• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'

2

Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won

3

A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'

1

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'

2

Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won

3

A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'
Retailkanye west

Kanye West pleads with fans to cease online attacks on Adidas’ creative director—hours after calling him out on Instagram

By
Alice Hearing
Alice Hearing
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Alice Hearing
Alice Hearing
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 7, 2022, 7:22 AM ET
Rapper Kanye West on left, Adidas creative director Alasdhair Willis on right
Kanye West called out Adidas creative director Alasdhair Willis moments before he asked fans to stop making memes about him.David M. Benett—Getty Images/Gilbert Carrasquillo—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Kanye West has pleaded with his followers not to attack Adidas creative director Alasdhair Willis, despite criticizing him on social media only hours earlier in one of a slew of posts related to West’s ongoing feud with the retailer.

The rapper’s feud with Adidas and his other retail partner Gap has escalated in recent days; West accused the brands of copying his designs, and he has made it clear that he thinks Adidas’ new Adilette slides are a rip-off of his Yeezy slides. 

He has also attacked the retailers for not adhering to his desires regarding the promotion of his Yeezys line, and for making decisions without his permission. Last week, he even claimed that he would start his own independent Yeezy store starting in Atlanta, ending his decade-long deal with Gap and long-term partnership with Adidas.

Instagram call-out

West called out the Adidas CCO on Instagram Tuesday, posting a picture of Willis and writing: “To the creative director of Adidas Alasdhair Willis I’ve done songs with your father in law. How can you watch Adidas do what they’ve done to a fellow creative and not say anything and never even meet me or call me? Why did I have to do this in public?” 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CiK4zksP973/?hl=en

In another post shortly after, he pulled back on his attack: “To all the Ye fans, please take down any meme of Alasdhair. I believe this is a good guy and he will actually call me and actually help.”

He captioned the second post: “Let’s see if we can speak to him first. Me and Paul McCartney have made a lot of great music, I’m cool with the family,” referring to Willis’ wife Stella McCartney, daughter of the veteran musician. 

Kanye West and Paul McCartney have collaborated four times, most notably on their hit song FourFiveSeconds with singer Rihanna.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CiLr3YFOVOK/?hl=en

Who is Alasdhair Willis? 

In April this year, Willis became the chief creative officer of Adidas after he helped push forward the collaboration between the brand and designer Stella McCartney in 2005—he has been married to McCartney since 2003, and they have four children together. 

Willis is in charge of leading Adidas’ design team and heads up its Performance, Originals, and Sportswear labels. 

Aside from Adidas, he is also creative director of British fashion heritage brand Hunter and cofounder of Wallpaper magazine.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Alice Hearing
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

A man holds a grocery basket and walks down the aisle of a store.
RetailFood and drink
Your ‘proteinmaxxing’ is creating a whey shortage that’s ratcheting up prices and leaving snack companies to eat costs or make recipes worse
By Sasha RogelbergJune 21, 2026
16 hours ago
‘I didn’t want a refund, I didn’t want my money back’: meet a grandma who paid $485 for World Cup tickets and never got them
Travel & LeisureSoccer
‘I didn’t want a refund, I didn’t want my money back’: meet a grandma who paid $485 for World Cup tickets and never got them
By R.J. Rico, Emilie Megnien and The Associated PressJune 20, 2026
2 days ago
A man helps a woman pick meat in the grocery store
EconomyFood and drink
Beef is becoming a luxury as prices stay at record highs. They likely won’t come down until 2028, says Farm Bureau
By Jacqueline MunisJune 20, 2026
2 days ago
Record revenues. Record profits. Record revenue per employee. The Fortune 500 is richer than ever—and employing fewer people
EconomyFortune 500
Record revenues. Record profits. Record revenue per employee. The Fortune 500 is richer than ever—and employing fewer people
By Claire ZillmanJune 19, 2026
3 days ago
A shopper looks at a beverage display June 4, 2026 at the Market 32 Supermarket in South Burlington, Vermont.
EconomyConsumers
Miserable K-shaped economy might actually be fading, as lower-income families bounce back, says Bank of America
By Eleanor PringleJune 19, 2026
3 days ago
Piyush Patel
Commentaryshopping
Black Friday already sorted the winners from the losers. Your industry is next
By Piyush PatelJune 19, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
17 hours ago
Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won
Success
Former VP Kamala Harris says she went through a nine-hour interview to land the job—but she couldn’t escape ‘gold medal depression’ even when she won
By Emma BurleighJune 21, 2026
17 hours ago
A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'
Economy
A new trade war may be brewing. This time, Europe is taking a page from Trump's playbook — 'We no longer live in a world of pink ponies and rainbows'
By Jason MaJune 20, 2026
1 day ago
'I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out': a record 51% of Americans aren't 'cost secure' on health
Health
'I literally was crying last night because I’m nervous about what I’m going to find out': a record 51% of Americans aren't 'cost secure' on health
By Ali Swenson, Amelia Thomson-Deveaux and The Associated PressJune 20, 2026
1 day ago
NBC’s Tom Llamas climbed from 15-year-old intern to the top anchor chair—and still isn’t satisfied: ‘If you're not growing, you're dying'
Success
NBC’s Tom Llamas climbed from 15-year-old intern to the top anchor chair—and still isn’t satisfied: ‘If you're not growing, you're dying'
By Preston ForeJune 21, 2026
16 hours ago
Tenzin Seldon: The GLP-1 boom is the biggest climate story no one is pricing in
Commentary
Tenzin Seldon: The GLP-1 boom is the biggest climate story no one is pricing in
By Tenzin SeldonJune 21, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.