As Gap-Kanye West Pairing Turns One, Slow Pace Of Yeezy Drops Stokes Concerns

Never underestimate the power of a blue puffer jacket. That, it seems, is the lesson from the first fashion item dropped into the market care of the Kanye West-Gap collaboration that will see Yeezy bringing its unique eye for design to the once iconic label that’s been struggling for the last decade to reclaim some of the relevance it’s lost.

The Gap-Yeezy deal is not new. Announced about a year ago, the partnership promised the efforts of Yeezy design studio and the creation of a new range of products to provide “modern, elevated basics for men, women and kids at accessible price points,” per the announcement last June.

“We are excited to welcome Kanye back to the Gap family (West worked at The Gap as a teenager) as a creative visionary, building on the aesthetic and success of his YEEZY brand and together defining a next-level retail partnership,” the announcement said.

At the time, the promise was for the line to start to roll out in “the first-half of 2021.” And since the first, and only, piece dropped in June, they did technically live up to that promise — though the blue Gap/Yeezy puffer coat that dropped last month (and sold out nearly instantly) will not actually ship to their purchasers until fall. That wait did nothing to stem the consumer frenzy that peaked as the jacket was released — and Gap’s online traffic among younger consumers surged to a heretofore unseen level when the jacket went up for pre-order in early June.

The surge has generated great expectations among analysts, who believe the Kanye collaboration may actually live up to its billing as a $1 billion dollar innovation that will put the long-suffering mall brand back on the map.

The Big Buzz

The nearly instant sold-out status of the first Yeezy release quickly excited market watchers who believe that this tie-up could be the game changer Gap has been in search of for the better part of a decade in terms of turning the struggling iconic brand around. Wells Fargo analysts have been particularly bullish, according to reports, that Yeezy Gap could bring in nearly $1 billion in sales next year, or maybe more.

“We want to reiterate that this analysis only captures the opportunity among customers who intend to purchase Yeezy products today,” they said in a research note. “This does not account for new customers or higher Gap spend among existing customers due to the ‘brand halo’ that Yeezy may bestow on the Gap brand and broader assortment — similar to what Yeezy did for [Adidas] beginning in 2015.”

And Kanye West’s track record as retail mover and shaker is long established. With footwear, with clothing and with pop-up shops, for the last half decade West has demonstrated an undeniable ability to feel the ways the consumer winds are blowing and to make sure his sails are pointed accordingly.

But not everyone is feeling the buzz at present. Early reviews of the first product were mixed at best, with some likening the $200 jacket to a blue trash bag and some analysis noting the billion-dollar predictions floating around rely on some fairly large assumptions in terms of how many consumers Yeezy brings in — and how much of a halo effect West’s products can really offer to other items in Gap’s lineup.

What’s Next

Rumors are already circulating that the second item to be dropped by the Gap-Kayne West collaboration is coming soon — though most reports indicate that the second drop will be a black version of the blue coat already seen, so it remains to be seen if it will generate the same level of buzz among consumers.

Which, it seems, is the big lingering question mark hanging over the Kanyesssance at the GAP — whether there will be enough merchandise available across men’s, women’s and children’s clothing to really act as a significant draw. Kanye West, when it comes to albums, isn’t known for his rigorous commitment to deadlines.

But now, as part of a 5-year (extendable to 10 years) partnership with the Gap, deadlines will be important, as having enough unique and affordable Yeezy wear available will be critical if the partnership is going to pay off the way Gap is hoping and analysis are forecasting.

The puffy coats are a good start, but to make a turnaround happen, consumers will likely need to see a whole lot more than an alternate color for said coat.