14 Established 1961

Sunday, June 28, 2020 Lifestyle Features Kanye West inks Yeezy deal with Gap, whose shares surge

he struggling Gap brand has inked a deal with tionship to Gap “full circle,” saying the billionaire Yeezy’s sneaker side alone was valued as much as the mercurial Kanye West to produce a new line entrepreneur, rapper, designer and most recently $3 billion last year, according to Bloomberg. The 21- Tmarrying its American clothing classics with the gospel singer worked at a Chicago Gap store as a time Grammy winner West waded into the design rapper’s Yeezy designs. The retailer Gap Inc and teenager. “#WESTDAYEVER,” the 43-year-old world in 2007, when he launched his first line of high- West’s Yeezy will introduce “Yeezy Gap” in the first tweeted, with a logo combining “YZY” with Gap’s sig- end sneakers in collaboration with Nike. He severed half of 2021, the companies said Friday. Gap—which nature navy blue and white. ties with the American sports apparel company in posted hundreds of millions in losses in 2020’s first It is a collaboration West has long waxed poetic on: 2013, saying his share of revenues was insufficient. He quarter and has flailed in recent years—saw its shares “One of my dreams was to be the head creative director then launched a partnership with German sportswear surge upon news of the partnership with one of enter- of the Gap,” he told New York Magazine in 2015. “I’d giant Adidas and saw sales explode, hitting some $1.5 tainment’s most bankable celebrities, up some 30 per- like to be the Steve Jobs of the Gap.” Latching onto the billion in 2019, according to Forbes. In parallel the cent Friday morning. star power of West is a major marketing score for Gap, celebrity entrepreneur has presented eight Yeezy Under West’s creative guidance, the new line will who has seen sales consistently decline since 2013 and clothing collections, with financing from Adidas.—AFP include “modern, elevated basics for men, women and has scrambled to remain relevant in a rapidly shifting kids at accessible price points,” the statement said. ready-to-wear landscape. Yeezy will receive royalties In this file photo US rapper Kanye West attends the WSJ The companies noted that the deal brings West’s rela- and potential equity based on meeting sales targets. Magazine 2019 Innovator Awards at MOMA in New York City.—AFP New Woody Conan Doyle estate sues Netflix Allen film to over ‘emotional’ Sherlock Holmes open Spanish etflix is being sued by the estate of Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle for alleged breach of film festival Ncopyright after a new film portrayed the famous Conan Doyle detective as having feelings and respecting women. The movie, “Enola Holmes”—starring “Stranger Things” actor oody Allen’s new romantic Millie Bobby Brown—is a Netflix adaptation of a series of Wcomedy “Rifkin’s Festival”, is Nancy Springer novels that imagines the detective has a to open Spain’s San Sebastian teenage sister. film festival in September, which will Although a separate court case established early Holmes also be its international premiere, novels are in the public domain, the lawsuit alleges the organisers said Thursday. Shot last detective only developed feelings in the last 10 books, which summer in and around the northern sea- remain under the control of Arthur Conan Doyle estate. side resort itself, the story centres on an “Holmes became warmer. He became capable of friendship. The suit says that as well as using publically available American couple who come to its inter- In this file photo (From left) musicians Martie Maguire, He could express emotion. He began to respect women,” the characters, Springer’s “novels copy Conan Doyle’s original national film festival and are swept up suit, filed in New Mexico federal court on Tuesday, claimed. additions in the Copyrighted Stories. “Among other copied Natalie Maines and Emily Robison of the Dixie Chicks by the fantasy of cinema and the charm arrive at the David Lynch Foundation Gala.—AFP The suit alleges Holmes only shows his feelings in the final elements, the Springer novels make extensive infringing use and beauty of Spain. Characteristic novels, arguing that as a result Springer’s depiction and of Conan Doyle’s transformation of Holmes from cold and romantic entanglements ensure when Netflix’s adaptation would violate their copyright. The law- critical to warm, respectful, and kind in his relationships.” In she has an affair with a brilliant French suit notes that when he wrote the later novels, Doyle had lost addition to Netflix, the lawsuit also targets Springer, her Dixie’ nixed by film director and he falls in love with a both his brother and his eldest son in the First World War: “It publisher Penguin Random House and the producer of the was no longer enough that the Holmes character was the latest film Legendary Pictures.