Yeezy turns to Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy as new Head of Design

Kanye West’s fashion brand Yeezy has appointed Russian designer – and former Adidas collaborator - Gosha Rubchinskiy as its new Head of Design.

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kanye West said:

"Yeezy welcomes Gosha Rubchinskiy as its new Head of Design. The arrival of the legendary Russian designer at Yeezy, the pre-eminent global brand in music and fashion, is a milestone in design and history."

Posting on his own Instagram account, Rubchinskiy, who has also worked with the likes of Levi’s and Burberry alongside being the design force behind his own eponymous label -  largely operated by Comme des Garçons - and now also set for a ":new direction", said:

"We’re delighted to introduce the new direction of the Gosha Rubchinskiy fashion brand as an independent creative powerhouse, stepping away from the Comme des Garçons and Rassvet family, our brand is forging its own path.

"Under Gosha’s creative leadership we are set to embrace exciting new projects and collaborations that embody our spirit of independence and creative drive. We’re thankful for the continuous support from our community that fuels our journey."

Rubchinskiy will also no doubt be very grateful for this fresh opportunity from Kanye West (or Ye as he now likes to be known) and his Yeezy brand.

He was most recently reported to have contributed to the design of the artwork for Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s joint album ‘Vultures’, and has previously been described by fashion publication Dazed as a designer who "clashes photography, film and design in a unique vision inspired by post-Soviet youth culture".

Last month, Adidas halted Yeezy sales for the rest of 2023 amid "geopolitical tensions". The German sportswear group made £652 million (€750 million) in the first nine months of selling Yeezy products of its discontinued collaboration with Kanye West, according to The Times.

This came after Adidas was left with £1.1 billion worth of unsold shoes and a lawsuit from investors when it cut ties with West over antisemitic outpourings West made last year.