Gap Inc. (Q4110)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
American multinational clothing and accessories retailer
- The Gap, Inc.
- Gap
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Gap Inc. |
American multinational clothing and accessories retailer |
|
Statements
1969
founder
design director
vice-president of womenswear design
executive vice president and creative director
After the departure of its creative director, Patrick Robinson, in May, Gap entered an interstitial period. The brand has been on the hunt for someone to take over the creative reins; at today's presentation, Gap's head of communications, Anita Borzyszkowska, said that the search is nearing completion. In the meantime, the brand-repositioning process has started, with the goal of recapturing Gap's historic niche as the go-to for all-American staples.Consequently, as Borzyszkowska was keen to point out, the Spring 2012 Gap collection is something of a placeholder. But the renewed focus on cheerful wardrobe fundamentals such as jeans and tees was definitely evident here. These clothes aren't likely to fire up consumers' imaginations, but the pop-colored denim and khakis and slouchy striped knits for men and women are a pretty sure bet to be worn and loved, if people venture into Gap stores to buy them. There wasn't much experimentation going on here—which is probably a good thing, given that the one risky look, a pair of "khaki-washed" yellow jeans for men, looked acidic and out of place. Better, albeit less daring, were the contributions from Gap's Los Angeles design team, who added a range of vintage-inspired looks for women, including a chic and easy dirndl skirt, topstitch-detailed colored oxford shirts, and dark-washed boyfriend jeans. These looks came the closest to cloning the original Gap DNA, though easygoing washed-out colored chinos for the boys and short trenchcoats for the girls fit the bill nicely, too. But the verdict remains "wait and see."
13 September 2011
Its Tokyo fashion show having been canceled due to the Japan earthquake and its aftermath, Gap's Patrick Robinson showed the new Fall collection by appointment yesterday in the label's Tribeca headquarters. In that low-key setting, the designer pointed out some of the details he is using to help elevate the brand. With its black pants program well established, he's now employing menswear fabrics like Prince of Wales checks and pinstripes that look and (this is key) feel more expensive than their $79 price tags. Also new, an of-the-moment cropped flare that indicates Robinson is keeping his eyes on the runways. Proof that he's got his ear to the ground, i.e., the streets, is a new leather group. Calling leather "the new denim," he showed off leggings, five-pocket pants, a pencil skirt, and an A-line shift with a whiff of the sixties.Rounding out the mix were "heritage meets modern" pieces, the kind of staples you expect from Gap, but with some surprising touches. The cables on a sweater were askew, the plaid button-down was sheer, and the khakis were denim-washed for a faded, lived-in look. As for the denim that the company is famous for, Robinson will show that in a more formal presentation later this Spring. The men's collection followed the same story lines; overall, the big news for the boys was a slimmer, closer-to-the-body fit. Some menswear designers have been experimenting with looser proportions on the runways, but slim, Robinson explained, is "what the guys are asking for."
21 March 2011
Its Tokyo fashion show having been canceled due to the Japan earthquake and its aftermath, Gap's Patrick Robinson showed the new Fall collection by appointment yesterday in the label's Tribeca headquarters. In that low-key setting, the designer pointed out some of the details he is using to help elevate the brand. With its black pants program well established, he's now employing menswear fabrics like Prince of Wales checks and pinstripes that look and (this is key) feel more expensive than their $79 price tags. Also new, an of-the-moment cropped flare that indicates Robinson is keeping his eyes on the runways. Proof that he's got his ear to the ground, i.e., the streets, is a new leather group. Calling leather "the new denim," he showed off leggings, five-pocket pants, a pencil skirt, and an A-line shift with a whiff of the sixties.Rounding out the mix were "heritage meets modern" pieces, the kind of staples you expect from Gap, but with some surprising touches. The cables on a sweater were askew, the plaid button-down was sheer, and the khakis were denim-washed for a faded, lived-in look. As for the denim that the company is famous for, Robinson will show that in a more formal presentation later this Spring. The men's collection followed the same story lines; overall, the big news for the boys was a slimmer, closer-to-the-body fit. Some menswear designers have been experimenting with looser proportions on the runways, but slim, Robinson explained, is "what the guys are asking for."
