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Throughout his journey in fashion, Ye has proven to all the doubters and haters that he has a place at the table within the industry. Skyrocketing in this realm through his footwear deal with adidas and recently with Gap, both companies are on the verge of losing one of the world's most influential celebrities, designers, and tastemakers. With his adidas deal up in the air, we already have news that Ye will be going solo from Gap in regards to apparel as both have agreed to wind down the partnership into next year, though recent posts from Ye show that Gap was pushing back through legal actions.
Thankfully for him, less than 24 hours later, it seems he can move forward with his Yeezy Season 9 fashion show that is supposedly going down on October 3rd. But before that, his fight to release the YZYSHDZ independent of Gap that he and many influencers have showcased in the last month may be over as both kanyewest.com and yeezy.com present a waiting list for the product.
First posted by the Instagram account “designedbydonda” in 2021, the YZYSHDZ (Yeezy Shades) have begun to appear on everyone’s timeline thanks to a “guerilla” marketing campaign that has enlisted the likes of Kim Kardashian, Lil Uzi Vert, Michèle Lamy, and countless more. This isn’t the first time viral Instagram posts have helped Ye in his fashion endeavors as he employed similar tactics to help roll out his Yeezy Season 6 collection in 2018. Within the last two weeks, however, the push for the SHDZ grew larger with a New York Fashion Week pop-up that hosted celebrities like Chris Rock and the new Vice Chairman of Yeezy, Shervin Pishevar.
The glasses themselves are as minimalistic as can be with only two parts making up the entire design. A thin silver-colored film acts as the lens, which in a now-deleted video posted by Ye, can be rolled up without damaging the eyewear. In the said video it was mentioned that they would be FDA approved, meaning they should provide UV protection as any product labeled as sunglasses need to offer this under the FDA’s guidelines. Positioned pieces of foam make the tight-fitting YZYSHDZ a comfortable experience while traditional temples are replaced with a singular bungee cord.
One important point to note is that the YZYSHDZ were designed by members of the Yeezy Gap team throughout 2021 and 2022, so for Ye to have the ability to release the product independently shows that he is winning in this fight for freedom in the fashion world.
The YZYSHDZ currently has no set release date, though the appearance of this waitlist on kanyewest.com and yeezy.com indicates that the release is imminent. Retail pricing is also up in the air as the SHDZ loaded up on gap.com with a retail price of $160, though in an interview Ye stated they would be $20. Keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app for real-time updates on the YZYSHDZ release and the latest news in sneakers, streetwear, and more.
Images via justinreed
Images via yzy
Image via liluzivert
Image via Jaylen Brown
Image via designedbydonda
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
