The Many Thefts of Ye / Kanye West: From Vault to Void.
- CRISIS MAGAZINE
- Dec 4
- 25 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
This is the full truth — not speculation, not rumor, not Reddit theory. What I’m about to show you is a verified timeline of how Kanye West’s private archive — including his vault, family documents, cars, Yeezy prototypes, and unreleased products — was seized, moved, and leaked by people inside his own organization.
This involves Milo Yiannopoulos, Dov Charney, 1981 Distribution, Los Angeles Apparel, and a site called Los Angeles Archive. Everything you’re about to hear is backed by screenshots, NDAs, Discord logs, BOLs, shipping receipts, internal texts, metadata, and firsthand testimony. Los Angeles Apparel is a clothing blanks manufacturer based in LA that has created several Yeezy seasons and merchandise runs for Ye.
Dov Charney is the founder of American Apparel, and later Los Angeles Apparel.
two massively influential companies in the world of U.S.-made streetwear and blanks manufacturing. He built his reputation on speed, scale, and domestic production. Charney was one of the first to prove that a vertically integrated, Made-in-USA factory could compete with overseas manufacturing, producing high-quality basics at a pace other brands couldn’t match.
That same infrastructure made him an appealing partner for artists and designers who needed rapid prototyping and tight control over materials. It’s why Ye gravitated toward him.
But Charney is also a deeply controversial figure. His career has been shaped not just by innovation, but by a long history of allegations, lawsuits, financial battles, and eventual removal from American Apparel in 2014.
After that ousting, he rebuilt his empire under Los Angeles Apparel, restaffing many of the same factories and once again becoming a go-to resource for celebrity brands — including Yeezy.
Within the Yeezy orbit, Charney occupied a unique and often unstable position:trusted for his manufacturing capabilities, yet surrounded by legal issues, operational chaos, power struggles, and financial stress. And as Yeezy’s relationship with Adidas and Gap deteriorated, Charney’s importance — and influence — grew even more.
In the period surrounding his 2018 White House visit, Kanye West’s interest in headwear went far beyond the MAGA hat that dominated headlines. Around the same time, he was also experimenting with a series of conceptual hat designs tied to broader themes of exploration and reinvention. In a fan-circulated video from that month, West referenced three ideas he was playing with: XPSWRLD (“Expose World”), XPLRSPC (“Explore Space”), and a third concept often described by fans as “Expand America.”
West described Expose World as a metaphor for venturing into uncharted territory — “going into the deep sea since we haven’t seen 90% of the world” — and showcased early prototypes, including a red-lettered XPSWRLD hat seen in his concept mockups.
XPLRSPC and “Expand America” followed similar symbolic themes, sketching out a creative universe meant to exist alongside, and sometimes in contrast to, the political energy of the MAGA hat. None of these projects were formally released or trademarked, leaving them as glimpses into West’s brainstorming at the time rather than public-facing brands.
During that same Oval Office meeting, West also used the moment to advocate for American manufacturing. He specifically highlighted Dov Charney, founder of Los Angeles Apparel, as someone who could help redesign and produce a new version of the MAGA hat domestically and at higher quality. By bringing Charney to Trump’s attention, West tried to pivot the conversation from partisan merchandise to American-made craftsmanship, positioning fashion as part of a larger narrative about revitalization and possibility.
The release of 'In Whose Name' offered a glimpse into Kanye West’s life and career, but the final documentary left out crucial context that complicates the simplified narrative presented to viewers.
Notably, footage captured by Nico Ballesteros — including candid, behind-the-scenes moments before and after Kanye’s 2018 Oval Office meeting — was largely excluded. This material showed West rehearsing speeches with everyday workers, seeking feedback, and carefully preparing to articulate his vision.
Far from the “erratic” behavior often portrayed online, these clips reveal intentionality, thoughtfulness, and a desire to communicate clearly. Complicating matters further, a separate leak of Nico’s own footage emerged under the title 500 Days in UCLA. This collection, apparently taken from Nico’s personal archive without his consent, permission, or prior knowledge, was carefully edited and posted online by an anonymous group.
While the leak provided fans and critics with glimpses of Kanye’s preparation process and broader creative ideas, it also raised ethical questions about ownership and narrative control. Footage intended to contextualize West’s actions was now circulating in a form that could easily be misinterpreted, while the official documentary omitted the very same moments that might have countered prevailing misconceptions.
When asked about these omissions at the 'In Whose Name' premiere, Nico offered no comment. This silence underscores a recurring pattern in the orbit of Kanye West: those capturing, documenting, or collaborating with him often exercise control over access and narrative, while the story presented to the public can become fragmented or distorted. In this case, both the editorial choices of the documentary and the unauthorized circulation of the 500 Days in UCLA footage contributed to a public understanding of Kanye that frequently overlooks his intentions, preparation, and creative depth.
