Kanye West wants to start his own chain of Yeezy stores and is planning for his flagship to be in his birthplace of Atlanta, Georgia. The 45-year-old billionaire revealed his plans to start in the Empire City of the South and go worldwide on Wednesday (Aug. 31).
“We are going to open Yeezy stores worldwide, starting in Atlanta,” he wrote on Instagram, per Rap-Up. “Who would be best to open it? I’ll buy the land and/or building. Then we [are] going up in every state and then internationally.”
West then requested those with the retail experience to throw their names in the comment section. “Anyone who has over 10 years of retail experience and is ready to change the world, post your Instagram handle or store location in the comments, and we’ll find you.”
He also included a screenshot of a FaceTime call with 2 Chainz in the Instagram post, suggesting he now has connections to Atlanta’s mayor, Andre Dickens. “2 Chainz said he got the mayor(‘s) number,” West wrote. “I added the s ’cause my mama was head of the English department. But this may take some incorrect English to get done.”
Pusha T also jumped at the opportunity of making West’s dreams come true, proposing himself as a qualified candidate. “Well, since we [are] doing every state and we [are] talking over 10 years of retail experience. [Smiling face with sunglasses emoji] Put us down for Virginia and Pennsylvania,” he wrote, tagging his Creme streetwear store.
There is a possibility that West’s plans are a result of his feud with Adidas and Gap, long-standing partners of his Yeezy brand. He called out the companies for not fulfilling their promises of opening physical stores for their collaborations with the multifaceted artist while accusing them of handling business without his knowledge. “I signed with both Adidas and Gap because it contractually stated they would build permanent stores, which neither company has done even though I saved both of those companies at the same time,” he added. “I’m [going to] show you how to use social media.”
West’s Yeezy Gap collection was available in-store at Gap’s Times Square flagship for the first time this summer. The clothes were displayed in biodegradable construction bags that consumers had to sort through before finding their size. West defended the idea of his collection in the bags last month, saying he won’t apologize for being an innovator. “This is my life. I’m fighting for [the] position to be able to change clothing and bring the best design to the people.”
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