Highsnobiety

Gap is garnering a lot of criticism for abandoning its collaboration with Black designer Telfar Clemens. The struggling retailer reportedly ghosted and failed to pay Telfar amid Covid-19. A fact made even more problematic considering Gap's brand new 10-year deal with Kanye West's YEEZY.

Gap announced its mammoth deal with YEEZY yesterday, "a next-level retail partnership" which many consider a huge win for Black creatives. However, among all the buzz surrounding the Gap-YEEZY partnership, one question is becoming painfully obvious – whatever happened to that Telfar collaboration?

Earlier this year, Gap announced its collaboration with Telfar at a surprise fashion week party. There was a ton of buzz, with many excited to see the independent Black designer secure such a lucrative deal. In an interview with Highsnobiety, Telfar spoke of his "obsession" with Gap and his excitement at the platform the collab would give his brand.

Now Business of Fashion reports that the Telfar x Gap collaboration came to a halt back in March due to the coronavirus lockdowns and widespread store closures. In the wake of this indefinite postponement, Gap offered Telfar 25% of the design fee as an advance for work that had already been completed on the collab. Yet, since then Telfar and his team have not received any payment for the partnership, not even the postponement fee.

Understandably, Gap is facing criticism for abandoning a Black-owned brand for budget reasons and instead clout-chasing an expensive multi-year deal with Kanye.

Gap is reportedly looking into the matter.

We Recommend
  • Image on Highsnobiety
    EXCLUSIVE: Kid Cudi & MSCHF's Collaborative Sneaker Is Very Not Normal
    • Sneakers
  • labor day discounts
    The Best Labor Day Discounts Happening Today
    • Style
  • Image on Highsnobiety
    Jaden Smith's 2023 New Balance Collab Does the 550 One Better
    • Sneakers
  • Image on Highsnobiety
    Aminé's New Balance Shoe Is Bananas
    • Sneakers
  • Image on Highsnobiety
    The MSCHF Boot Returns as a Crocs Collab
    • Sneakers
  • Image on Highsnobiety
What To Read Next
  • gucci ss24
    There's No Raining on Sabato De Sarno's Gucci Parade
    • Style
  • mains umbrella cane
    You Can Stand Under My $38K Mains Umbrella
    • Style
  • Guram Gvasalia
    Did Vetements' Guram Gvasalia & Kate Moss Just Go IG Official?
    • Culture
  • a look at the TAG Heuer x Team Izakawa watch collab
    TAG Heuer & Team Ikuzawa Celebrate Japan’s Lone Wolf With a Carrera Collab
    • Watches
  • jay-z yeezys outfit
    Is Jay-Z Wearing YEEZYs?
    • Sneakers
  • reebok ltd
    Introducing Reebok LTD, A Playground For Creative Evolution
    • Style
*If you submitted your e-mail address and placed an order, we may use your e-mail address to inform you regularly about similar products without prior explicit consent. You can object to the use of your e-mail address for this purpose at any time without incurring any costs other than the transmission costs according to the basic tariffs. Each newsletter contains an unsubscribe link. Alternatively, you can object to receiving the newsletter at any time by sending an e-mail to info@highsnobiety.com

Web Accessibility Statement

Titelmedia (Highsnobiety), is committed to facilitating and improving the accessibility and usability of its Website, www.highsnobiety.com. Titelmedia strives to ensure that its Website services and content are accessible to persons with disabilities including users of screen reader technology. To accomplish this, Titelmedia has engaged UsableNet Inc, a leading web accessibility consultant to help test, remediate and maintain our Website in-line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which also bring the Website into conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Disclaimer

Please be aware that our efforts to maintain accessibility and usability are ongoing. While we strive to make the Website as accessible as possible some issues can be encountered by different assistive technology as the range of assistive technology is wide and varied.

Contact Us

If, at any time, you have specific questions or concerns about the accessibility of any particular webpage on this Website, please contact us at accessibility@highsnobiety.com, +49 (0)30 235 908 500. If you do encounter an accessibility issue, please be sure to specify the web page and nature of the issue in your email and/or phone call, and we will make all reasonable efforts to make that page or the information contained therein accessible for you.