A Lot More Yeezy Is Coming Soon, Including Stores & Activewear

Like him or not, Kanye West has been behind some of the buzziest fashion moments of the last few years, from a Madison Square Garden listening party/presentation to a pop-up that was reportedly so successful, it basically paralysed lower Manhattan. It all started with his collaboration with Adidas Originals on Yeezy Season 1, which flourished into an ongoing (and award-winning) sneaker sensation. (Have you tried to get a pair of Yeezy Boosts? Seriously, it's a process.) Well brace yourselves, there's more to come: Adidas has announced it's ready to go steady with Kanye. The brand is taking it to the next level, segueing the buzzy, limited-edition collaborations into a full-blown, long-term partnership. Yeezy for Adidas Originals is now Adidas + Kanye West, "a Yeezy-branded entity creating footwear, apparel, and accessories for all genders across street and sport," according to a press release. The announcement, while very intriguing, doesn't reveal a ton of specifics about this new chapter — it's more of a heads up that there's much more Yeezy coming our way in the near future. A lot of details, such as timing and pricing, are up in the air. Here's what we know for sure, though: Moving forward, West's designs for Adidas will include clothing, both lifestyle and sportswear threads (Yeezy for the gym!), and the brand's getting brick-and-mortar stores (Yeezy IRL!). West is also getting his own design team out in Portland at Adidas HQ. Hopefully, all these new resources also mean West is going to make good on that promise to make Yeezy more affordable.

Adidas touts this to be a history-making pair-up, billing it as "the most significant partnership ever created between a non-athlete and an athletic brand." Adidas has seen a boost both in earnings and social media engagement thanks to its association with West, after all. The love seems pretty mutual, though: West has always shown appreciation for his Adidas family. "These past two years, Adidas and Yeezy have given a glimpse into our future," West said in a statement regarding the news. "This partnership illustrates that anyone with a dream can dream without limitations." Eric Liedtke, Adidas' CMO, added that this next chapter is about having West be even more involved. "With Adidas + Kanye West, we are exploring new territories by opening up the sports world to Kanye's creativity," he explained. Adidas is also banking on West to play a pivotal role in its disruption of the retail space. "The same signature lines have X player, Y player, Z player," Liedtke told The Wall Street Journal. "Of course we’re going to have Kanye work with our guys to challenge that, as well." We'll have to keep a eye out to see what Yeezy 2.0 (not to be confused with Yeezy Season 2, of course) will look like. West is expected to make a Saint Pablo tour pitstop in New York curiously close to Fashion Week, as Complex pointed out — so maybe we'll get a peek of beefed-up Yeezy come September.