—AFP most brilliant rational and analytical mind. Holmes needed to Dixie Chicks: Band be human.” rebrands over links Release of big to Confederacy summer film he country trio Dixie Chicks are now simply The Chicks, dropping a nickname for the Confederate- Tera South from their band name. The stealthy ‘Tenet’ pushed switch saw the group amend their social media user- names and release a new song and accompanying video Woody Allen “March March” on Thursday. The song’s lyrics refer- back again ence current social unrest including anti-racism protests beautiful Spaniard who lives in the and police brutality, as well as fights to end gun vio- he release of the latest, super- Basque city. secret movie by director lence, slow climate change and expand LGBTQ rights. The film, which features Austrian “We want to meet this moment,” the group wrote on its In this file photo actress Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Princess Tiana (at left on the TChristopher Nolan—touted as the actor Christoph Waltz and US actress summer hit that would bring audiences website, with no other explanation. Gina Gershon, is the latest project in the poster), poses as she arrives for the world premiere screening of Disney’s “The Princess The move comes after another country group, Lady and The Frog.”—AFP back to theatres after months of coron- 84-year-old American director’s cine- avirus lockdowns—has been delayed Antebellum, changed its name to Lady A to remove a matic love affair with major European slavery link. The term “antebellum” refers to a time peri- again, until mid-August. “Tenet,” a cities. Produced by Mediapro, it also Disney rebrands ‘Splash Mountain’ thriller about an agency trying to ward od before a war, and is widely associated with the pro- features French actor Louis Garrel and slavery American South in the pre-Civil War years. That off World War III, will now open on Spanish actors Elena Anaya and Sergi August 12, Warner Bros. said Friday, group faced backlash after it emerged that a black Lopez. Despite the uncertainty generat- ride with first black princess female blues singer in Seattle had been using the name after scrapping July 17 and then July 31 ed by the coronavirus pandemic, the for its debut. The studio said in a state- Lady A for two decades. film festival—the biggest such event in plash Mountain” rides at Splash Mountain is of particular impor- In a statement to the music outlet Pitchfork, The Disney theme parks will be tance today,” but emphasized that it had ment that it will only release the movie the Spanish-speaking world—is set to “when exhibitors are ready and public Chicks said they had checked with a New Zealand duo go ahead as planned, running from “Srebranded with a film featur- been working on the changes since last health officials say it’s time.” “In this already using the name. “A sincere and heartfelt thank September 18-25. ing the company’s first black princess, it year, and has a long history of updating you goes out to ‘The Chicks’ of NZ for their gracious said Thursday, after petitions drew atten- attractions. moment what we need to be is flexible, It will be the second time that a and we are not treating this as a tradi- gesture in allowing us to share their name. We are hon- Woody Allen film has opened the festi- tion to the log flume’s racist history The For instance, a scene depicting women oured to co-exist together in the world with these popular “Splash Mountain” attractions at on the auction block was recently tional movie release,” the studio said. val after his “Melinda and Melinda” did The United States and Europe have exceptionally talented sisters. Chicks Rock!” the the honours in 2004 when the festival Disneyland and Disney World are based removed from Disneyland’s “Pirates of spokesperson told Pitchfork. on the controversial 1946 film “Song of the Caribbean” attraction. “It is important slowly lifted restrictions put in place to gave him a lifetime achievement award. curb the spread of the deadly virus, but The Texas-based group formerly known as the Dixie The screening will be a significant the South”—a movie long accused of that our guests be able to see themselves Chicks soared to fame in the late 1990s, but essentially peddling racist tropes about the post- in the experiences we create,” said new infection spikes are forcing some moment for Allen who’s seen his career areas to clamp down again. Warner vanished from music’s main stage after lead singer stalled as a result of the #MeToo move- Civil War South. They will be “completely Carmen Smith, creative development and Natalie Maines told a show in London she was reimagined” to tell the story of 2009’s inclusive strategies executive at Walt Bros. says the movie will be allowed to ment against sexual harassment, which “play longer” in theaters, part of what “ashamed” that George W. Bush hailed from Texas— revived decades-old allegations he sex- “The Princess and the Frog,” which Disney Imagineering. No timeline was and that the band did “not want this war, this violence,” starred an African-American Princess given for when the changes at Disney’s the studio predicts will be a “very dif- ually abused his adopted seven-year- ferent yet successful release strategy.” referring to the then-impending invasion of Iraq. old daughter in the early 1990s. Tiana. California and Florida parks will be com- The comment went viral and many country radio sta- “The new concept is inclusive—one pleted. Both are currently closed due to “Tenet,” which has hints of the super- He has consistently denied the claims natural, combines the big-budget spec- tions quickly ditched their music—which included hits which were first levelled by his then- that