Liverpool has confirmed a long-term partnership with Adidas as its new kit supplier, set to take effect from the next season. This agreement marks the end of the club’s association with Nike.
Adidas previously provided kits for Liverpool between 1985-1996 and later from 2006-2012. While the exact duration of the latest deal remains undisclosed, reports suggest it could span five years, with an annual value exceeding £60 million.
Despite this lucrative agreement, Manchester United still holds the record for the most expensive kit deal in Premier League history, having secured a £90 million-per-year contract with Adidas in July 2023
“Everyone at the club is incredibly excited to welcome adidas back into the LFC family,” Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan said in a statement on Monday.
“We have enjoyed fantastic success together in the past and created some of the most iconic LFC kits of all time. adidas and Liverpool share an ambition of success and we couldn’t be more excited to partner together again as we look forward to creating more incredible kits to help drive on pitch performance.
We’d like to thank Nike for their support over the last five years and wish them well for the future.”
Arsenal Football Club has unveiled its third kit for the 2023-24 season, brought to life in collaboration with adidas.
The design draws inspiration from the club’s away jersey of the 1982-83 season. This particular season saw Arsenal secure a 10th-place finish in the First Division while making it to the FA Cup semi-finals.
Featuring a mineral green base, complemented by collegiate navy shoulders, and an off-white stylized crest and sponsor logos, the collaboration between the German kit manufacturer and the Gunners has revived a cherished classic for the modern era.
Notably, the garments have been crafted from 100% recycled materials, highlighting a commitment to sustainability.
In a promotional short film showcasing the kit, summer signings Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, along with injured Lionesses captain Leah Williamson, are showcased against recognizable landmarks in the vicinity of the Emirates stadium.
Inigo Turner, the design director for football apparel at adidas, expressed, “Given the depth of Arsenal’s kit archive, looking to the past is always an inspiring place to start when designing something for the supporters of today.”
“The iconic green away shirt from the 1982-83 season was a one-off and this modern-day expression of this classic blends fashion and football seamlessly.
“As these worlds continue to collide, we’ve looked to create a kit that is, first and foremost, primed for performance offering the best for the athlete, while also being an eye-catching fashion statement that supporters are proud to wear at matches and away from the stadium.”
The new kit is set to be debuted by Arsenal Women when they travel to play Bristol City in the Women’s Super League on October 22.
Arsenal’s new third kit takes inspiration from the 1980s
But it could be worn by Mikel Arteta’s side as early as next month, although that is dependant on who they draw in the Champions League group stage.
The draw for the European competition will take place on August 31.
The third kit is available from today via adidas stores, Arsenal Direct, Arsenal stores, selected retail outlets and online.
Manchester United fans have been expressing their anger following a significant alteration to the club’s iconic badge.
It has been reported that the club’s upcoming third kit for the next season will showcase notable changes, particularly to the badge design, as Adidas, the kit designer, has chosen a minimalist approach.
According to The Sun, the new kit will feature a simplified representation of the devil instead of the traditional club crest, which has been a prominent symbol associated with Manchester United for many years.
Man Utd badge
This modification has provoked a strong reaction from supporters of the club.
The publication adds that the kit will also be without the words ‘Manchester United’, the club’s badge layout or the ship, which have been mainstay features on United’s merchandise since the 1970s.
Leaked photos of the new design showed that the kit will only feature a devil, which is white in colour.
This has not gone down well with a majority of fans, who quickly took to social media to express their displeasure with the new design.
@forealutd tweeted:
“We’re the Red Devils and our badge has a devil so why not?”
At the time, only the words football club were removed.
Meanwhile, there has been a raging debate if the ship on the United’s badge is an appropriate symbol as it risks the association with the slave trade.
🚨🚨🌕| JUST IN: #mufc are making an historic change to their third kit next season by dropping the club crest and replacing it with an image of a devil. [@lauriewhitwell] pic.twitter.com/ESCzwCKBa6
However, according to The Athletic, the latest changes are purely a design choice made by Adidas, who are United’s kit makers.
Be that as it may, the Red Devils’ home and away kits will still feature the classic badge.
Ten Hag speaks on Greenwood
Earlier, Sports Brief reported Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has broken his long silence on Mason Greenwood’s situation at Old Trafford.
Greenwood has not played for the Red Devils for more than 16 months following his suspension at the club after he was arrested and charged with assault.
Arsenal have recently revealed their new home shirt for the 2023-24 season, which commemorates the 20th anniversary of their legendary Invincibles campaign.
The kit is a tribute to the jersey worn during the iconic 2003-04 season when the club, under the leadership of Arsene Wenger, went unbeaten in all 38 Premier League matches.
Designed in collaboration with adidas, the new shirt features a striking shade of red, reminiscent of the original design. It incorporates a unique twist with a white sleeve and a vertical lightning bolt pattern, adding a contemporary touch to the classic look.
The club crest, adidas logo, and three stripes on each sleeve are showcased in a stunning gold color, adding a touch of elegance and prestige. As a nod to the Invincibles’ remarkable achievement, the shirt also includes an engraving on the side, displaying the team’s record of 26 wins and 12 draws from that historic season.
This new home shirt serves as a celebration of Arsenal’s glorious past and pays homage to the unforgettable accomplishments of the Invincibles. It is sure to evoke a sense of pride and nostalgia among fans, as they continue to support their beloved club into the future.
Invincibles midfielder Ray Parlour, 50, said: “Playing in that season 20 years ago, surrounded by so many wonderful players, is something I will never forget.
“And it is great to see we are celebrating our club history by bringing out this new home shirt — something I think all the supporters will truly love.”
Arsenal’s Brazilian contingent model their new home kit
The new kit will be worn for the first time when Arsenal face Aston Villa in the final game of the Women’s Super League season on Saturday.
Mikel Arteta’s men will also debut it at home to Wolves in their last Premier League game of the campaign the following day.
Arteta will be plotting success at home and abroad next term, having qualified for the Champions League for the first time in six years thanks to finishing second behind champions Manchester City.
Our new 23/24 Arsenal x @adidasFootball home kit is available now 🙌
Adidas has announced that it will sell some of the sneakers and other products it produced with rapper Kanye West alongside donate a portion of its earnings to charity.
The German sportswear giant cut ties with the celebrity, now known as Ye, last year after he made anti-Semitic comments.
The decision has cost the firm millions in sales and has it facing its first annual loss in more than three decades.
Shoes from the collaboration remain wildly popular in the resale market.
Chief executive Bjoern Gulden said the company was still working out how the sales would happen.
“What we are trying to do now over time is to sell some of this merchandise… burning the goods would not be a solution,” he said at the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
Adidas has about 1.2bn euros (£1bn; $1.3bn) worth of Yeezy shoes sitting in storage.
Mr Gulden said the firm had decided to sell some of the merchandise, instead of donating it, because it did not want to see the products reach the market indirectly.
Last week, Adidas said that if it decided not to “repurpose” its remaining unsold Yeezy stock, it would hurt its operating profit by €500m this year.
A sale could help reduce some of those losses. Ye will also be entitled to some of the money, under the terms of the partnership.
Shares in Adidas were up 2% following the meeting.
The company is being sued by investors who claimAdidas knew about Kanye West’s problematic behaviour years before it ended their partnership.
