Kanye Strikes 10-Year Deal That Might Just Save a Big Brand

"He just might make Gap cool again." That's how TMZ describes a new 10-year deal between Kanye West and the Gap to forge a clothing line. The mall brand and Kanye's company, Yeezy, say the new "Yeezy Gap" line will provide "modern, elevated basics for men, women and kids at accessible price points." So buyers probably won't be spending the usual Yeezy prices, like $925 for a men's cardigan or $241 for a woman's sweater, the New York Times notes. The Gap typically sells tops and jeans for under $50 and often sells them at discount prices.

The deal might just save the Gap, which has been struggling amid the pandemic and suffering an identity crisis for years. It might also fulfill Kanye's long-held dream of leading the company, where he worked as a teenager. "One of my dreams was to be the head creative director of the Gap," he told the Cut in 2015. "I'd like to be the Steve Jobs of the Gap … [I want] full Hedi Slimane creative control of the Gap." The Gap—which earned $4.6 billion globally last year—hopes the new line will drum up $1 billion in annual sales. How Yeezy designs will mesh with the Gap's "normcore" style remains to be seen. (More Kanye West stories.)