After the fall of Kanye West, Adidas is trying to figure out what to do with $1.2 billion in unsellable products | Culture
On October 25, one of the most lucrative urban fashion alliances in recent years officially came to an end.
Through a statement, Adidas announced the immediate end of its collaboration with Kanye West (now named Ye) and their joint brand, Yeezy. This was the sportswear giant’s reaction to the antisemitic remarks made by the American rapper and businessman – just one of his many controversial episodes.
The urban fashion partnership – which began in 2015 and put Adidas at the forefront of “streetwear” culture – is now over. However, there are still many issues that need to be resolved.
The heritage of the Adidas-West collaboration is not only symbolic, but also material. This month, the firm estimated that by not putting up its stock of Yeezy products for sale, it will lose $1.2 billion – a major hit on the company’s finances, reportedly representing about 10% of annual revenue.