Investors allege Adidas failed to limit financial losses and take precautionary measures to minimise their exposure.
Mr Gulden defended Adidas’ years-long collaboration with the designer and musician, saying that “as difficult as he was, he is perhaps the most creative mind in our industry”.
The company said it had concluded an internal investigation into reports that the artist had created a “toxic” environment.
It said the review had not substantiated all allegations of misconduct but that “erratic” behaviour had created challenges. It said that the firm was putting in place changes to prevent such problems from happening in the future.
Related article Adidas ends massive deal with Kanye West after antisemitism controversy.
Adidas announced that it anticipated an operating loss of $728 million in March. The company reported an increase in shares of 8% on May 5, which was the highest level since August 2022.
The growth comes after sales were predicted to drop by 4% but only dropped by 1%, Reuters reported.
Equity research analyst at Quilter Cheviot, Mamta Valechha, told Reuters that Adidas is managing the expectations of investors. “They are going in the right direction – China is recovering, inventories are still too high, but at least sequentially down,” she said.
Despite the gains made by Adidas, the BBC is also reporting that the company’s sales in North America had decreased by 20% due to cutting ties with Kanye West. CEO Bjørn Gulden admits that cutting ties with Kanye West is “hurting us.”
In 2022, Adidas cut ties with the rapper, now known as Ye, for making a series of antisemitic comments.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the company said in a statement. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful, and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect, and fairness.”
Both parties recorded financial losses – Adidas lost $540 million in its final 2022 quarter due to West’s unsold Yeezy products. Ye, on the other hand, dropped from his billionaire status – his net worth dropped to $400 million from $1.3 billion.
His deal with Adidas accounted for $1.5 billion of his net worth. “With that gone, Ye is no longer a billionaire,” Forbes wrote when the deal was canceled. “It caps a stunning, self-induced downfall for one of the brashest and most volatile personalities to have graced Forbes’ pages.”
According to Forbes’ latest calculation of his net worth, West, who now goes by the name Ye, saw his net worth surge by $2 million within a month. His fortune moved from $398 million on March 23 to $400 million as of Apr 19, 2023. He had experienced a temporary dip of $2 million in his fortune, Billionaires Africa reported.
Currently, his net worth is estimated at $400 million, as per Forbes estimates, and includes his real estate holdings, cash, a music catalog, and a five-percent stake in Skims, the shapewear company founded by his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
Beaten Euro 2022 finalists Germany will hope to go one better this time and Martina Voss-Tecklenburg has plenty of stars at her disposal.
The two-time world champions’ away kit pays tribute to the forests that run through the country with various shades of green featured in a bespoke graphic.
Netherlands
The Netherlands will bring plenty of colour to the tournament
Another team in a slightly lighter tone than previous editions are the Netherlands.
Nike have drawn up a patterned orange home kit, while the Dutch have an all-blue reverse option with red detailing on the sleeves.
Spain
Marta Cardona poses in Spain’s coral reef-inspired away kit
Spain were beaten in the quarter-finals by eventual champions England at last year’s Euros and are hoping to reach the last eight of the World Cup for the first time.
Their second strip pays homage to the coral reefs of the Iberian coast — a familiar sight Down Under.
Sweden
Stina Blackstenius will be crucial to Sweden’s hopes
Sweden have never won a World Cup having been beaten in the 2003 final by Germany.
Finishing third in the last edition, they will be sporting away shirts which celebrate Scandinavia’s iconic glaciers.
United States
United States will arrive Down Under in style as they look to earn their third successive World Cup crown — and their fifth overall.
Their white home shirt is emblazoned with a paint-drop pattern which makes every jersey unique, in a nod to American expressionism.
Adidas, the German multinational sportswear corporation, and Beyonce Knowles, a global music and entertainment icon, have mutually agreed to terminate their partnership due to creative differences between Adidas and Beyonce’s Ivy Park.
The end of Beyonce’s partnership with Adidas marks the conclusion of a productive collaboration that began in 2018, during which they worked together to revive the Ivy Park activewear line and develop new footwear and apparel for the brand.
However, the decision to end the partnership followed reports that Adidas suffered a loss of $10 million in 2022 as a result of its collaboration with Ivy Park.
In 2016, Beyonce launched Ivy Park as a 50-50 joint venture with Sir Philip Green, the proprietor of Topshop. Nevertheless, the partnership ceased in 2018, and Beyonce assumed complete ownership of Ivy Park, paving the way for her lucrative deal with Adidas.
In the past few years, Ivy Park has faced difficulties meeting its sales projections in the market. Although Adidas estimated $250 million in sales for Ivy Park in 2022, the brand only generated about $40 million in sales, a decrease from $93 million in the preceding year.
The recent decline in Ivy Park’s revenue was not only an unfavorable outcome for Adidas, which had set lofty revenue projections for the brand, but also a letdown for financial experts who had predicted that the collaboration would break new ground, surpassing all Adidas’ prior ventures in sales and popularity, and solidifying its position as a top activewear brand.
The unexpected decline in revenue is particularly baffling, given the immense popularity and influence of Beyonce, whose massive following and star power generated significant buzz around the Ivy Park and Adidas collaboration.
Despite this setback, both Ivy Park and Adidas expressed optimism about their potential for success, with plans to implement new marketing and promotional strategies.
In an effort to revive the activewear line and overcome the operational challenges of meeting sales targets, Adidas executives explored various marketing tactics inspired by the successful strategies used for Kanye West’s Yeezy brand. However, a difference of opinion arose between Adidas and Beyonce’s team regarding the optimal approach for promoting the brand.
Adidas has issued a warning over the potential negative effects on its bottom line of terminating its collaboration with musician and fashion designer Kanye West in November.
The company could lose hundreds of millions of dollars this year if its stock of Yeezy sneakers is not sold, according to the new leader of the company.
Ye West, who works for the sportswear firm, was fired after he made anti-Semitic remarks on social media.
The corporation has issued a profit warning four times since July with this news.
“The numbers speak for themselves. We are currently not performing the way we should,” the company’s chief executive Bjørn Gulden, said in a statement.
Adidas said it was still deciding whether to scrap its remainingYeezy stockand would take a €500m ($536m; £443m) hit to its profits if it is all written off.
On top of that the company expects a shake-up of the business to cost another €200m.
That could mean it is pushed to an operating loss this year totalling €700m, the company warned.
Adidas is expected to return to profit in 2024, it added.
At the same time the company revealed that its operating profit for last year had fallen to €669m, two thirds lower than in 2021.
US-traded shares in Adidas fell by almost 9% after the announcement.
In October, the company announced that it was ending the highly profitable partnership with West after he caused an outcry over his anti-Semitic comments.
While the decision to end its partnership with Yeezy had a major negative impact on Adidas, it has also faced other challenges over the last year.
Mr Gulden joined Adidas at the start of this year from rival Puma after his predecessor was ousted in the wake of a series of profit warnings.
In March, the company announced that it would close its shops in Russia and suspend its online store there as it joined a raft of global brands that pulled out of the country in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
The firm’s business in China was also impacted by Beijing’s strict zero Covid measures that saw major cities across the country put into lockdown.
Italy have unveiled their new “quintessentially Italian and elegant” home and away kits designed by adidas.
