After Eight Years Ye Has Fired Yeezy Designer Steven Smith
Steven Smith, eight-year veteran of the Yeezy camp, and legendary designer in his own right has been fired by Ye. Originally reported by , Smith and Ye parted ways this month. He was 'employee one and only' at Donda Design, where he worked on any and all products that the rapper thought up, such as the $20 Yeezy Pods. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has experienced plenty of negative press recently, which you can read about here.
'He’s lost his mind,' Smith told FC. 'The whole of Yeezy is circling the drain and this is just part of it. He has surrounded himself with toxic, C-grade losers.'
It has been said that this pair's relationship ended early in August, and this comes after West has seen the breaking down of relationships with many of his closest collaborators. After almost a decade working on Yeezy and wider projects for Ye, Smith finds himself a free agent.
'I’m in a very happy place with it all,' Smith says. 'I will certainly be a priceless asset to whoever I work with next. It’s all his loss and the result of his foolishness.'
Where will the designer extraordinaire end up next? Stay locked to Sneaker Freaker to find out!
is responsible for some of the most iconic sneakers of all time such as the and among others. Following his work at , and he’s recently played a key role in line. Some of his designs include the , and Runner!
A close confidant of Kanye West, Smith previously held the title of Executive Designer at Yeezy but news has emerged that he’s accepted a new role as the Head of Industrial Design at West’s creative company, Donda. Smith’s new position will be a move away from footwear, he’ll be working closely on other parts of Ye’s empire such as furniture and vehicles.
Interestingly, a teaser has also been posted of a ‘Donda Foam Vehicle’ which is conceptualised, designed and manufactured in the United States.
This news comes after Kanye West over the brand stealing Yeezy designs for their own inline products. Could Smith’s new appointment signify Ye moving away from his largest brand partner?
An adidas spokesperson issued a statement to about the move: ‘Adidas works with different creative minds based on what is best for our business and partners. As part of our collaborative relationship with Ye, Steven Smith worked on the Adidas Yeezy line at Ye’s request. As the business has evolved, Steven has accepted a full-time role as head of Donda industrial design, where we look forward to continuing to work together.’
Let's see what Smith and Ye have in store for Donda!
We sat down with Steven Smith to chat about the his history designing New Balance 550! Read our in-depth historical feature .