The leaked footage in 500 Days in UCLA demonstrates just how much nuance the official documentary left out. At the screening, I told Nico that these “random leaks” were often more impactful and meaningful than the documentary as a whole. One striking clip shows Kanye “freaking out” during a photoshoot—a moment widely covered in the press as evidence of erratic behavior. However, in context, you can see he was being told he was being taken advantage of financially from multiple angles, and a photographer was pressuring him into a pose he did not want to do. This moment has since been remade by a major studio as the video Yay, which perfectly captures the tension and vulnerability Kanye experienced. It’s a clear example of how Nico’s documentary could have explored this side of West’s process more effectively, revealing his thoughtfulness, intentions, and the pressures he faced, rather than relying on simplified or sensationalized portrayals.
But he did not. That edit was dogshit. (Last part was my own opinion)
Back to Los Angeles Apparel,
LAA most notably did most of season 6 the 2020 Vision Hoodie, early YGEBB, and anything for Sunday Service and JIK merchandise.Their partnership intensified after Ye's separation from major fashion collaborators like Adidas and Gap in 2022.
Charney's Los Angeles Apparel became a key manufacturing partner for Yeezy, producing various garments, including those associated with Ye's Sunday Service events.
In June 2023, reports emerged that Ye appointed Charney as CEO of Yeezy, aiming to revitalize the brand following previous controversies and business setbacks. Their professional relationship has been characterized by mutual support amidst public scrutiny.
Part of this manufacturing relationship included an informal agreement: LAA would be allowed to sell defective or reject Yeezy items via their Depop accounts. These were flawed production pieces — not samples, not counterfeits.
Ye reportedly approved this arrangement but may not have been fully aware of its long-term implications or the way it would expand.
These items, listed under various Depop accounts tied to LAA, were described as “samples” or “rare,” but most were simply factory rejects. Many had holes, stains, or redyed finishes. Some lacked tags or were restructured by LAA to appear more unique.
You can find postings of defect garments on their Depop account linked above. A few points to know:
Almost anything they list will likely have a hole, stain, tear, or other flaw that prevents it from being sold normally. That’s why prices are typically so low.
These are not samples, even if they list them as such. They sell production line reject pieces, identical to retail items unless they were redyed or cut by LAA before they sell them.
Alternate colorways were almost always redyed by LAA and are not original colors done for these products.
These are not fake or stolen. All manufacturing processes result in defects and reject pieces. Typically they would be destroyed or recycled; LAA has chosen to sell them.
Offer as low as possible. They have tons and tons of these items and will accept the lowest possible price if you have patience. You hurt yourself and others if you overpay.
Reddit user states: “LA Apparel posted this on their Depop, looks exactly like those samples that have been popping up lately of the Yeezy Season denim jacket lined with flannel. I sent them an offer and ended up copping but just wanted to know if this is what it’s supposed to be. Been looking to cop one, but have not pulled the trigger til now. Copped for stupid cheap so happy either way even if it’s not!”
User replied: “Yes these are factory reject Yeezy Season pieces. When you get it there is a 95% chance the tag will be cut out of it but sometimes they still keep the tags in.”
“yeah I’ve seen a couple posted on eBay and most I’ve seen the tags are cut off. Been wanting to cop one, but have held off. I ended up sending them a low offer and they accepted. Glad I caught this when they posted it. A ton of other stuff they’ve been posting gets scooped up so fast.”
These items would go on sale and sell out instantly by the hundreds every hour, everyday from as little as $12 an item to thousands per item.
Before everything fell apart, there was a vision.
Despite their collaboration, tensions arose, notably when Charney, who is Jewish, refused to produce a controversial "White Lives Matter" T-shirt Ye had designed.
This decision led to a temporary rift between the two, though they continued to work together on other projects.
"West goes on to reveal that Los Angeles Apparel founder Dov Charney, who printed the White Lives Matter shirts, has since refused to release them because of the tweet. After Charney suggested that he visit the Holocaust Museum, West suggested Charney visit Planned Parenthood, "our Holocaust Museum."
While Dov left the picture, struggle for power continued as a close friend of Ye, took his position..
Paul Johnson — Ye’s close friend and creative advisor for nearly a decade — was known internally as a tastemaker and problem solver.
He was instrumental in artistic direction, hiring talent, and sourcing everything from archival fashion to multimillion-dollar artworks.