Created in collaboration with the Italian Football Federation and to be worn by the men’s and women’s teams, the strips were inspired by marble, a natural, geographical and cultural element that represents the country.
Federation president Gabriele Gravina said: “Today we are entering into a new era and we are proud to be doing it with adidas, which has best interpreted the passion and the tradition of the Azzurri.
“For 113 years, the Italian national football team has represented a symbol of values and style around the world.
AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali in the new Italy away shirt by adidas
“Our football kit is a national heritage that goes beyond sport because it transmits feelings that unite people of different ages, sexes and social backgrounds.
“The male and female national football teams represent a strong element of identity that we will enhance to the fullest with this new partnership.”
Bjorn Gulden, chief executive officer at adidas, added: “Italy is one of the most storied and successful national teams in all of football.
“We are very proud to officially welcome the FIGC and all its teams to the adidas family and we look forward to a successful partnership together.
Italy’s new home kit was inspired by the natural, geographical and cultural element marble
“At the same time, we are tremendously excited to finally be able to share with the world our fantastic line-up of products, including beautiful home and away kits.
“They are quintessentially Italian and elegant while staying true to the iconic heritage of the Azzurri.”
The new home kit will be worn for the first time tomorrow night when Italy’s Under-18s face Spain at the FIGC Coverciano Technical Centre in Florence.
Italy’s new away kit was also inspired by the natural, geographical and cultural element marble
Following the soccer star’s first-ever FIFA World Cup victory, fans hoping to purchase his official Argentina jersey may be out of luck.
Adidas announced in a statement to CNN that it has been “working to meet the extraordinary demand for jerseys” and that “more stock will be available soon” after selling out of Messi and Argentina team uniforms globally.
On Sunday, in one of the most exciting finals in tournament history, Argentina defeated France to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on penalties. Messi, who was competing in his fifth World Cup, scored twice to solidify his status as a football legend.
Messi’s Adidas jerseys had been sold out even before the game, according to multiple reports. A search on Adidas’ website shows that generic Argentina jerseys are sold out, but there some other team items still available, including a basketball top and T-shirts.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi
Searches for Messi Argentina jerseys on Amazon also show them sold out. StockX, a popular reseller website, has a few jerseys selling for as much as $500. Messi jerseys from Paris Saint-Germain, his European club, are wildly available online, however.
Don’t fret though, Adidas (ADDDF) said it will soon unveil new merchandise.
“Since their history-making win we have produced a range of immediately available celebratory apparel and we will also create a brand new version of their iconic jersey, featuring three stars to mark their third World Championship, for fans around the globe as soon as possible,” the company said.
The World Cup has been a boon for Adidas’ bottom line. Adidas has sold around $424 million (€400 million) in “event-related sales” in the fourth quarter, with its soccer merchandise growing by 30% in the first nine months in 2022 compared to the year prior. Adidas said it’s also “seeing stronger demand” during this edition of the World Cup compared to the previous tournament.
According to data from Africa, some of the 10 richest African-American billionaires’ businesses performed better in 2022, increasing their net worth by $910 million, from $24 billion to $24.91 billion.
The highest rise in net worth was recorded by Robert Smith, the richest Black man in America, who gets the majority of his wealth from his ownership of Vista Equity Partners.
At the same time, Kanye West, now known as “Ye,” lost his billionaire status during the year after German sportswear company Adidas severed ties with the African-American multi-industry creative following a series of offensive and antisemitic comments he made in October.
1. Robert F. Smith
Source: Private Equity
Net worth: $8 billion
Robert F. Smith is America’s wealthiest Black man. He is the founder of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm focused on software investments that Smith founded in 2000 and has grown to more than $50 billion in assets with annual returns of 22 percent since its inception.
Almost all of Smith’s $8-billion fortune stems from his stake in the Texas-based private equity firm, which Forbes ranks 252nd in the world.
2. David Steward
Source: IT
Net worth: $6 billion
David Steward, America’s second-richest Black person, is the founder and chairman of Worldwide Technology, one of the largest African-American-owned businesses.
His company has evolved from a technology equipment reseller in 1990 to a leading provider of technology solutions. In 2020, the company’s revenue was $13.4 billion.
According to Forbes, Steward’s net worth has increased from $5.8 billion to $6 billion since the start of the year.
3. Oprah Winfrey
Source: Media
Net worth: $2.51 billion
According to Forbes, “The Queen of Talk,” Oprah Gail Winfrey, is the wealthiest Black woman in America, with a net worth of $2.51 billion. Oprah has turned her 25-year-long hit talk show into a media and business empire.
To preserve and grow her fortune, the leading media mogul has reinvested profits from her show, as well as profits from films such as “The Color Purple,” “Beloved,” and “Selma,” into key assets and entities in the media industry.
4. Michael Jordan
Source: Charlotte Hornets, Endorsements
Net worth: $1.7 billion
Michael Jordan earned $90 million in salary during his career, but according to Forbes, he has pocketed $1.8 billion (pre-tax) from corporate partners such as Nike, Hanes, and Gatorade.
Jordan is the chairman and principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets, an NBA team based in North Carolina. In 2019, Jordan agreed to sell a minority stake in the NBA team for $1.5 billion. He also owns a NASCAR team and a stake in DraftKings, a sports betting company.
5. Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty
Source: Cosmetics, Music
Net worth: $1.3 billion
Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty, the world’s youngest Black billionaire and renowned musician, is the second-richest Black woman in the United States.
Her net worth has dropped from $1.7 billion at the start of the year to $1.3 billion at the time of writing this report.
The majority of her fortune is derived from her ownership of Fenty Beauty, a rapidly expanding cosmetics company that sells her makeup and skincare products on Sephora shelves in the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, and the Middle East, as well as online to more than 150 countries.
6. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter
Source: Liquor, Music Streaming
Net worth: $1.3 billion
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, an African-American businessman worth $1.3 billion at the time of writing, has seen his net worth increase by $300 million since 2021, when Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) acquired a 50-percent stake in his Champagne brand, Armand de Brignac.
He made $297 million last year when he sold a majority stake in Tidal, his high-fidelity music streaming platform, to Jack Dorsey’s Square.
The rapper turned businessman and investor’s net worth has increased from $1 billion to $1.3 billion since February 2021, when LVMH signed a partnership deal with his Champagne brand.
7. Tyler Perry
Source: Films
Net worth: $1 billion
Tyler Perry is an African-American writer, producer, director, and actor who has amassed a fortune through his work. Perry owns 100 percent of his creative output, which includes more than 1,200 TV episodes, 22 feature films, and at least two dozen stage plays, as well as a 330-acre studio on the outskirts of Atlanta.
His “Madea” franchise, which has grossed over $660 million, accounts for a sizable portion of his $1-billion fortune.
He recently signed a four-film deal with Amazon Studios, a television and film producer and distributor based in the United States and one of Amazon’s subsidiaries.
8. Tiger Woods
Source: Golf, endorsements, real estate
Net worth: $1 billion
Tiger Woods, the world’s greatest golfer, has won more prize money than any other professional golfer in history, totaling $121 million. The majority of his fortune is derived from endorsements with companies such as Nike, Gatorade, Rolex, and Monster Energy.
