Perhaps West’s most important endorsement, though, came from Adidas. The German sportswear giant has been manufacturing the Yeezy sneakers and supplying some support for the Yeezy shows since the first season, but in June the company significantly upgraded its investment, striking a deal to greatly expand the range of Yeezy offerings, as well as to open retail outlets dedicated to the concept. West feels this will bring him the resources that he has admired at other companies. “In apparel, I’ve been able to press the button on immediate ideas,” West said. “But I was talking to [Supreme founder] James Jebbia and he was saying that an idea might be six months, a year [in development] before it even sees the light of day. And I love that. To me that’s luxury. That makes Supreme a luxury brand, to have the luxury to take six to 12 months to develop a concept.”

A prep station. Photo: Courtesy of Yeezy

Where will West’s first store debut? “I believe the first one will be in California, since that’s where I stay now,” he said. “I can go by there most often, check in, get the vibe. But I want to do 200 stores in the next year. That’s just me saying what I want. I’m not saying what can definitely happen but you might as well just state out loud what you want. That’ll put you one step closer to getting it.” The Adidas investment should also allow him to address one of the most persistent criticisms of the Yeezy line: that the prices are too high for clothes that are meant to be available for all. Though he didn't offer specifics, West said, “I’m very focused on trying to make things far more affordable, far more beautiful, and for far more people.”