Paul had helped guide projects like Jesus is King and played a major role in shaping Ye’s creative world. Despite his reputation as a somewhat grey-area operator, Paul was trusted, and he understood Ye’s artistic ethos.
While Ye and Dov were at odds at this moment, he was storing all these archive items at LAA headquarters where Ye was also living at the moment.
Ye initially wanted to burn or ditch all these items, Paul had an idea to preserve compared to selling. In early 2023, Paul partnered with Studio Otto — a digital design and development firm based in New York that had previously worked on branding, storytelling, and web platforms for high-profile clients.
To help build this, Paul invited members of the online Yeezy community: Johan Galaxy, DondasPlace, Nate Dae, and Andrew. These collaborators were responsible for helping with early plans for the archive curation.
But the plan collapsed almost instantly.
Nate Dae was caught making unauthorized deals with LAA warehouse staff, removing rare items after hours and reselling them privately. This breach led to the abandonment of that team.
Enter EnigmaCurations — a known figure in the fashion archive world. After spotting stolen Yeezy items online and an internal leak within the Discord, Enigma reported them. Recognizing his deep knowledge, Studio Otto and Paul hired him as a 1099 contractor to oversee the archiving process to curate the Yeezy Library — a living museum and digital database intended to preserve Kanye West’s creative legacy across fashion, music, politics, and design.
This wasn’t about resale. It wasn’t about hype.This was about preserving history.
The Yeezy Library was conceived as a scholarly and cultural project — not just a storage operation. It was supposed to function as a museum, school, and learning resource that showcased Ye’s entire legacy. The project aimed to:
Curate and showcase over 130,000 physical items including prototypes, rare samples, tour gear, artworks, unreleased apparel, and campaign materials.
Digitally catalog over 35,000 images to show the evolution of Ye’s brand and artistic output.
Organize material thematically by apparel, accessories, footwear, home goods, and major eras (e.g., Era X, Y, Z).
Provide a new structure through the ENIGMA Method, categorizing artifacts to reveal ethos, themes, and connections between pieces.
Allow researchers, historians, and fans to trace Ye’s progression from Nike collaborations to the Yeezy empire.
Enigma’s work focused on identifying the through line in Ye’s world — connecting the dots across time, reference, design, and execution. He was hired not to sell, but to educate, preserve, and protect Ye’s archive.
This was all being executed under Studio Otto, a NY-based design company working directly with YEEZY.
The archive was being stored in Los Angeles Apparel warehouses collecting dust, being resold online on Depop making Dov money, that is now been housed at a SpaceX warehouse and being operated securely, by Enigma maintaining strict documentation and no access to the sealed vault — which remained untouched the entire time.
The initial YEEZY GAP inventory, Kanye’s personal cars, rocks from Wyoming, Adidas manufacturing equipment, and the sealed vault were all moved into 1981 Distribution before Milo or Dov took control.
In November 2023, 1981 Distribution entered a formal contract with YEEZY. They were told to store, sort, prepare YEEZY GAP merchandise, and select archive items — for what they were told could be a Vultures release.
According to 1981 Distribution:
“We were never given packing lists or accurate inventory. But we were asked to rush and repackage hundreds of thousands of pieces during the holidays.”
Why? Because YEEZY needed to vacate its original warehouse space. 1981 Distribution was brought in by YZY staff to temporarily store and organize the overflow.
They were told it would be quick. It wasn’t.
1981 Distribution was contracted to:
Store and count Yeezy GAP product
Prep items and palletize
Secure Kanye’s vehicles and other archived materials
SLR McLaren
Though a smaller detail, it’s worth noting that Ye has indeed owned an SLR McLaren. A confirmed sighting dates back to 2011, and a contemporaneous article reports that he had been driving the car at least a year earlier—at one point with then–girlfriend Amber Rose in the passenger seat (the piece includes a photo):
1981 was paid partially — not fully. Many invoices were paid late, short, or not at all. The claim that they were “never paid” is inaccurate, but losses were substantial.
Then Milo Yiannopoulos was hired.
From the beginning, Milo and Dov Charney were openly hostile toward Paul Johnson. Internal sources say they had screaming matches daily. Milo’s first move was clear: remove Paul from the equation by any means.
Why? Paul entered an agreement selling off Dov’s Depop listings to Studio Otto for archival use compared to reselling online. While Paul was dealing with a divorce at the time, this was the perfect moment to make the move and take the archive back to LAA.
This power struggle was enabled in part because Ye, by nature, often ignored the financial and logistical aspects of his empire.
As mentioned in the prior vault thread, Paul Johnson was a designer towards the DONDA/JIIK era for Kanye. Per Milo's account, Paul Johnson was in charge of Kanye's personal items, including the aforementioned birth and death certificates. He had overquoted himself to Ye and let his archive plundered. Milo also alleges that Paul has taken advantage of Ye financially before being exiled.