all of our guests can connect with the coronavirus pandemic. like “Wide Open Spaces,” “Goodbye Earl” and a popu- and be inspired by, and it speaks to the Disney World in Orlando is set to tacle and inventive storytelling that have partner Mia Farrow and was cleared of made Nolan one of Hollywood’s most lar cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” Country is the charges following two separate diversity of the millions of people who reopen mid-July, while the return of considered by many as US music’s most conservative visit our parks each year,” Disney said in Disneyland near Los Angeles was indefi- sought-after directors. investigations. But the sexual harass- From “Memento” to “Inception” to genre. Many critics saw the trio’s ouster as a turning ment firestorm has fuelled a growing a statement. The move comes at a time nitely postponed Wednesday. “Song of point that emphatically erased any edge it had left, with when historic statues and monuments are the South,” best known today for its Dunkirk” by way of the Batman “Dark backlash against him and last year his Knight” trilogy, the creative British film- artists fearing getting “Dixie Chicked” if they voiced most recent romantic comedy “A Rainy being removed across the country, as Oscar-winning tune “Zip-a-Dee-Doo- opinions. But in March 2020 the group released a Americans grapple with the legacy of Dah,” has never been released on home maker has carved out a singular niche Day in New York” ended up being on the industry. His clout is reflected in comeback single “Gaslighter” and said they would released in various European and Latin racism. Vast nationwide anti-racism video in the United States. It was exclud- release their first new album since 2006, thought its protests followed African American ed from Disney’s recently launched the colossal $205 million budget that American countries rather than in the US media reported was lavished on May 1 issue date was postponed due to coronavirus. US.—AFP George Floyd’s death in police custody streaming platform Disney+. —AFP The album is now expected to arrive July 17.—AFP last month. Disney said the “retheming of “Tenet,” which stars John David Washington (“BlacKkKlansman”), Denzel Washington’s son.—AFP Will streaming be theatre’s death or its saviour? s a metaphor for the desperate position theatre has lous financial health. While the National Theatre’s online Yet for venues that have been shuttered for three been put in by the coronavirus, “Lungs” is hard to shows during the lockdown have been a roaring success months or more, the attraction is obvious. “Millions of peo- Abeat. On Friday Claire Foy and Matt Smith will step with the public—more than 2.5 million people watched ple are watching us,” said Valery Gergiev, the legendary out onto a London stage to act in a socially distanced ver- “One Man, Two Guvnors” starring James Corden in one Russian conductor and head of Saint Petersburg’s sion of a hit play about how the world is going to hell in a week, and nearly a million more viewed “Jane Eyre” the fol- Mariinsky Theatre. “Instead of 2,000 people at a concert, handcart. The Old Vic hopes 1,000 people a night will pay lowing week—the viability looks a lot more shaky. we have hundreds of thousands of viewers,” he said. between and £10 and £65 (between 11 and 72 euros) to Ambitious companies like the English National Ballet have watch a live stream of the pair who have not acted together been able up their profile online, with director Tamara Rojo since they set the small screen alight as the young Queen convinced that they may be creating a new audience for Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the themselves when theatres reopen. “I want to believe this Netflix series “The Crown”. has given people who did not have the courage to go into a Meanwhile, a few hundred metres (yards) down the theatre in the past a window into our world,” she said. road, Britain’s National Theatre is streaming “A Midsummer But the head of the Bolshoi in Moscow warned that Night’s Dream” with “Game of Thrones” star Gwendoline while that was all very wonderful, companies may be cut- Christie on YouTube for free. In normal times it would be a ting their own throats. Although the Bolshoi too has jumped sell-out with a lucrative transfer to the commercial West on the streaming bandwagon, Vladimir Urin said few com- End all but guaranteed. But instead the theatre is relying on panies appear to have a long-term strategy. “I am absolute- donations from viewers. ly convinced that those who overuse this medium, broad- casting performances practically after every premiere, are Millions watching shows losing audiences,” told the Russian Kommersant daily. Streaming may be a boon for opera, ballet and drama In this file photo Claire Foy accepts Britannia Award for British Streaming also lacks the “emotion and magic” between the lovers desperate for their fix. But with 75 percent of British Artist of the Year presented by Burberry onstage at the 2017 performer and audience that makes the live experience theatres saying they may not survive the year, many are AMD British Academy Britannia Awards Presented by unique, Urin argued.—AFP questioning how good streaming can be for theatre’s par- American Airlines And Jaguar Land Rover.—AFP