Travis Scott Canceled by Dior: The Astroworld Aftermath
There are still repercussions from Astroworld for Travis Scott.
His Cactus Jack creative house was slated to partner with Dior in summer 2022, but the collection has been pushed back indefinitely following the tragedy at his music festival.
Travis Scott has lost another major deal in the wake of the Astroworld tragedy. Dior has called off a planned collaboration with him that was due to launch next year.
Dior Men’s Pulls Out
According to Women’s Wear Daily, Kim Jones, artistic director of Dior men’s, and Scott’s Cactus Jack label have decided to put the capsule collection on hold indefinitely. The collection – set to be Dior’s first featuring a musician – would draw from Scott’s Texas roots as well as the house’s Parisian roots.
“Out of respect for everyone affected by the tragic events at Astroworld, Dior has decided to postpone indefinitely the launch of products from the Cactus Jack collaboration originally intended to be included in its summer 2022 collection,” according to a statement released by the company.
Travis Scott Does Not Respond to Rolling Stone’s Request for Commentary
The Dior and Scott companies did not respond immediately to Rolling Stone’s requests for comment.
In June, Scott announced his partnership with creative director Kim Jones, culminating in a fashion show in Paris featuring tributes to late rapper Pop Smoke, highly sought-after sneakers, and more – marking Dior’s first time ever working with a musician. They were hoping to open sales on the capsule collection one year after its debut.
Astroworld: 10 Dead, Hundreds Injured
Following the tragic accident at Astroworld in which ten people died and hundreds were injured, Scott’s collaboration with Dior was at risk. According to an anonymous Dior employee, the company was “very concerned.” Luxury-retail expert Thomaï Serdari added that she “wouldn’t be surprised” if they pulled the plug on the fashion line altogether. “This is about social responsibility and respect to the audience,” said Sedari.
Travis Scott’s Dior/Cactus Jack Deal Discontinued
Dior/Cactus Jack’s discontinuation is Scott’s second major branding deal, following Anheuser-Busch’s decision not to distribute his Cacti line of carbonated alcoholic seltzers. As a result of his Astroworld performance, Cacti, a drink collaboration, was terminated in March 2021. The Cacti collaboration was wildly successful and ran until Nov. 30, when both sides decided to end production in the mutual release of one another as business partners.
“Travis was clear in his interview that he is not focused on business right now and his priority is helping his community and fans heal,” a spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch said, referring to Scott’s interview with The Breakfast Club radio show host, Charlamagne Tha God.
Travis Scott Speaks
During his first public comments regarding the event, Scott claimed that he only learned that people had died after the festival set ended and that he did not hear fans screaming for him to stop the concert between songs. He claimed that Houston police told him only after the guests (in this case, Drake) appeared on stage that the show must end after 40 minutes because it was determined it was a “mass casualty event.”
In the past, Cactus Jack worked with brands such as Nike and McDonald’s, but many have distanced themselves from the father of Kylie Jenner’s daughter Stormi, since a crowd crush led to 10 deaths at his festival on Nov. 5.
Astroworld has been sued over 140 times since then, and 1,500 attendees filed a lawsuit against Scott, Live Nation, Apple Music, Drake, and others.
W Magazine Pulls Cover Depicting Travis Scott and a then-pregnant Kylie Jenner
W Magazine’s Travis Scott cover with pregnant girlfriend Kylie Jenner was also retracted, and Nike deferred releasing new shoe styles designed by the artist.
During an interview with Charlamagne tha God on “The Breakfast Club” earlier this month, he claimed that he “didn’t hear” the screams of thousands of fans and that he did everything he could to avoid the tragedy. In addition, he promised to figure out exactly what went wrong.
Victims Allege Travis Scott is Insincere
Scott’s words did not sway victims’ families or their attorneys. Tony Buzbee, a lawyer for the family of Axel Acosta, who died at the festival, told Rolling Stone: “…What he’s doing now is just causing people more pain.” All over social media especially on Tik Tok, fans and critics were mocking the alleged insincerity of Scott’s apologies.
In addition to losing various brand deals, Scott has also been named in nearly 300 lawsuits that have been filed since the fatal Astroworld event. Scott and other defendants (like Live Nation, ScoreMore, NRG Park, and several security companies) have denied the allegations against them. Scott has asked to be dismissed from multiple lawsuits he was named in.