"... Paul Johnson, a former gallery owner and longtime advisor to Ye, had charged him $6 million in 2021 for a Damien Hirst sculpture that could not have been worth even $2 million... proceeded to claim millions of dollars a year from Ye in the years after, allegedly to oversee his archive. In fact, under Johnson, the archive was being plundered. Irreplaceable artifacts are now gone... Grammys, personal effects from the births of his children, and even his mother’s death certificate" Johnson had asked for and received his entire 2024 salary in advance a few weeks before I took over... he lied to me, claiming that it had been 'Ye’s idea' to pay him a year’s salary in advance, and because Yeezy was presented with a bill for nearly a million dollars in bogus storage fees. Johnson has not returned the money, nor to my knowledge..." -Milo
Whether or not true, the story shows how unchecked the system had become.
In my personal experience and opinion, Paul and Milo were two sides of the same coin — both deeply embedded in Ye’s universe, but constantly at war for control. And unfortunately, the fallout from that war led directly to the destruction of the archive’s original purpose.
(NOTE: MISSING INFORMATION ON MATT GEORGE)
Milo began demanding access to the archive and trying to flip it into a revenue operation. He claimed Enigma had no legal right to manage it. He started sending directives to “sell everything.”
Then it got physical. Milo and Dov arrived at SpaceX with 20 security guards. They expelled Enigma, stopped payment, and filmed the removal. Dov reportedly said:“Stealing is part of the business. You guys are done.”
At 1981 Distribution, different reps started giving conflicting instructions. Some said keep sorting. Others said send everything back.
One warehouse source wrote:
“They went from pick and pack to ship everything back. Milo came in and said STOP, we will handle this. Send it back as-is.”
1981 complied — even while unpaid.
Following the forced handoff, Milo and Dov began directing new orders.
YEEZY’s leadership changed while 1981 Distribution tried to complete sorting and return product. Milo and the new team:
Cancelled the contract mid-process
Ordered the return of everything
Refused to pay the outstanding invoices
Still, 1981 Distribution helped load, sort, and ship products back to YZY’s previous warehouse partner in Downtown LA. That happened on March 13, 2024.
They returned and paid for the delivery to Los Angeles Apparel HQ:
YEEZY GAP product
Pieces of the archive
The safe (on March 25 - More below)
Despite all that, they were never paid.
Invoices began stacking up. Promised payments never came. So the YZY team proposed a revenue share model instead of cash. 1981 Distribution agreed — but the situation quickly got worse.
That’s how names like Urban Necessities, Corey Shapiro, F as in Frank, and Mio Tex got involved.
But the deals fell apart.
Paperwork was shady. Conflicts arose. The sales were halted. Everything was brought back to 1981 Distribution and put into quarantine.
Then came the infamous Urban Necessities Pop-Up — March 15, 2024.
Dov Charney and Milo tried pushing a liquidation event using some of this product — even though the original agreements were falling apart.
MILO’S POSITION (According to His Letters & Statements)
Milo frames the pop-up as the moment YZY discovered a criminal operation involving forged documents, stolen product, and a third-party reseller network.
From page 1 of his March 22 letter, he states:
Urban Necessities was selling “stolen YEEZY GAP merchandise.”He says boxes in the promotional photos clearly showed Los Angeles Apparel and 1981 Distribution labels. Milo Statement 1
Milo claims 1981’s owner, Solomon Brown, told LAPD the merchandise “was sold lawfully,” contradicting YZY and preventing police seizure.He expresses shock at this reassurance, stating YZY expected 1981 to confirm ownership. Milo Statement 1
He alleges Urban Necessities provided LAPD with forged YZY contracts, including a doctored document falsely bearing Bianca Censori’s signature.(Shown in the letter with side-by-side originals vs altered version.) Milo Statement 1
Milo argues the forged document attempted to show authorization to sell YZY GAP product in the U.S., even though YZY’s real reseller authorization explicitly forbids U.S., Canada, and Mexico resale.(Highlighted text visible on pg. 5 image.) Milo Statement 1
He accuses Corey Shapiro (Urban Necessities’ supplier) of fabricating documents, including an invoice and a domain name created “hours before” it was given to YZY.(Proof shown in domain registration screenshot, pg. 9.) Milo Statement 1
Milo’s position is simple:Stolen product was being sold. Documents were forged. 1981 failed to protect YZY. Urban Necessities acted knowingly or negligently.His stance is so aggressive that in his March 24 letter, he writes:
“There can be no defamation if the assertions in question are demonstrably true.”— Milo, pg. 1 Milo Statement 2.pdf
And he pledges to wage a public campaign “every day” until the goods are returned.