Woods also has a golf course design company as well as a live production company. He is also a shareholder in Nexus Luxury Collection, a global hospitality real estate development and asset management firm. He also has a stake in a luxury mini-golf experience with multiple Florida locations, as well as a hospital software startup.
9. LeBron James
Source: Basketball, Endorsements, Investments
Net worth: $1 billion
LeBron James is the first active NBA player to reach the billion-dollar mark. His pretax earnings with the Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers, total more than $385 million. Off the court, he has amassed well over $900 million (pretax) in earnings from commercial initiatives and endorsement deals with companies such as PepsiCo, Walmart, and his long-time sponsor, Nike. He also has a stake in Beats by Dre and the Blaze Pizza fan base.
10. Sean “Diddy” Combs
Source: Ciroc Vodka, Music, Investments
Net worth: $1 billion
The majority of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ wealth stems from his partnership with Diageo to create Ciroc Vodka, a move that saw him take the helm of Ciroc in 2007, guiding the brand from obscurity to multibillion-dollar status.
The African-American businessman became a billionaire on the same day that Kanye West, now officially known as “Ye,” lost his billionaire status due to the termination of his lucrative contract with Adidas. Since 2019, Combs’ net worth has risen from $740 million to $1 billion.
In a divorce settlement, Kanye West was ordered to pay Kim Kardashian$200,000 (£167,000) per month in child support.
Their four children will be shared between the former rapper and reality TV star.
After eight years with West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, Kardashian filed for divorce in 2021.
It comes after several companies severed ties with Ye due to controversies such as antisemitic remarks.
In March, both parties were declared legally single, with Kardashian also dropping the “West” from her surname.
In court documents filed on Tuesday, issues concerning the division of property and custody of their children were resolved.
The two parties should consult with each other on majordecisions about their children’s welfare, the documents state.
Expenses for the children’s security, school and college will be shared.
In addition, Ye is expected to pay $200,000 a month in child support – which the New York Post reported is because the children will spend the majority of their time with Kardashian.
The couple have four children: North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3.
In several statements submitted earlier, Kardashian, 42, had said she “very much” wanted the marriage to be ended, adding that this would “help Kanye to accept” that the relationship was over.
Ye, 45, had previously fought against the separation.
He has faced controversy in recent months, and has been dropped by several brands, including Adidas, Gap and Balenciaga.
The rapper provoked widespread criticism earlier this year after attending Paris Fashion Week wearing a t-shirt bearing a “White Lives Matter” slogan – a phrase often used by white supremacists.
He then claimed his critics were being paid by a secret cabal of Jewish people, a common trope of antisemitism.
Earlier this week, Ye announced his intention to run for US president in 2024.
He previously ran in 2020, but gained just 70,000 votes.
Despite several scandals surrounding his recent behaviour, rapper Kanye Westhas stated his intention to run for President of the United States in 2024.
The actor, who has legally changed his name to Ye, shared a video of his campaign logo with the caption Ye 24 on social media.
He also claimed to have approached Donald Trump about becoming his running mate.
West previously ran for president in 2020, but his campaign was a flop, garnering only 70,000 votes.
His latest claims were made in a video posted after West was spotted at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago golf club earlier this week, accompanied by prominent white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
West said his request for a running mate left the former president, who recently launched his own re-election campaign, “most perturbed”.
In a video titled Mar-A-Lago Debrief, West claimed: “Trump started basically screaming at me at the table, telling me I’m going to lose. Has that ever worked for anyone in history?”
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP Image caption, West previously appeared to be on good terms with Trump
He provoked a storm of criticism after attending Paris Fashion Week in a T-shirt bearing the slogan “White Lives Matter” – a phrase adopted by white supremacists, who began using it in 2015 as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
West then claimed his critics were being paid by a secret cabal of Jewish people, a common trope of antisemitism.
As he continued to make antisemitic comments online and in television interviews, the 45-year-old was dropped by his talent agency, while fashion companies including Gap, Adidas and Balenciaga said they would no longer work with him.
The musician later commented that he had lost “two billion dollars in one day”.
Earlier this week, Rolling Stone magazine reported claims that West had used “porn, bullying and mind games” to create a “toxic environment” among Adidas employees working on his Yeezy brand shoes.
The company said on Thursday it had launched an independent investigation into the claims.
When West ran for president in 2020, he announced his campaign too late to appear on the ballot in at least six states.
He held only one rally, in which he broke down in tears as he discussed abortion, and funded two television adverts. In the end, he was only listed as a candidate in 12 states.
For his 2024 bid, the rapper suggested he had enlisted alt-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos as his campaign manager.
A former editor at the right wing publication Breitbart, Mr Yiannopoulos was largely shunned by mainstream conservatives after a video emerged in 2017 of him appearing to condone paedophilia. He said the comments were “gallows humour” and stated his “disgust” at the sexual abuse of minors.
Most recently, Mr Yiannopolous worked as an intern for Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.
After sparking outrage in recent weeks – with anti-Semitic comments, “White Lives Matter” T-shirt designs and more antics – Balenciaga, Adidas and Gap have all severed ties with the rapper.
Now, West has revealed his plans to get rid of the leftover products he once sold for hundreds of dollars.
In a video published by celebrity news site X17 on Youtube, the “Gold Digger” rapper gave a tour of his Los Angeles studio, where hundreds of garments could be seen alongside workers using sewing machines.
“I cut up 100 hoodies from Yeezy, from Balenciaga, from [Gap and Adidas] and everything we do is going to cost $20,” Ye, 45, said of the discarded inventory.
He added, “We need to make sure everyone receives the same level of cuts, the same level of food, same level of water, same level of education.”
“We’re engineering opportunities, we’re getting past the past, we’re focused on the future,” West continued, also showing off some new designs.
Fuller claimed she and DePhillipo broke up three weeks after…
Speaking of the future, the “Eazy” rapper also showed off his “Ye24” designs. He claimed the attire, promoting his run for president in 2024, was made from repurposed Balenciaga sweatpants and more. He further alleged on Twitter that he met with former President Donald Trump and offered him the vice presidential spot on his ticket.
Though the fashion brands denounced the rapper, West wore designs from his recent Balenciaga and Adidas collaboration in the video, including a white messenger bag ($1,290) and a sweatshirt ($1,150).
Enlarge ImageWest showed off sweatpants with “Ye24” emblazoned on it, announcing that he plans to run for president in 2024.Getty Images
On Tuesday night, Rolling Stone published an exposé in which former Yeezy employees alleged that West would often show executives porn videos, his own sex tapes and explicit images of then-wife Kim Kardashian.
Representatives from Gap, Adidas and Balenciaga did not immediately return Page Six Style’s request for comment.
Adidas cut its earnings forecast for the year on Wednesday to account for losses from the termination of its partnership with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West due to antisemitic remarks.
In its third-quarter earnings report, the German shoe and sportswear maker cut its sales and profit forecast for the year, even as the company’s chief financial officer said the profitability of the Yeezy shoe collaboration with Ye had been “overstated.”
According to CFO Harm Ohlmeyer, the company will largely offset the impact of the split next year by no longer having to pay royalties and marketing fees for the brand.
