Urban Necessities, one of the leading figures in the sneaker and streetwear resale industry, finds itself embroiled in controversy. Known for its extensive collection of sought-after sneakers and apparel, the store has been accused of selling stolen Yeezy Gap merchandise. This accusation comes directly from members of Kanye West’s team, who now goes by Ye.
In collaboration with SRGN Studios, Urban Necessities has been heavily promoting an unprecedented event in LA: a massive pop-up sale featuring what they claimed were 60,000 pieces of unreleased Yeezy Gap apparel, all priced at a mere $20 each. Eager customers formed long lines that stretched down the block, all under the watchful eyes of the LAPD, who were there before these claims were made.
The situation took a dramatic turn when a video began circulating on social media. In it, Dov Charney, founder of American Apparel and Los Angeles Apparel and a current employee of the Yeezy organization, claimed the merchandise being sold was stolen from Ye. It's worth noting that Los Angeles Apparel has been closely associated with Ye, producing a significant portion of his merchandise and clothing releases over the past five years.
Police shut down the event shortly after Charney’s accusations. Later, images of a text message from Milo Yiannopoulos, the “chief of staff” at Yeezy, showed that “There is a sale of stolen Yeezy Gap inventory,” and later stated in the message, “We shut it down within minutes Lost maybe a dozen items I think I have the guy responsible.”
In the wake of these allegations, both Urban Necessities and SRGN Studios took to Instagram, stating that the LAPD had investigated the accusations and cleared them of any wrongdoing. Efforts were made to contact Dov Charney and Ye’s current chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, for their comments on the allegations, but as of the time of publishing, there has been no response from either party.
This controversy emerges against the backdrop of Ye's troubled partnership with Gap. The collaboration, which promised to bring Ye's vision to a broader audience at affordable prices, ended prematurely in 2022 following a series of public disputes and controversial statements by Ye. Despite plans for a Fall/Winter collection that year, Gap opted not to release the product in the US, likely due to Ye's erratic behavior and antisemitic remarks. However, the merchandise found its way to China and, more recently, to various vintage and thrift stores, where it has been sold at resale prices.
We’ll have to see how the rest of this plays out, as Ye has not yet commented on the situation outside of posting the video of Dov Charney claiming the merchandise was stolen on his Instagram story. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app for more updates on this situation and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