This is the posture he maintained while directing operations and while issuing orders regarding returns, seizures, and the movement of inventory.
1981 DISTRIBUTION’S POSITION (According to Their Official Statement)
1981’s statement, by contrast, presents themselves as a logistics company caught in YZY’s internal chaos.
Key points from their statement:
1. They say they acted lawfully at every step.
1981 writes:
“We executed our role with precision, professionalism, and full adherence to the agreed-upon terms.”— pg. 1 1981 Statement
2. YZY demanded the return of inventory — despite owing 1981 money.
They claim:
Substantial invoices were unpaid, but
They still returned the majority of YZY GAP product immediately when YZY issued a written directive.(Pg. 1) 1981 Statement
3. They say they had the legal right to hold inventory as collateral, but chose not to.
“Under California law, 1981 was legally entitled to retain inventory as a means of securing outstanding financial obligations… nonetheless, we voluntarily returned the majority.”— pg. 1 1981 Statement
This directly contradicts Milo’s allegation that 1981 obstructed recovery.
4. They say they documented everything through Bills of Lading.
This becomes critical later when discussing the safe:
“All inventory transfers… were documented and substantiated through Bills of Lading.”— pg. 1–2 1981 Statement
5. They deny any involvement in online sales.
1981 explicitly distances themselves from the YZY website and LA Archive:
“1981 Distribution Inc. has no affiliation with these entities… We did not participate in, oversee, or facilitate any sales.”— pg. 2 1981 Statement
6. They deny the Urban Necessities pop-up was theft.
This is their strongest counterpoint to Milo:
“These allegations are categorically false. The LAPD… found no evidence of illegal activity.”— pg. 2 1981 Statement
They characterize the contemplated liquidation event as:
A legal method to reconcile YZY’s unpaid invoices
Something discussed openly
Ultimately abandoned due to “conflicts of interest”
7. They insist they never reproduced or sold YZY products.
“1981 Distribution Inc. has not engaged in the reproduction, manufacturing, or unauthorized distribution of YZY GAP merchandise.”— pg. 3 1981 Statement
THE KEY TAKEAWAY BEFORE THE SAFE RETURNS
Before the safe was moved…Before the archive was consolidated…Before the Urban Necessities pop-up exploded…
Both sides were already accusing each other of wrongdoing:
Milo:1981 failed to protect YZY, enabled forged documents to stand, and allowed stolen product to circulate.
1981:YZY was internally inconsistent, failed to pay invoices, reversed decisions constantly, and their pop-up actions were misrepresented as theft despite LAPD finding no crime.
These competing narratives set the stage for what came next — the liquidation attempt, the return of the inventory, and the moment the safe re-enters the story.
1981 Distribution pulled out, citing legal exposure.
The safe, still sealed, was stored securely and never tampered with.On March 25, 2024, it was returned to YZY via BOL with accompanying footage. Milo had full operational control at the time. Messages from March confirm that Laura —his wife’s assistant—was given blanket authority to move inventory:
“Laura has permanent and ongoing authority to move items at will from your storage.” -Milo
So she did.
Laura — Bianca Censori’s assistant — arrived to inspect inventory and facilitate the pickup. Under Milo’s direction, the safe was opened at 1981 by YEEZY staff, audited, closed, and sent back. It was never opened again at 1981.
“Safe went in first… none of your personnel arrived yet.”
“They are unloading it.”
— Screenshots show Laura, 1981, Dov, Milo, and YZY staff coordinating the pickup.
Rolling racks, Season 9 garments, Balenciaga footwear, and yes—the vault—all left under her watch.
Why?Because they were prepping product for secondary resale.
Enigma was offered a deal to continue working with the archives new owners but to sell alternatively through the @LosAngelesApparelSamples Depop page as they have before and secondarily through Grailed under his own personal page, @EnigmaCurations as it has an already substantial following and by the applications Terms of Service, wouldn’t allow Dov or Los Angeles Apparel to do so as these garments have technically been remade and stolen.
After forcibly removing Enigma from the SpaceX facility and assuming control of the Yeezy archive, Milo Yiannopoulos made a calculated move.
He attempted to bring Enigma back into the operation — not as an archivist or curator, but as a partner in resale.
Dov offered Enigma:
$2,500 every two weeks as a base retainer
10% commission on every product sold
And claimed that Dov Charney would be part of the backend deal
He agreed. So cars started loading items from SpaceX back to LAA where they once were.
