Kanye West has been accused of jacking the logo design on his ‘DONDA’ merchandise from an independent black-owned company, which claims West abandoned plans to work with them after learning the inner workings of their design process.
According to The Daily Beast, Randy Dawkins, the creative director of Infinity G8ds, claims that the logo prominently featured on ‘DONDA’ merch is identical to the one used on numerous items in the brand’s clothing line. “It’s disappointing,” said Dawkins. “We don’t have any bad vibes or bad feelings toward him, we actually like the dude. But how he handled business? Well, that’s another story.”
Dawkins claims he and his team were invited to Atlanta by West to check out their work and gain insight into their approach to design with West promising the possibility of a working relationship between himself and Infinity G8ds. However, Dawkins says that has not been the case and that communication has been minimal between the two camps with no resolution to his claims.
The creative director, who was introduced to West through Travis Reece, the “Heartless” rapper’s chef at the time, also charges that Reece has since been let go by West in the wake of the dispute. Attributing his predicament to “a misjudgment of his character” Dawkins goes on to explain that his main concern is gaining recognition and visibility for his and Infinity G8ds’ work.
“From one Black artist to another Black artist, he could have said, ‘I see what you got going on, let’s help you gain some exposure, some visibility.’ That’s all we ask,” said Dawkins.
The controversy behind the origin of the ‘DONDA’ merch logo initially reared its head when a designer close to the brand levied accusations against West on her Instagram account, alluding that his unauthorized use of the logo was intentional.
“To see all the thought, hard work, and dedication put into @infinityg*ds and then to see someone disrespectfully copy with no credit given is sickening and then not just anybody but @kanyewest .. someone with so much money and so much power .. yet this proves that he is indeed beneath us!!” the designer wrote in the caption of the video. “I’m sure these types of situations happen often but it definitely hit home this time..”
According to reports, last month at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, West sold upwards of $7 million worth of ‘DONDA’ merch via in-person sales during the second listening party event for the then-upcoming album. This feat broke a record for the venue and matched the revenue grossed during the first-day release of his Yeezy x Gap puffer coat collaboration.
West and his team have yet to comment on the allegations.