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Ye, the American rapper formerly known as Kanye West, staged his first Yeezy runway show in four years on Nov. 4 in Los Angeles, as the brand rebuilds its business through a retail partnership with British sportswear chain JD Sports Fashion Plc.
The Yeezy Season 01 show took place at the brand's new flagship store in Los Angeles and was streamed online. Models in mostly plain, single-color outfits walked in circles around a large white hill instead of down a traditional runway, to a soundtrack that included unreleased songs by Ye. His wife, Bianca Censori, opened the show.
Guests included rappers 2 Chainz, Kid Cudi and Big Sean, designer Jerry Lorenzo of Fear of God, and Ye's four children.
Back in stores
The show caps a year in which Yeezy has returned to physical retail. JD Sports, one of the world's largest sneaker chains, began selling Yeezy Slides in its U.S. stores in August and has since stocked other Yeezy footwear. The chain is also releasing the Yeezy 800 sneaker this holiday season.
The partnership is Yeezy's first major retail deal since Adidas AG ended its collaboration with Ye in October 2022 over antisemitic remarks he made. Gap Inc. had cut ties with him the month before. His last Yeezy show, in Paris in 2022, drew criticism after he wore a T-shirt printed with "White Lives Matter."
Earlier this year, Ye took out a full-page newspaper advertisement apologizing for his antisemitic remarks and describing how bipolar disorder had affected his life. He has since returned to stadium touring, and on Oct. 31 he performed for 80,210 fans in Houston.
Life after Adidas
The Adidas deal had accounted for most of Ye's wealth, and its end cost him his place among the world's billionaires. He still owns Yeezy outright, and since the split he has sold clothing and footwear directly to customers through the brand's website.
Ye, 49, rose to fame as a producer for Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records before releasing his debut album, "The College Dropout," in 2004. He has won 24 Grammy Awards and is due to perform at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, on Nov. 7.
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