Yeezy faces backlash over offensive product as Shopify shutters online store

It has been a turbulent week for Yeezy founder Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, as controversy continues to swirl around his brand. The fallout began with the sudden departure of Gosha Rubchinskiy, a key collaborator and influential designer, who announced he was leaving Yeezy to revive his eponymous label. But the situation worsened dramatically after Shopify took the Yeezy Supply store offline following the release of merchandise featuring Nazi symbols, igniting widespread outrage.

The now-defunct Yeezy Supply store briefly listed a 20 dollar white t-shirt emblazoned with a swastika, under the product name "HH-01," according to Bloomberg. The shirt’s release, coinciding with an ad campaign directing viewers to the website during the Super Bowl, triggered immediate backlash. Though Yeezy avoided the astronomical cost of a national Super Bowl ad—8 million dollars for 30 seconds this year—the brand purchased cheaper slots on local stations, Business Insider said. Even so, the timing of the ad could not have been worse, as the controversial product led to public condemnation and swift action from Shopify.

“All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms, so we removed them from Shopify,” the company said in a statement.

The backlash was compounded by Ye’s ongoing stream of anti-Semitic comments on social media, which resulted in a deactivated account on X (formerly Twitter). The controversy escalated further with the release of an AI-generated short film featuring digital versions of Hollywood celebrities, including Scarlett Johansson and prominent Jewish figures, denouncing Ye’s remarks and calling for action against the offensive product.

Ye’s repeated use of Nazi imagery and his inflammatory rhetoric have led to growing isolation within the fashion industry and beyond. The swastika incident marks yet another self-inflicted wound for the Yeezy brand, whose reputation has suffered heavily in recent years due to Ye’s erratic behavior and extremist views.

What was once one of the most sought-after brands in fashion now finds itself increasingly marginalized. With major partners like Adidas cutting ties in 2022 and now Shopify removing its storefront, the future of Yeezy looks uncertain. The decision to market offensive products may have been intended to provoke attention, much like the near-naked attire of his wife Bianca Censori. Instead, it has deepened the brand’s crisis and alienated both consumers and collaborators alike.