lawyer Nicholas Granvante said in a written statement to the media outlet Pitchfork, “Gap left Ye no choice but to terminate their collaboration, because of Gap’s substantial noncompliance. Ye had diligently tried to work through these issues with Gap both directly and through counsel. He has gotten nowhere.”
Gap has not commented on the matter to the media, but management did send a letter to its employees, viewed by Pitchfork, confirming the partnership is coming to an end.
“While we share a vision of bringing high-quality, trend-forward, utilitarian design to all people through unique omni experiences with Yeezy Gap, how we work together to deliver this vision is not aligned,” said Gap president and CEO Mark Breitbard. “We are deciding to wind down the partnership.”
In addition to his termination of the Gap licensing contract, West has also indicated recently he plans to similarly end his relationship with the athletic wear company adidas.
In 2016, when that partnership was forged, it was described as the largest ever collaboration between a sports wear brand and a non-athlete, and followed the release of a one-off product known as YEEZY BOOST sneakers, which sold out quickly and also sold for thousands of dollars in secondary markets like ebay.
The partnership was made with the intention that Adidas would work with West on all future YEEZY products, with special retail stores serving as “distinct hubs for adidas and West developed YEEZY product.”
The combination of West’s threat to end the adidas partnership is given more weight, now that he has ended his deal with Gap Inc., established his own athletic wear trademarks, and his vow to establish his own outlets in a bid to prevent other companies from coming between him and his fan base.