An uninvited Kanye West gets escorted out of Skechers HQ in Manhattan Beach after a heated exchange with a Skechers official
By Mark Haines
Published: 2012.04.17 06:26 AM
There was a moment of silence at Skechers when Kanye West came storming in to a boardroom in Manhattan Beach, California, this month and angrily demanded to know where he had ended up. “I’m the best in all the land,” he said to Skechers’ president, Paul Bischoff, before storming out of the room.
“Skechers is the highest-end retail brand in America,” West said later, addressing Bischoff in an interview, after telling him that he was leaving Skechers to start a new rap label.
“You can’t say you’re going to open your own business, and then start a second business in a new space.”
In July, Skechers had said it was exploring a second location and, as of Monday morning, that company was not moving.
“We’re sad that Skechers was not able to find a suitable property. We are hopeful that we will be able to work through the issues and make it work for the long-term success of the brand,” the company said in a brief statement to Billboard.com.
“We are committed to Skechers being in the heart of Los Angeles,” Skechers said in the same statement. “We are a diverse company with people who know and believe in a healthy lifestyle.”
According to West, the reason he left Skechers was because he “didn’t want to put [Bischoff] in the position of having to go into a third space.”
“My goal is to be independent, and I’ll be working with the label as quickly as possible. I’m committed to Skechers and the brand as I know it,” West said. “My family is committed to Skechers. They’re excited. That’s all that matters. I’m not going to be the spokesperson of Skechers forever.”
It had become apparent that West was going to take advantage of Skechers and its brand image.