This article was published on May 25 and updated on May 27.
YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga is back and as enigmatic than ever. May 25 initially marked the second drop of Ye and Demna-designed collection, now postponed for May 27.
Teased in Ye's recent "Life of the Party" music video, the second YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga drop (yes, you do have to say the entire name every time) may have included everything — or at least most of the stuff — that didn't release in the initial offering.
So, moving beyond the archetypal hoodies, T-shirts, denim jackets, and sweatpants that rolled out on February 22, expect YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga anoraks, puffy jackets, coats, and perhaps even some insulated sleeping bags — hardly summertime fare.
Since its inception and even the initial announcement, YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga has divided fans but proven demonstrably popular, selling swiftly on pre-order and inspiring some mass resale, though not for terribly inflated prices.
None of the stuff was particularly cheap to begin with, mind you, though everything was leagues cheaper than Balenciaga's mainline collection. The boxy T-shirts were $140, hoodies were $240, and the padded denim jacket was $440, making YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga pricing comparable to the average mid-tier fashion label.
The expansive YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga lookbook, revealed alongside the first collection, spotlights a plethora of thus-far-unreleased items, including the aforementioned anoraks, coats, and bags.
Ye was seen wearing one of the presumed YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga hats during a recent trip to Japan but few if any other unreleased items have actually seen the light of day.
It's a slow-drip tease strategy that fans of Ye ought to be familiar with by now, the same technique that's being used by the forthcoming Kanye x McDonald's meal.
Early on May 25, YEEZY GAP website had a timer ticking down to 9:15 am EST, when the new YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga collection was planned to drop.
Suddenly, the YEEZY GAP website was updated with a statement regarding the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
It read:
"IN LIGHT OF THE TRAGEDY IN UVALDE, TEXAS WE ARE POSTPONING THE YEEZY GAP ENGINEERED BY BALENCIAGA LAUNCH UNTIL FRIDAY, MAY 27 AT 6AM PST / 9AM EST.
AS WE PAUSE, OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES IMPACTED."
Finally, on May 27, YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga's second drop went live for pre-order on YEEZY GAP's website, aligning with retail partners Farfetch, Mytheresa, and LUISAVIAROMA's websites.
A lengthy statement accompanied the drop: "DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE, YEEZY GAP AND BALENCIAGA REIMAGINE THE MODERN WARDROBE THROUGH THEIR SHARED VISION OF UTILITARIAN DESIGN. THE CREATIVE EXPLORATION INCLUDES TEES, HOODIES, JOGGING PANTS, OUTERWEAR AND CAPS REBORN IN WASH, HUE AND SILHOUETTE. A NEW SET OF VISUALS BRIDGES THE PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL INTRODUCING VIRTUALLY RENDERED AVATARS WEARING LOOKS FROM THE NEW COLLECTION."
Released on the same day as Ye's collaborative song with embattled, allegedly abusive rapper XXXTentacion (which isn't the first Ye/XXXTentacion crossover), the second YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga collection ranges in price from $80 for a flame-detailed cap (the first item to sell out) to $340 for a puffer pullover and $440 for the padded denim jacket from the debut collection.
Fans were equally irritated and enraptured, which means that Ye knows exactly what he's doing.
