Kanye West Responds To Backlash Of Selling Yeezy Gap Clothing In "Trash Bags"

Kanye West faced criticism this week due to the in-store presentation of his Yeezy Gap line.

BYAron A.
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Kanye West faced backlash this week following a viral photo of the in-store display of his Yeezy Gap collection. Fans immediately noted how the Balenciaga-engineered items weren't placed on hangers or display tables but rather, in massive bags that customers had to dig through. 

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Today, Kanye responded to the criticism during an interview with Fox News, where he fired back at accusations of mocking the homeless. Ye explained that he's trying to "challenge traditional conventions" to create clothing that's "more egalitarian," according to Eric Shawn.

"Look man, I’m an innovator,” Ye told Fox News. “And I’m not here to sit up and apologize about my ideas. That’s exactly what the media tries to do. Make us apologize for any idea that doesn’t fall under exactly the way they want us to think.”


Shawn reports Kanye said that "we should not clown the creators and innovators" because it'll compromise creativity. Kanye said that he was using construction bags -- not garbage bags -- to provide an "informal" experience where people can just dig in and grab the item that they want. 

"This is not a joke. This is not a game. This is not just some celebrity collaboration. This is my life," Kanye explained. "I'm fighting for a position to be able to change clothing and bring the best design to the people."

Check out the full interview below. 


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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.