The Oct. 25 split with Ye, with production of all Yeezy products halted and royalty payments ended, will leave Adidas searching for another star to help it compete with ever-larger rival Nike. Adidas also is facing internal upheaval, with its CEO Kasper Rorsted stepping down Friday. He was previously expected to hand over next year, but the company announced the quicker change on Tuesday as it named Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden as his replacement.
Adidas faced pressure to split with Ye as other brands did earlier over the rapper’s antisemitic comments in interviews and social media, including a Twitter post earlier this month that he would soon go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent reference to the U.S. defense readiness condition scale known as DEFCON. He was suspended from both Twitter and Instagram.
Adidas owns the rights to product designs except for the Yeezy name and is developing plans for what to do with existing inventory.
Ohlmeyer said on a conference call with reporters that the profitability of the Yeezy business had been overstated because its costs only included expenses directly related to the products and not central overhead costs borne by the company.
“In other words, it does not include any further central cost allocation for sourcing, digital, retail, or any other services that this part of our business has been benefitting from and that were essential for its success,” Ohlmeyer said.
“At the same time, we will save around 300 million euros related to royalties and marketing fees; in combination, this will help us to compensate the majority of the top and bottom line impact in 2023,” he said.
The Yeezy brand accounted for up to 15% of Adidas’ net income, Morningstar analyst David Swartz said in a note Oct. 26.
The company had already cut its full-year earnings forecasts five days before announcing its split with Ye. The earlier outlook revision cited slowing activity in China, where severe restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19 have held back the economy, and clearance of elevated inventory levels.
Net income for the third quarter from continuing operations was 66 million euros, down from 479 million euros in the same quarter a year ago.
UPDATE 11/09, 10 a.m. ET: Adidas has officially appointed Bjørn Gulden as its new CEO. The brand’s current CEO, Kasper Rorsted announced he will step down from the position and will leave the company on Nov. 11.
“We are very pleased to welcome Bjørn Gulden back at Adidas. Bjørn Gulden brings almost 30 years of experience in the sporting goods and footwear industry. As a result, he knows the industry extremely well and draws on a rich network in sport and retail. Bjørn Gulden already served Adidas successfully for sevenyears in the 1990s. As CEO of Puma, he re-invigorated the brand and led the company to record results. The Supervisory Board of Adidas AG is convinced that Bjørn Gulden will head adidas into a new era of strength and is looking very much forward to a successful cooperation,” Thomas Rabe, the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Adidas AG, said.
See original story below.
Months after announcing current CEO Kasper Rorsted will be leaving his post in 2023, Adidas appears to be inching closer to filling the role.
Rorsted’s likely replacement would be a somewhat unexpected one as Adidas confirmed today it is in talks with Puma’s current CEO, Bjørn Gulden, as a potential successor.
Adidas did not elaborate further in its announcement, but according to German outlet Manager Magazin, Rorsted’s replacement is even closer to being a lock than the company suggests. An industry source reportedly tells the publication Gulden is the only remaining candidate for the top position.
Despite most recently serving in the lead role for a competitor, Gulden has a history with Adidas. In the 1990s, he worked for the brand as senior vice president of apparel and accessories. He began his role as CEO of Puma in July 2013.
Puma announced today that Arne Freundt, its current chief commercial officer, will take over Gulden’s role as CEO on January 1 for a mandated four years.
The leadership shifts are especially noteworthy given the history between Adidas and Puma, who have had a decades-long rivalry after a falling out between brothers and brand founders Adi and Rudi Dassler.
Adidas’ plans for the future of the Yeezy business in the wake of the termination of its partnership with Ye continue to take shape, with the brand breaking down its outlook to investors today in its Q3 2022 earnings call.
In the conference call, Adidas CFO Harm Ohlmeyer said that the end of the Yeezy deal will have a short-term negative impact of up to $250 million on the company’s net income this year as Yeezy releases account for 33% of the brand’s total annual revenue. The brand said it will save €300 million in royalty payments and marketing fees after canceling its deal with Ye.
Adidas’ CFO echoed that the brand owns the rights to all Yeezy designs and intends to make use of them as early as next year. In the conference call, Adidas said that it’s developing a plan to make use of existing Yeezy inventory in 2023. The brand has already asked retailers to stop the sale of these products and, in some cases, reached out about recalling the shoes.
Adidas’ decision to terminate its partnership with Ye was announced on Oct. 22 after months of him publicly bashing the global sportswear company and making antisemitic comments on social media and various interviews. Ye first signed with Adidas in 2013 and then entered into a long-term partnership with the brand in 2016 that was reportedly set to expire in 2026. Previously, he had a collaborative partnership with the Three Stripes’ chief rival, Nike, which was highlighted by their Nike Air Yeezy releases.
“I want to repeat very clearly that we are the sole owner of the intellectual property rights to the current and future colorways and we have a lot of things in the archive,” the CFO said, “so there are plans that we are vetting right now.”
Stormzy has partnered with adidas Football to launch Merky FC, a new project that aims to “help level the playing field by giving off-pitch opportunities to young Black people” within the sport. The announcement comes after new research commissioned by adidas revealed that only 6.7% of senior roles in football were held by Black or mixed-heritage people. Speaking to Sky Sports, Stormzy described this as “embarrassing.”
The initiative was announced in a video released by adidas and Stormzy, in which the rapper says, “on the pitch, we do our thing. Off the pitch, it’s like we don’t exist.” But Stormzy then declares: “That’s all about to change.” To drive this change, adidas and Stormzy have partnered with a range of organisations from across the football industry. These partners include media organisations, such as Sky Sports and GOAL, and football clubs (Manchester United and Fulham). Each of the partners will offer work placements in various roles covering operations, community, creative and marketing.
Announcing the project, Stormzy explained that he “hopes to inspire real change within this field as part of my commitment to support racial equality in the UK.” He also paid tribute to adidas and the additional partners, who will put Merky FC “in a position to aid the people who may have experienced disadvantages during their football career pathway. We strongly encourage other companies to join us in our mission.”
Stormzy elaborated on his plans for Merky FC in an interview with Sky Sports, adding that success would be “seeing more young Black people in these roles, more Black people in positions of power away from being on the pitch. And just seeing that thrive and grow and inviting more people to come along and offer those opportunities for the young people.” Stormzy went on to discuss his ambition to “keep the ball rolling” and create “infrastructure and real change” that allows future generations to be “stronger and more empowered.”
Adidas, a long-term partner of Stormzy, explained their role in the project: “We are passionate about providing inclusive opportunities to young talent in the UK. We are proud to be working in partnership with Stormzy to introduce #Merky FC, an initiative that directly tackles some of the biggest barriers facing UK youth in football today, by creating a legacy of career opportunities off the pitch alongside the other partners. Along with the support of our network of adidas partners, we are committed to fighting for equal representation in football, and this launch is only the beginning for Merky FC.”
Merky FC is a multi-year partnership, due to kick off when the first career placements begin in early 2023. Those interested in applying can visit the Merky FC site for more information, and to register their interest in the positions available.
Kanye West has more to say about the recent headlines surrounding him.
In a video reportedly taken in Los Angeles, Ye stopped to answer questions and make statements to a crowd of people.
“I had experiences where I felt like I was being teamed up on,” he says. “And I didn’t realize that term would be antisemitic. So I had a mediation with Adidas today and I think Adidas felt like cause everyone else was ganging up on me that they had the right to take my designs.”