21 March 2011
Gap's global caravan touched down in London to showcase its Spring collection, and creative director Patrick Robinson was all about the sophisticated and the sexy. When he was growing up, he wasn't alone in thinking of the chain as casual weekendwear. "It was just one part of people's lives," the designer said before yesterday's civilized presentation (kudos to the caterers). "But I've expanded the brand to be seven-days-a-week." Robinson sees this latest collection as putting in place the final components of his four-year revisioning of Gap, which is seeking to re-establish its hold on consumers' hearts and purse strings. He's bumped up the blouses, introduced a soft tailoring element, and brought a new body-consciousness to knitwear, though for most customers, the clearest sign of the changes that he has wrought will still probably be found in his approach to denim: for women, an elongated look fitted through the thigh with a flare toward the ankle; for men, a nonchalant "slim slouch," a slightly dropped crotch with a skinny leg. Then there were the denim's colors: a new bluer blue, contrasted with soft blush shades on a foundation of white.What Robinson has brought to the brand is tightly edited precision. "No longer a table with one sweater in 30 colors," he said. Yep, instead of multiples, what stood out yesterday were specific pieces, like the white silk crepe cocktail dress with the keyhole back (Gap? Get used to it!) or the long white cotton skirt with big patch pockets, paired with a cap-sleeved top for an elegant evening option (Gap? Get used to it two times!), or the slouchy hooded jacket, with the volume of a radically cropped djellaba. There was something of the classic Perry Ellis spirit in such easy but chic outfits (Robinson did, after all, design for Ellis at one point). The designer also subtly tipped his cap to Gap's heritage by lining a soft lapel-less jacket with gray sweatshirting.
19 October 2010
Gap's Patrick Robinson is planning to do for work pants what he did for the brand's premium denim business last year: i.e., make them relevant to the company's target 25-to-35-year-old demographic via on-trend cuts; sophisticated, exclusive-to-Gap fabrics; and a $59.50 price point that he hopes will have customers going back for seconds or maybe more. "It's about dressing people for seven days a week, not just the weekend," said the designer.Showing off the seven new women's fits at an informal presentation of the brand's Fall collection this afternoon, Robinson paired a cropped black tuxedo pant with a softly ruffled white sleeveless blouse; hip-slung, dropped-crotch boy trousers with a relaxed button-down; and a narrow boot-cut style with a shawl-collar shearling (at $795, the latter will be the most expensive thing in the store). Among the highlights was a pair of slightly flared, tailored "perfect trousers" teamed with a classic peacoat—the outfit nailed the "wear it today, wear it years from now" vibe that was the big message at the Fall shows. As for the Pierre Hardy for Gap peep-toe, lace-up wedge booties, they look like another waiting list in the making, and the label's own stacked-heel platform oxfords and boots will have plenty of eager admirers, too.
19 April 2010
High fashion has had its say, but what of the democratic point of view for Fall? According to Gap's Patrick Robinson, it's going to be "about people walking into the store and eyeing things they think might be three times the price of what they'd expect to see, but then finding out they're a fourth of what they thought." To wit: black, curly shearling jackets and vests; a cute knit-sleeved toggle-fastened peacoat; a dark indigo denim trench; and a super-desirable pair of high, chunky-heeled sheepskin Pierre Hardy boots, among much else. All these were lined up on a podium—a casual style of presenting Robinson has made a Gap signature over three seasons—only this time, the location was the old flower market Covent Garden in London, not New York.Why? Gap has deep American roots, but the brand is now designed by internationally minded U.S., European, and Japanese teams that Robinson directs out of New York, and this is the first stage of a new Gap road-show strategy demonstrating their joined-up thinking. (Next stop, for Spring 2010, will be Tokyo.) Mostly, Robinson says, they're thinking about layered sportswear with a smarter edge and exacting proportions. The classic pocket tee has been rethought in drapey washed silk; a new chino comes cut with a skinny stovepipe leg, "so it can also be rolled up and worn with a high sandal"; and the ombré-dyed twinset knits have been elongated to look right over leggings. And where denim appeared, it had obviously been more influenced by the European collaboration between Lanvin and Acne (all tailored, deep-indigo dyed pieces) than traditional western workwear. Not to say there weren't familiar Gap moments—comfortable brown-toned Navajo knits for holiday, for starters.If there's a criticism, the collection could have used more color, along the lines of the single cornflower blue silk top that stood out in the mix. True, the rest of fashion has toned itself down to shades of gray and black, so these looks will fit right in with the season's agendas. But a tiny shot of trend-bucking American optimism wouldn't have gone amiss.
22 March 2009
"It's about you, not me," said Patrick Robinson at the presentation of his first real Spring collection for Gap since taking the creative reins last year. What Robinson meant was that his designs are meant for the customers to weave into their own personal styles—not for him to impose as a monolithic look. To that end, Robinson worked on honing and perfecting the staples at the label's core: khakis redone in silk and cotton jersey, fine-gauge striped cardigans, pocket tees trimmed with a spray of ruffled tulle, and slim rolled jeans, now in 20 colors. That's not to say the lineup was purely basic. He explored the still-fresh silhouette of wide-legged and flared pants worn with lean top halves—a T-shirt layered under a skinny vest or a fantastic, slightly sheer cotton tunic. A crisp white dress with a pleated neckline and lightly striped hem was exactly the kind of piece you'd love to own if only it wasn't obviously going to be so popular that you'll be seeing it all over town. Also of note was the bold, color-blocked swimwear; and certainly a knit boyfriend blazer, like a cardigan but polished enough to wear to work, is something that's never before seen the inside of a Gap store. Fans of the Pierre Hardy Design Editions sandals will be thrilled to see that every look was styled with a pair, now available in suede.
6 September 2008