You might already know that Kanye West once worked at the Gap; he rapped about it on his 2004 album College Dropout, and he's talked about it in various interviews. (He wasn't exactly the best employee, as the lyrics in "Spaceship" demonstrate.) But West has some pretty strong feelings about the retailer these days.
"I say things like I want to be creative director for the Gap... I’ve got to give super-props to Mickey Drexler. I know he’s not at the Gap anymore. That’s a talent." West told Vanity Fair in a lengthy interview that ran online yesterday, which also covered his political aspirations, why sweatshirts are the future, and how his Yeezy 2 collection came together. West also talked about digging basics that blend into the wearer: "I want the clothes to almost go away, to almost be invisible, to be one with the personality. You know when you see people’s dogs look like them? I want people’s clothes to look like them."
In February, West first hinted at his Gap design aspirations: "When I say Steve Jobs of the Gap...I’m not talking about a capsule. I’m talking about full Hedi Slimane creative control of the Gap is what I would like to do," he told Style.com. West was once in talks with Gap about doing a collaboration, but the pair-up fell through because West "couldn't get past the politics," as he said in a 2013 radio interview.
Maybe he's been holding out for his shot at a bigger role. Why do a collaboration when you can be creative director? Alas, that role doesn't even exist at Gap these days. Following the January ousting of creative director Rebekka Bay, the company cut the position entirely, instead hiring Wendi Goldman as executive vice president of product design and development in February. But have faith that Kanye will find a way to get back to his Gap roots if he so wants to...and keeps bringing it up in interview after interview. Sweatshirts (and maybe body stockings) for all?
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