“I feel like this is God humbling me right now,” he continues. “Cause there’s two things that are happening. A lot of times when I would say ‘I am the richest Black man,’ it would be a defense that I would use for the mental health conversation.”
“What’s happening right now is I’m being humbled. Another thing that’s happening to me is by being burned to the flesh every single day, it’s actually proving what I had to say. When I went to the mediation, what I wanna say is, Black people are like okay, ‘Lex Friedman got you to apologize, Piers Morgan got you to apologize to Jews, but you never apologized to us about the George Floyd comment that made us feel bad.’”
He then made sure to say his statement clearly so the “soundbite” is better. “When the idea of Black Lives Matter came out, it made us come together as a people,” he says.
“So I when said that and I questioned the death of George Floyd, it hurt my people. It hurt the Black people. So, I want to apologize [inaudible] because God has shown me by what Adidas is doing and by what the media is doing, I know how it feels to have a knee on my neck now.
So thank you God for humbling me and letting me know how it really felt. Because how could the richest Black man ever be humbled other than to be made to not be a billionaire in front of everyone off one comment.”
Because of Ye’s recent comments, he’s facing a $250 million lawsuit by George Floyd’s family for falsely claiming Floyd was killed by fentanyl, not police brutality. He was dropped by several companies including the aforementioned Adidas, Gap, JPMorgan Chase, Balenciaga, CAA, MRC, Foot Locker, and others.
His words have caused harm in the community, allowing an antisemitic hate group to support his statements by hanging a banner that read “Kanye is right about the Jews” above Interstate 405 in L.A.
You can watch the full video above, where he also coined a new term for 2022 called the “red media.”
West made antisemitic remarks that caused companies that he was affiliated with – including Adidas and Balenciaga – to end their relationships with him this week, bringing to an end his tenure on Forbes Billionaires List.
On the surface, the case of Kanye Westseems pretty cut and dry.
But the million-dollar question is why this didn’t happen a long time ago, given West’s history of making anti-Black statements.
Over the years, West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, has made multiple inflammatory statements that have angered many in the Black community, including his insistence that slavery was a “choice” and “racism is a dated concept” and, most recently, his inclusion of “White Lives Matter” shirts in his fashion line.
“The answer to why I wrote ‘White lives matter’ on a shirt is because they do,” he said in a recent interview with Tucker Carlson.
Yet none of those were met with the same decisive, punitive economic consequences as his antisemitism.
“I think it’s a fair assessment to say Kanye’s punishment is part and parcel of him making anti-Jewish remarks and people care little to nothing about making anti-Black remarks,” Illya Davis, director of freshmen and seniors’ academic success at Morehouse College in Atlanta told CNN. “Oftentimes, Black suffering is overlooked or minimized in culture.”
Others have observed the same: It seemed to take West offending the Jewish community before his empire, which includes music, fashion and tennis shoes, began to crumble.
Journalist Ernest Owens recently tweeted, “FACT: Before Kanye Westwas ‘the face of Anti-Semitism,’ he was one of the hip-hop faces of misogynoir, anti-Blackness, Trumpism, and slavery-denial.”
“And y’all still gave him contracts, documentaries, endorsements, clothing deals, and millions that became billions,” Owens wrote. “Shame.”
Author and Washington Post Magazine contributing writer Damon Young told CNN the situation is a more nuanced discussion than it sometimes appears to be on social media.
“Because they reduce it to ‘Okay, well Kanye saying this anti-Black thing didn’t get any repercussions, but he said this antisemitic thing and he did,’” Young said. “So it, obviously, must mean that anti-Blackness didn’t move the needle, but antisemitism did. And while that may be true, I think that there were other things happening.”
Young said companies predominantly led by White executives, for example, often struggle to react to anti-Black sentiments.
“When a Black person says things about Black people, it’s like, ‘Okay, what do we do? What do we do with that?’” he said. “It’s an easier sort of conversation and easier sort of path to consequences when you start talking about people that you’re not a part of.”
Najja K. Baptist, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas, told CNN that West has been given a great deal of leeway with the Black community, who have rallied around him at other times in the past, like when he said in 2005 that then-President George Bush didn’t “care about Black people” after Hurricane Katrina and when he opened up about his mental health challenges.
FACT: Before Kanye West was “the face of Anti-Semitism,” he was one of the hip-hop faces of misogynoir, anti-Blackness, Trumpism, and slavery-denial.
And y’all still gave him contracts, documentaries, endorsements, clothing deals, and millions that became billions.
“The reason we never really completely shut Kanye down is because we are hanging on to this essence of what he used to be,” Baptist told CNN.
That good will waned recently when West falsely suggested George Floyd was killed by a fentanyl overdose, despite a medical examiner’s testimony that fentanyl was not the direct cause of Floyd’s death, only a contributing factor after being knelt on by a police officer.
So the antisemitic comments were the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” Baptist said, creating a “perfect storm” in which members of both communities are deciding that West should be “canceled.”
Illya Davis, who is also a philosophy professor at Morehouse, said all people’s pain and trauma, regardless of what community they are a part of, should be met with love and compassion – including West, who, he said, needs to be corrected and held accountable.
“I think that it’s very important for us to somehow include the idea of how do we express love, even in the face of contradiction,” he said. “So as contradictory as this brother may seem, we have to love him, yet rightfully so critique him and criticize him when he’s gone amok, when he’s gone off course this way.”
Davis said West “thought his class would preclude any critiques of his making anti-Jewish remarks.”
“I think he’s a victim of his own arrogance,” Davis added.
Kanye “Ye” West is back on Instagram with a new message after the fallout surrounding his latest controversies, including his anti-Semitic comments and controversial “White Lives Matter” shirts.
The 45-year-old rapper and designer lost numerous partnerships, collaborations, and deals in the wake of his comments, including ones with Adidas, GAP, Balenciaga, Vogue, his management team at CAA, and reportedly Def Jam Records.
In his latest post titled “LOVE SPEECH,” Ye acknowledged these losses, which have caused him to be knocked off the Forbes billionaires list.
“I lost 2 billion dollars in one day and I’m still alive,” Ye wrote. “This is love speech. I still love you. God still loves you. The money is not who I am. The people is who I am.”
It’s been a tumultuous few weeks for Ye who debuted his controversial White Lives Matter shirts at Paris Fashion Week, and followed that up with a series of controversies, including multiple anti-Semitic remarks, which caused his Instagram and Twitter accounts to be temporarily locked.
Numerous brands and celebrities, including his ex Kim Kardashian, have spoken out in the weeks since, condemning anti-Semitism and racism.
Shoe brand Skechers claims it had to escort Kanye West from its corporate offices in Los Angeles after he showed up “unannounced and uninvited”.
The company added it had “no intention” of working with the rapper and designer who goes by the name of Ye.
It comes after Adidas, the German sportswear giant, cut ties with Mr West over anti-Semitic remarks he made on social media.
The BBC has contacted Mr West’s representatives for comment.
In a statement Skechers said Mr West had arrived at its offices with a party and was “engaged in unauthorised filming”.
The party were escorted from the building after a brief conversation, it said.
The brand said: “We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech.”
It added: “We again stress that West showed up unannounced and uninvited.”
