Not only is Kanye West “woke,” but he’s also a no-nonsense businessman. Kanye responded to allegations that he stole Nike sketches by firing a newly-hired member of his Yeezy design team.
A former Nike designer claims the embattled music producer stole a series of detailed body sketches and passed them off as his own.
Like most fashion designers, Kanye has a stable of artists and designers who present him with drawings for his approval.
When a newly-hired designer presented Kanye with sketches of the human anatomy, he liked what he saw. Kanye immediately took to Twitter.com and shared a pencil sketch of the human leg muscles.
“this is where a YEEZY study for base layer starts,” he tweeted, explaining the research that goes into his company’s designs. “I’m so excited about our new design team.”
However, Tony Spackman, an ex-Nike employee who now works at top fashion label Givenchy, claims Kanye stole the sketch, which he drew a decade ago, from his website.
Comparing the two virtually identical illustrations online, Spackman tweeted, “When Kanye rips your 10 year old Nike sketch and claims it”.
He also alleges the hip-hop star edited the post by deleting the date and title of the sketch.
Kanye, who moved his Yeezy brand from Nike to Adidas in 2013, responded to the allegations by promptly firing the designer responsible for the sketch.
“Today I learned that a newly hired designer on the Yeezy team presented work that was not of their own. This person has immediately been let go from the Yeezy brand,” Kanye tweeted on May 4.
Kanye declined to name the designer.
Today I learned that a newly hired designer on the Yeezy team presented work that was not of their own. This person has immediately been let go from the Yeezy brand.
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) May 4, 2018
Photo by Dan Jackman/WENN.com
