Kai Cenat Under Fire Over 'Balenciaga Prices' as New Vivet Line Is Slammed as 'Yeezy Knockoffs'

Kai Cenat has built an empire on being relatable. His new fashion brand, Vivet, launched with a $1,195 jacket and a $550 backpack, and the question people actually care about isn't whether the collection sells. It is whether a streamer with no fashion pedigree can charge couture money and still be taken seriously, or whether 'Balenciaga prices' becomes the joke that defines the brand.

Cenat stepped away from Twitch for nine months to build Vivet, unveiling Collection 1 at New York Fashion Week with Duke Dennis, BruceDropEmOff and Ray walking the runway. The launch had been teased for months through billboards, a design journal and behind-the-scenes vlogs. The online reaction wasn't what he may have hoped for.

Are Vivet's Prices Too High for a Streamer Brand?

The 20-piece collection runs from a $20 journal to leather jackets and coats pushing past $500, with the raglan zip-up jacket topping out at $1,195. The streaming backpack, a leather-and-mesh shell built around the TVU One cellular transmitter with dedicated compartments for broadcasting gear, sells for $550.

Cenat has addressed the pricing directly, saying, 'I don't wanna lower the price... I don't wanna lower the vision.' He argues that cutting costs means cutting materials.

Critics argue the story doesn't bridge the gap between a first-time streamer collection and Balenciaga-level pricing, especially compared with typical creator merchandise, which is usually much lower.

One X user put the frustration plainly, writing that they could not understand how people start a brand and immediately charge designer-level prices.

Another said they could not imagine paying a thousand dollars for what amounts to streamer merch.

Is Vivet Copying Yeezy's Aesthetic?

The backlash sharpened once critics started laying the designs beside Kanye West's old collections.

One comparison put Vivet's Look 21, a dark olive puffer jacket, next to a near-identical piece from Yeezy Season 3 in 2016, calling it a straight swipe.

Another set a 2016 Yeezy pump beside Vivet's 2026 version of the same clear PVC heel, pointing out how closely the silhouettes match. A third summed it up simply as 'Yeezy Season cosplay with influencer pricing.'

Cenat has said his Trinidadian and Haitian roots shaped his brand, and he credits stylist Law Roach as a mentor. However, being perceived as a copy is harder to overcome than being seen as expensive, especially when critics can point to a specific jacket or shoe rather than a general vibe.

The streamer-turned-designer hasn't addressed the Yeezy comparisons, while Vivet continues to promote the collection, seemingly unaffected by the debate. Some view this silence as a calculated tactic to boost demand through outrage, while others see it as tone-deaf, relying on loyalty to fill the pricing gap without a public justification.

How Vivet Can Prove It's Not Just Expensive Streamer Merch

A second Vivet collection that visibly answers the Yeezy comparisons, rather than repeating them, would settle the design argument. More transparency on where the money goes would help too, since the only justification on record right now is Cenat's own account of the process, not an independent breakdown of materials or production.

Fans are left weighing loyalty against a four-figure buy-in, and the brand is left explaining itself one runway show at a time. If Vivet's next drop doesn't address the copycat claims and justify its 'Balenciaga prices', it could affect the brand's reputation.

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