Mr West, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, has been involved in a string of high profile spats with big brands in recent months and many have cut ties.
On Tuesday, Adidas ended its Yeezy brand collaboration with Mr West saying it does “not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech”.
His products will be pulled from sale with immediate effect, said Adidas. The collaboration was put under review last month after the rapper showed a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week.
Days later, the rapper posted anti-Semitic comments on his Twitter account which led to his account being blocked. Mr West responded to his suspension by rejoining Twitter and saying he would go “death con 3 On Jewish people”, earning him a second disbarment.
Cutting the partnership, which has been hugely successful, means Adidas will make a net loss of £217m in 2022, it said.
Brands cut ties
JP Morgan and fashion house Balenciaga have also parted ways with the rapper over his remarks, while he has been dropped by his talent agency. Gap, which ended its tie-up with Mr West in September, is taking immediate steps to remove Yeezy Gap products from its shops and online store.
Film and television production company MRC said on Monday it will not be airing its recently completed documentary on the rapper.
Mr West has not apologised for the anti-Semitic remarks and on 15 October defended them on US podcast Drink Champs.
The scandal has hit the rapper’s income and he has lost his position in Forbes magazine’s list of billionaires. The magazine estimates the loss of the Adidas partnership has cut Ye’s net worth from $1.5bn to $400m.
Kanye West’s Yeezy collaboration with Adidas has been one of the most successful in the brand’s history.
But that’s now over, as the clothing giant has dropped the rapper – known as Ye – over anti-Semitic comments.
Cutting the partnership means Adidas will make a net loss of £217m in 2022, with many other brands also ending their relationships with him.
For fans of the fashion and music, and the wider sneaker world, the big question is what comes next?
“I was a fan of him,” James Drury tells BBC Newsbeat. “He is a genius in the fashion industry and in the music industry.”
But the 28-year-old is no longer a fan and says he can’t stand by Ye after anti-Semitic comments.
“It does feel like he’s almost attention seeking to stay relevant,” he says. “And he’s just a little bit too far out there with me now.
“There’s certain things that you just can’t agree with.”
‘A separate brand’
James, from Shropshire, has been collecting Yeezys since 2016,when he first got into the range.
“It was more so the rarity,” he says. “Seeing images of various celebrities wearing them, it instantly pulls you in.”
But when it comes to being a Yeezy collector, he will continue despite Ye’s comments.
“I almost see Yeezy as a brand separately from Kanye West. Obviously, he controls much of it, but for some reason I see Yeezy as separate. So I will continue with it.”
Image source, James DruryImage caption, James has been collecting shoes since 2016
James says he’s not in it for the money though.
“I’m personally not in it for selling them, I collect because of the rarity rather than the money,” he says.
“I have huge stories behind [certain shoes that I’ve got].”
Emily Atkins from The Sole Supplier, a specialist trainer website, labels it “the biggest story in the sneaker world”.
And while cutting the partnership has cost Adidas money, Emily is interested to see the wider impact.
“We’ve been seeing that people have rebelled and boycotted Adidas because of Kanye’s comments,” the shoe expert says. “And I think his influence is on the whole brand.”
Emily, 25, says Adidas can recover from the backlash, and they can learn a big lesson on not putting “so much reliance on one influencer for their campaigns”.
“I think he started damaging his reputation a long while ago.”
But she recognises the need to keep in mind Ye’s mention of his mental health, as he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Image source, EmilyImage caption, Emily feels Ye’s departure from Nike didn’t have a big impact, so the same might be possible for Adidas
She adds there are other options for Adidas going forward, too.
“It’s dangerous for any brand to rely so heavily on one influencer to drive such a huge portion of their sales,” she says.
“But on the other hand, they do have other products, some very iconic silhouettes which have always been around pre-Kanye.”
The future for Ye?
As for Ye, he’s lost his position in Forbes magazine’s list of billionaires. It estimates that the loss of the Adidas partnership cuts Ye’s net worth from $1.5bn to $400m (£1.3bn to £349m).
In the world of fashion, Emily feels the rapper no longer has “the positive inputs he had all those years ago”.
“It’ll be interesting to see his next move. And which brands are brave enough to take him under their wing.”
As for his music, James says while he’s not yet at the stage where he’ll be pressing skip on his tunes, but “it’s getting very close”.
“I do think a lot of people will turn off his music now, will skip him and put [his comments] before the music.”
While many brands and entities are cutting ties with Kanye West (who now goes by Ye) following the artist’s repeated antisemitic comments, one of his closest partners, Adidas, has remained silent throughout the controversy. Now, a director at the brand is putting the pressure on the company with a public LinkedIn post.
Adidas director of trade marketing Sarah Camhi posted to her account this evening, saying the brand needs to do better by its employees and community. Camhi, who is Jewish, says that Adidas recently touted a “global week of inclusion” in the midst of Ye’s hateful remarks. According to her post, Adidas has not only remained quiet publicly, but it’s also said nothing about the matter internally to its employees.
Camhi argues Adidas has dropped athletes for far less problematic instances including the use of steroids and being perceived as difficult to work with, yet has failed to address the hate speech from Ye.
“We need to do better as a brand,” Camhi writes. “We need to do better for our employees and we need to do better for our communities. Until Adidas takes a stand, I will not stand with Adidas.”
On October 6, Adidas announced that its partnership with Ye was under review after a string of posts targeting the brand and its supervisory board. Days later, Ye began his descent into anti-Semitic speech by tweeting he would go “DEATH CON 3 on Jewish people.”
Adidas has yet to acknowledge his most latest comments, which have been amplified through an appearance on Drink Champs and interviews with the likes of Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan. In the Drink Champs episode, he taunted the brand over this exact matter. “The thing about me and Adidas is like, I can literally say antisemitic shit, and they can’t drop me,” he said.
Despite Adidas’ silence, many brands have recently taken action against Ye. Balenciaga confirmed Friday it had no future plans to work him.
Vogue’s Anna Wintour has reportedly cut ties with him. Talent agency CAA dropped him today, and Def Jam confirmed that his G.O.O.D. Music imprint is no longer affiliated with the label.
Adidas officially has ended its partnership with Kanye West after he made numerous anti-Semitic comments.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the athletic company said in a statement Tuesday. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
Adidas has cut ties with Kanye West after he made a series of anti-Semitic remarks.
Jonathan Leibson (Credit: Jonathan Leibson)
Adidas announced its partnership with the Yeezy fashion designer was “under review” in early October after West, 45, wore a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to a fashion show — and then continued to wear it.
“After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,” Adidas shared in a statement at the time. “We will continue to co-manage the current product during this period.”
The company’s decision comes after celebrities, including West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian, condemned West for his remarks.
“Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech,” the company announced Tuesday. GC Images
West didn’t take to the company’s decision kindly, responding on Instagram, “F—K ADIDAS I AM ADIDAS ADIDAS RAPED AND STOLE MY DESIGNS.”
The rapper’s relationship with both Adidas and the rest of the fashion world worsened after he vowed to go “death con 3” on Jewish people. He was immediately banned from both Twitter and Instagram.
He later bashed “Jewish media” for silencing him online after he posted a screenshot of his text messages with Diddy in which the rapper wrote, “This ain’t a game. Ima use you as an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me.”
