“Sharing his enthusiasm and love of our president, when much of his fan base does not at this point in time, that could indeed hurt his brand,” says a fashion expert of the Yeezy fashion mogul”.
Is Wednesday, April 25, 2018 the day Kanye West killed his brand?
“You don’t have to agree with trump but the mob can’t make me not love him,” wrote West, who made a pilgrimage to Trump Tower in December 2016 that raised eyebrows. On Wednesday, he also posted a photo of a signed Make America Great Again hat, and Trump tweeted back at him in approval.
“People like him for being a bit crazy and erratic,” says Stacy Jones of entertainment branding firm Hollywood Branded. “His fans forgive him for being dehydrated, leaving a show for Kim, or canceling a tour for his health. But…sharing his enthusiasm and love of our president, when much of his fan base does not at this point in time, that could indeed hurt his brand.”
In October, the #GrabYourWallet movement  was created to encourage shoppers to boycott Ivanka Trump’s namesake label, as well as retailers that carry Trump products or endorsed Trump. The political pressure may have led Nordstrom to drop the first daughter’s brand, though the retailer says it was actually poor sales.
On Wednesday, Adidas, which backs Yeezy, had no statement about West’s tweets, and a representative for the athletic brand told THR it does not break down sales figures for specific parts of the business. No retailers have come forward to drop the Yeezy brand, either, which is different from the #GrabYourWallet movement in that it doesn’t benefit the Trump family, certainly. And some fans actually seemed excited that the controversy might drive down the prices of Yeezy sneakers, which sell for many more times their retail price on resale sites.
Sources: Hollywood Reporter | Read more