“Send the best stuff… the stuff you’re listing on Grailed.”“Please send vests, hoodies, jackets. Sold through a bunch this week.”“Maximizing on Grailed and Depop with more staff.” –Text messages from Orion (the person receiving shipments) confirm it.
This agreement was short lived to less than three months. Enigma quit on his own accord when he realized where he was working was an illegal environment.
To cover his tracks, Milo would dox Enigma on Twitter posting:
“His name is Makennah Patrick Kelly, otherwise known as Enigma Curation, and he stole millions of dollars’ worth of Ye’s personal effects and the majority of the clothing you see for sale on Grailed and elsewhere.”
“They stole in batches over the course of months, maybe years. And Makennah Patrick Kelly did it while he was being paid to catalogue and take care of Ye’s belongings.”
“I’ll reveal more soon about the pair, and their co-conspirators. Below you’ll find the notes I supplied to the private investigator I hired to research the case. At the time, we had no idea of the extent of the thefts, and believed them to have gotten away with only $40,000 or so of property."
This was entirely false as Enigma was directly hired and directed by both Dov and Milo to do so, actually going against Studio Otto who had originally hired him to do the job without knowing it would be illegal. Enigma later had to pay Studio Otto back for all items sold online on Grailed during his employment with LAA making him -$40,000 with up to $10,000 of penalties while all the money from Depop was still directly wired to Dov’s account.
THE SAFE IS CRACKED AT LOS ANGELES APPAREL
After being returned, the safe was transported to Los Angeles Apparel.
By May 2024, it became impossible to keep the truth hidden.
Multiple insiders confirmed on Discord and Instagram that Milo Yiannopoulos and Dov Charney were both fired after being caught stealing from Kanye West’s private archive. One message from Cesar Idrobo, a known associate, reads:
“Just heard Milo & Dov got caught stealing from Ye and got fired…”“It’s true. Just did lol.”
Ye himself, in a group text, wrote:
“You and Dov are both lying, manipulative thieves… You defended Dov sending Yeezy money to his account. Over [amount redacted] million has been netted and less than [amount] has been paid to my account.”
“I fired him.”“Milo is still doing things on behalf of the company after I fired him.”
Another private message from a verified designer confirmed:
“Milo & Dov got caught stealing from Ye… it’s true.”
The story worsens when a message surfaced claiming Milo stole the YZY app and promised jobs at Yeezy without approval. Another source says:
“Milo bought the app behind everyone’s back and Ye had zero ownership. He got fired for it.”
On Discord, a user named Ricky stated:
“The new team had concerns about him [Milo]… he’s a compulsive liar.”
Another whistleblower posted that Milo promised archive returns, but misled Ye, tried holding back drives, and refused to pay vendors.
In a final group chat screenshot, Ye messages his team:
“Dov is dead. The pimp is gone. God is alive.”
Alongside that message? A group photo of Dov Charney, crossed out with a red X.
Milo’s own resignation letter would later emerge—saying he couldn’t continue for “spiritual” reasons, calling the team “pornographic” and “dangerous.”
But the real issue?
They left with access to the vault and internal assets.
After the firings, a new wave of products started surfacing online.
LAA sample accounts were dumping damaged, mislabeled, and duplicate product onto Depop.Buyers noticed fake construction. One user posted:
“The LAA one feels like a bad replica. The dove print is off, sleeves are shorter, the interior’s wrong.”
Meanwhile, fake LAA products were being sold under burner Depop accounts like @losangelesapparelsamples, with customers complaining about downgraded quality, double-layered knockoffs, and misaligned logos.
One Discord user confirmed:
“LAA started making double layers with the sole purpose of selling on Depop.”Another added: “It’s just Dov/LAA liquidating.”
This was not just a mismanaged drop.It was a counterfeit operation.
A Depop screenshot shows hundreds of active sales—every hour.
Many were labeled as “samples,” “no tags,” or “slightly imperfect,” despite being pulled from warehouse stock.
And the most damning part? Screenshots confirm Dov gave green-lights, tracked sales, and organized pulls for resale — all while claiming no knowledge.
On July 27, 2024, a 4chan post went viral after the anonymous user claimed that Kanye West’s long-rumored safe had been “cracked.” Metadata embedded in one of the images indicated that the photo was taken inside Los Angeles Apparel’s downtown factory. The poster listed the alleged contents of the safe, including:
50+ hard drives
DVRs labeled from old tours
Birth certificates for Ye’s children
Donda West’s death certificate
Grammy awards
Audio drives used by Mike Dean (pictured below)
Unreleased Yeezus tour footage
Potential blackmail material
The user noted that several images displayed the iPhone HDR icon in the top-left corner—likely because the original Live Photos had been screenshotted, since 4chan does not support Live Photo uploads. According to the poster, they attempted to upload a 23-minute video showing the safe being emptied, but the hosting site catbox(dot)moe failed to process it. They instead posted screenshots taken directly from that video.