West has maintained he would not be cancelled despite the failing business ventures. @CelebCandidly / MEGA
Despite Adidas, Balenciaga and Vogue severing their relationships with West, the “Flashing Lights” rapper maintains he’ll never be cancelled.
“I ain’t losing no money,” he told TMZ, shrugging. “The day I was taken off the Balenciaga site, that was one of the most freeing days.”
He added, “We here, baby, we ain’t going nowhere.”
The NHL is bringing us back to the ’80s with the unveiling of each team’s new Reverse Retro themed jerseys for the 2022-23 season, and Hockey Twitter is having fun with some of the more unusual designs.
The Montreal Canadiens already took mascot Youppi, and now they’re paying homage to the now-defunct Montreal Expos by using the signature baby blue as the main colour, a direct reference to the Expos’ away uniforms in the 1980s.
While some have met the new jersey warmly, others called it low-effort and lamented the lack of a true Expos’ font.
The Philadelphia Flyers also turned back the clock, reviving their long black hockey pants, the “Cooperalls,” with the team’s signature orange stripes that only lasted two seasons.
Instead of using them in-game, the Flyers will only wear them during warmups, to the chagrin of several fans.
Other fans didn’t seem to mind their limited use and were just happy that the team did something different.
Other teams, like the Vegas Golden Knights, are simply too new to have a retro jersey. Instead, they opted for glow-in-the-dark elements meant to simulate the lighting of the Las Vegas Strip.
Fans immediately rejoiced at the idea of seeing their star players skate around in them.
All 32 NHL team Adidas Reverse Retros drop on Nov. 15.
Days after Kanye West exhibited a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week, Adidas claims that it is examining its Yeezy collaboration with the rapper.
The company stated that “successful partnerships are founded in mutual respect and shared principles” without mentioning the controversy.
The rapper and fashion designer responded on Instagram, claiming the firm “stole” his designs.
A spokesperson for the German sportswear company also said that the “Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry’s history.”
In his Instagram post, Mr West also used a strong expletive, adding “I AM ADIDAS.”
Earlier this week, he was criticised after he presented a collection at Paris Fashion Week that included T-shirts with the slogan “White Lives Matter”.
The phrase Black Lives Matter, which represents opposition to racism and police brutality, was widely used after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis in the summer of 2020.
Vogue’s Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who is global fashion editor-at-large at the fashion magazine, was among those that criticised West over the T-shirts, calling the move “hugely irresponsible.”
In response, Mr West responded by lashing out at Ms Karefa-Johnson and posting photographs of her mocking her appearance to his 17.9 million followers.
In a statement, Vogue said it “stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson”.
“She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable. Now, more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.”
IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson at this year’s Paris Fashion Week
The almost decade-long partnership between Adidas and West has been strained for some time.
At the centre of their collaboration is a hugely popular range of sneakers – known as Yeezy – which cost hundreds of dollars, with new releases often selling out within minutes.
In June, he accused Adidas of making a shoe that looked similar to the distinctive Yeezy design, but was not part of their deal.
Adidas said it will continue to co-manage the partnership while the review is underway.
The announcement from Adidas comes less than a month after West’s lawyers sent a letter to fashion chain Gap to say he would no longer work with the firm.
However the geometric blue, teal and yellow design is a pattern called zellige, which is common in Moroccan mosaics, the ministry’s lawyer said.
The neighbouring nations have a long history of tensions, as they continue to dispute Western Sahara.
Lawyer Mourad Elajouti wrote on Facebook that he had issued a legal warning to Adidas, on behalf of Morocco’s Ministry of Culture.
In a letter to the company’s chief executive Kasper Rorsted, Mr Elajouti said the new design was cultural appropriation and “an attempt to steal a form of Moroccan cultural heritage and use it outside its context”.
He has demanded the German sportswear brand remove the design within two weeks.
Mr Elajouti added that Algeria’s 2022-2023 season kit “contributes to the loss and distortion of the identity and history of these [zellige] cultural elements”.
The BBC has contacted Adidas for comment.
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption, Morocco’s culture ministry claims the designs are too similar to zellige, a style of Moroccan mosaic tilework
Algeria and Morocco share a nearly 2,000 km (1,242 miles) border, which has been a source of tension since independence from French colonial rule.
In 1963, they had the Sand War over Morocco’s claim to territory in Algeria.
Later on, Algeria backed the Polisario Front’s campaign for Western Sahara’s independence from Morocco, leading to the 1975-1991 Western Sahara War.
The border was then closed in 1994 for security reasons after militant Islamists bombed a hotel in the historic Moroccan city of Marrakesh.
More recently, in 2021 Algeria cut diplomatic ties with its neighbour, accusing Morocco of “hostile acts”. Morocco called the move “completely unjustified”.
Adidas (ADSGn.DE) reported a 93% plunge in first-quarter profit and sales off 19%, missing forecasts, and warned of a deeper hit to second-quarter revenue as lockdowns forced the German sportswear maker and other retailers to close stores.
First-quarter operating profit fell to 65 million euros, well short of the 263 million expected by analysts.
Adidas said it had taken a hit of around 250 million euros on unsold stock in greater China, purchase order cancellations and higher bad debt provisions.
Sales fell 19% to 4.75 billion euros versus 4.85 billion forecast by analysts, Refinitiv Eikon data showed, and the company warned of a possible 40% fall in the second quarter.
Adidas shares were down 1.2% in early trade and have fallen more than a third since the coronavirus pandemic started.
It said it could not provide an outlook for the year given the uncertainty over when closed stores might reopen.
Adidas said more than 70% of its stores were currently closed worldwide, with a 35% rise in e-commerce in the first quarter only partially offsetting that.
In the first three weeks of April, it said sales in China had continued to recover as stores reopened there.
Rival Nike Inc (NKE.N) last month beat estimates for its third quarter ended Feb. 29, with revenue up 5.1% as strong online demand offset lower sales in China.
Adidas said it had a cash position of 1.975 billion euros at March 31. It received approval for a 2.4 billion euro government-backed loan on April 14 to help it through the crisis and is reportedly planning a bond to replace it.
German sportswear maker Adidas (ADSGn.DE) apologizes on Wednesday for saying it would stop paying rent for stores around the world forced to close by coronavirus lockdowns after a storm of criticism, saying it would pay up for April after all.
Adidas was blasted on social media for its decision last week to defer rental payments and German Labour Minister Hubertus Heil called the behavior irresponsible and noted that the company had made hefty profits in recent years.
Many retailers around the world have been seeking to defer rent payments as they look to ride out the coronavirus shutdown, passing on the financial pressure to their landlords.
“Almost all over the world there is no normal business anymore. The shops are closed. Even a healthy company like Adidas cannot stand this for long,†the company said in a letter due to appear in various media outlets on Thursday.
Adidas said it would need credit even after staff cut their working hours, executives waived part of their pay and the company stopped share buybacks, but said it understood that many people saw the decision on rents as lacking solidarity.
“We would therefore like to apologize to you formally. We have paid our landlords the rent for April,†it said.
Adidas said on Tuesday it will suspend a 1 billion euro ($1.09 billion)share buyback it had planned for this year as a way to conserve cash after closing its retail outlets in Europe and North America.
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
&w=707&quality=100)
