Kanye West has appointed veteran sneaker designer Steven Smith as the new head of industrial design at Donda.
Steven Smith has been a long-time Ye collaborator and has designed many adidas YEEZY shoes, including the YEEZY BOOST 700 and 500 and the more recent 450 and Foam Runner silhouettes. Smith will now transition from YEEZY executive design director to the role of head of industrial design at Donda, where he will expand beyond footwear to work on furniture, vehicles, and more.
“Steven Smith with 37 years of experience in sporting goods, footwear, military electronics and apparel design is appointed as head of Donda industrial design,” reads the statement put out by Donda.
The statement is accompanied by an image of a concept called the Donda Foam Vehicle, providing a preview of what to expect from Donda’s industrial design branch. Also included in the release is a portfolio of Smith’s sneaker designs, ranging from the New Balance 574 to the Reebok Pump Fury to the Nike Spiridon.
This news follows the appointment of Nur Abbas as YEEZY head of design earlier this year. It also comes on the heels of Ye’s recent criticisms of adidas and the Adilette 22, calling the silhouette a “fake Yeezy made by adidas.” Ye’s industrial design pursuits under the Donda umbrella could be seen as a way for West to distance himself from the Three Stripes, as Donda is a separate entity from YEEZY and adidas.
Check out the Donda Foam Vehicle concept and the Steven Smith sneaker design portfolio below. Stay tuned to Modern Notoriety for updates on all things Donda and YEEZY.