Images that observers were able to verify included:
The same vault previously seen in SpaceX facilities
Mike Dean’s labeled tour microphone case (Pictured Above)
Footage from Dov Charney and Milo Yiannopoulos’s Silverlake condo (Pictured Below)
Ye’s McLaren parked in a garage
The Garbutt–Hathaway Estate
The Garbutt–Hathaway Estate, located in Los Angeles, had reportedly housed Dov Charney, Milo Yiannopoulos, and Ye during 2023. In the thread, the original poster challenged users to validate the images, writing:
“First person to geolocate this will know I speak truth.”
A reply soon followed, providing coordinates: 34°05'16"N, 118°15'45"W, which lead directly to the Garbutt–Hathaway property—confirming the location shown in the leaked material and linking it to Charney and Yiannopoulos, who were living there together at the time.
The business and legal troubles of Dov Charney and LAA have been documented publicly. For instance, the large mansion at the center of the bankruptcy case (the so-called Garbutt House in Silver Lake) has been reported, with court filings noting that several of Ye’s associates were residing there with Charney.
Milo would later claim the safe had been cracked earlier.
Both 1981 Distribution and Enigma confirmed this is false.
It was evident: the vault was ‘cracked’ and posted to 4chan on LAA Warehouse 902 Property — not at 1981 Distribution. (Pictured Above)
The LockerBlocker Storage Vault Videos
On August 8, 2024, TikTok user Locker Blocker (@LockerBlocker20) uploaded two videos—each roughly 2 to 3 minutes long—showing the contents of a storage vault reportedly linked to Ye’s personal belongings. The footage revealed clear storage bins, physical file folders, and a wide assortment of items spanning different eras of Ye’s career. The uploader moved quickly through the materials; below are several screenshots from the videos, along with links to the originals and their archived versions.
Key notes from the WhatNot showcase:
LockerBlocker purchased 2 of 6 storage units at an auction, where the lockers were sold due to unpaid bills.
“One of the other buyers” asked LockerBlocker to sell 100+ folders during an upcoming stream.
LockerBlocker stated they cannot elaborate on what happened to their lockers prior to the sale.
Tomorrow’s stream will feature strict moderation.
All items will start at $50, with the seller citing eBay comps ranging from $200 to $1,100.
Some folders are from the Vultures era.
There are no shoe/sneaker folders in their possession.
Another buyer reportedly has “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds” of additional folders.
LockerBlocker included a disclaimer:“We are not authorizing the purchaser to make the piece of clothing—solely the collectability of the folder and pattern. The auction does not include ownership of the actual clothing or any right to produce it. This is strictly for the paper collectible of the folder and the items within.”
[Extra Info on Specific Items]
Tessa Mathias
Many of the photos presented are labeled with "Tessa" on their fashion sketches/writings. Although a "Tessa Bag" is a style of handbag, their is a clothing article titled "Tessa 'LOTUS' Development, possibly related to Tessa Mathias, Head of Design at Yeezy and Creative Director from 2018 - 2019 and 2019 - 2023 respectively. Tessa also lists "THE LOTUS CODE" in her LinkedIn as a founder.
She also provided the artwork for the original Jesus is King artwork (both old contemporary painting style and the blue record cover) as well as the 2018 Wyoming Merch
Yzy forms management team: FASHION NETWORK | ARCHIVE
Emmanuel Nickerson
A tiny circular tin with "Jerry Harvey Audio" and the name "Emmanuel Nickerson" were on the lid. Emmanuel is a songwriter who has collaborated with Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Big Sean, and many others. Closest to Ye, he has worked on Big Sean's track All Your Fault ft. Ye.
Hollywood Bowl: 138. 026
A plastic container box reveals garments of an off-white color labeled "Hollywood Bowl Performance Costumes 138.026" Considering the label, it is most likely tied to the 2015 performance of 808's & Heartbreak. (Note, I compared this to the Sunday Service Performance at Paris Fashion Week in 2020 due to similar colors, but they are too clean cut and have no signs of tear compared to 2015's Hollywood Bowl performance).
Hollywood Bowl: Nebuchadnezzar
A cardboard box is opened mostly containing ceramic masks, printed sheets of said masks, and a golden robe (Black face masks are also inside, but this is more for the next topic). This is all material from another performance at the Hollywood Bowl in 2019, an opera titled "Nebuchadnezzar."
