Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was one of pop music’s biggest stars in 2013 when he inked his first sneakers deal with Adidas. However, his creative energy and focus shifted toward disrupting the fashion industry. Following an internship at Fendi and a collaboration with Louis Vuitton, Nike briefly hired him to collaborate on two sneaker projects: the Air Yeezy I and II. But it was the star’s partnership with Adidas that would be as lucrative as it was, ultimately, controversial.
One of Twohey’s major suggestions is that Adidas allegedly “appeased” its star collaborator’s vile behavior for a decade. But another major question posed by Twohey’s article remains.
The Ye-Adidas marriage seemed like a true win-win. Ye became one of only a handful of Black billionaires worldwide. Adidas was able to compete with Nike for brand supremacy. But as Megan Twohey reveals in her recent New York Times exposé, this dysfunctional relationship, which eroded last year in the wake of Ye’s increasingly antisemitic comments, was rooted in deplorable behavior.
One of Twohey’s major suggestions is that Adidas allegedly “appeased” its star collaborator’s vile behavior for a decade. But another major question posed by Twohey’s article remains. To what extent was consumer behavior responsible for Adidas’ willingness to overlook Ye’s toxic and self-destructive behavior? And to what extent is it still happening? This Cyber Monday and holiday season, shoppers will spend millions on sneakers. While Ye’s Adidas originals are now harder to find, many pairs remain available via third-party sellers. And as Jewish groups warn about a surge in antisemitic hate tied to the Israel-Hamas war, the question of consumer complicity is as salient as ever.
Times reporter Twohey painted a picture of an unprofessional and at times abusive environment where Ye allegedly made antisemitic remarks, berated women, forced workers to watch pornography and demanded excessive…
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