Venice Wedding Performance: Black Face Masks
The black face masks were also inside the same box, which are tied to a Venice Wedding Performance in 2021 for Bernard Arnault and Geraldine Guyot.
Ye's performance was noted to sound exhausted for reasons unknown. It is also worth a mention that just a year later, Ye would later have extreme anger towards Bernard over Virgil Abloh's death and the fashion industry in general.
White Sunday Service Choir Garments
The White Sunday Service Sleeved attire have been seen notably in their performance in The Forum in November 2019 as well as the famous clip of Ye holding a live recording session in February of the same year.
DNC Hope Fund 10/10
Another clear box labeled "DNC Hope Fund 10/10 Performance Costumes 138.035" was found. This is tied to the October 10th, 2015 (hence "10/10") performance Ye had done in San Francisco, with Barrack Obama in attendance.
YZY GAP (Binder and Scuba Shoes)
Two Fashion archives to personally standout was the Scuba Shoe folder and the white binder towards the end of part 2. The binder contains info of YZYGAP production, as shown with the outlined designs of known pieces and a Dove Tee pre-production sheet.
Scuba Shoes was written on one of the file folders, most likely pre-prod notes for them. Interestingly, Ye has experimented with a Scuba Shoe twice, once in 2019 and another prototype in 2022 under YZYGAP (due to contract limitations, it is possible many footwear related products under GAP were not able to see the light of day due to Adidas).
2019 PROTOTYPE: HIGH SNOBIETY | ARCHIVE
2022 PROTOTYPE: WESTSUBEVER | ARCHIVE
YZY SZN 2 Zine
The uploader notes a "Season 2" catalogue with a specific page flipped on to it. This can be traced to the YZY SZN 2 Zine, below is a sold Grailed listing with the same page shown as a preview:
After Enigma was removed, his replacement — Ryan (Gothspel) — Who took over the archive.
Shortly after, a website appeared: LosAngelesArchive.com
A nearly identical derivative of Los Angeles Apparel, run under Ryan’s direction, and connected directly to Dov Charney.
This site began reproducing past Yeezy items using original archive patterns, falsely advertising them as authentic resale pieces.
Rare 2020 Vision hoodies from Ye’s presidential run — once USA-made and sold in tiny batches — are now being remade and sold regularly.
Banned YZY GAP products — which are legally restricted from being sold in the US, Canada, and Mexico — are being recreated and resold on this platform.
These are not leftover units.They are full-scale bootlegs, made from scratch — using items taken directly from the archive that Enigma once protected.
According to a Los Angeles Apparel Employees:
“If Kanye finds out, Dov said he’ll just give him $5 per item.”
Every item 1981 Distribution sorted, counted, palletized — even what was prepped for the now-abandoned Vultures merch drop — is currently being sold on Archive.
And Kanye doesn’t even know.
After the events surrounding the forced archive transfer, nonpayment, and disorder, 1981 Distribution filed a UCC-1 lien on May 15, 2024 against YZY Supply LLC.
This filing was made to legally secure unpaid invoices tied to:
Storage of Yeezy GAP inventory and overflow materials
Labor and handling of Kanye’s cars, machines, and sealed vault
Partial preparation of the aborted Vultures merch rollout
The lien formally asserted their right to claim goods they had serviced or stored due to repeated late, short, or missing payments.
1981 legally:
Stored Yeezy GAP inventory and related material
Returned the sealed safe untouched and verified by BOL and video
Cooperated with law enforcement and documented their role
Ultimately, the LAPD ruled the incident a civil matter — not criminal. Stating that while miscommunication and unpaid labor were evident, the disputes over ownership and payment did not rise to criminal theft.
But after they returned the archive — it was cracked.
By who?All signs point to Los Angeles Apparel.
And now, parts of Kanye’s legacy — birth certificates, unreleased music, and one-of-a-kind collectibles — have shown up on Depop, eBay, Discord, and dark web marketplaces.
This archive wasn’t meant to be sold. It was never about flipping rare items on Grailed.
The Yeezy Library was designed to be a museum, a school, and a cultural landmark documenting Ye’s legacy in fashion, music, and design.
Instead, it became a battlefield for power, ego, and greed.
If you care about the truth, this is what happened.If you want receipts, they exist and the vault still isn’t back in Ye’s hands. This isn’t just about the product. It’s about power, control, and how unchecked access and ego allowed one of the most valuable celebrity archives in history to be stripped, resold, and paraded across the internet.
And it could happen again — to anyone.
Thanks for posting. Hope Ye can pull himself together and stay a GOAT forever🙏
Really good article. Think of how damaging this must all be for Ye. All your music you saved on hard drives is literally gone. Decades of work. Crushing to think about. Wishing the best.