Gap unveils Gap Studio, a New in-house Label designed by Creative Director Zac Posen
Last week, Gap launched GapStudio, a new in-house label representing “the highest expression of the iconic American brand in terms of style, craftsmanship and quality.”
As Vogue reports, since taking the creative reins at Gap Inc., Zac Posen and the company’s CEO Richard Dickson’s mantra has been “What if, why not?” That philosophy has now sprung to life with the in-store and online arrival of GapStudio, described as a capsule collection for the fashion- and style-conscious consumers.
For skeptics wondering what Posen, the savant of ball gowns, is doing at a retailer that built its business on everyday basics, it’s interesting that the earliest fruits of his tenure have been custom eveningwear.
Perhaps fans remember the corseted denim gown Posen created for Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s first-ever Met Gala last year and the white cotton poplin shirt dress he custom-made for Anne Hathaway? Posen sees GapStudio almost like a couture house. Yes, it involves custom pieces, but the bigger idea is to drive people into the stores. “If Louis Vuitton can have ball gowns that they don’t produce on a red carpet in order to sell luggage,” he says, “why can’t Gap have a T-shirt gown on the red carpet? But we’ll actually produce it.” And at an accessible price point. Eight days after Hathaway wore her shirtdress, Gap made a version of it available for $158. It sold out within hours. “It was a real viral moment,” Posen says.
According to Dickson, such moments helped remind people that Gap still exists. Since the company’s 1990s heyday, a combination of too many stores, too much merchandise, and a lack of cohesive vision had sent sales on a steady decline, and the company’s valuation from about $40 billion in 2000 to $8.41 billion in 2023, the year Dickson joined the company. He needed to capture attention quickly and improve morale. Posen’s creations for Hathaway, Erivo, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph at last year’s Met Gala did just that. “Those sparkles turned heads,” Dickson tells me, snapping his fingers. “The lights were now on at the Gap.” Though the cleanup began long before Posen’s arrival, Gap Inc. has now seen sales grow for four consecutive quarters, and its stock is up 16 percent.
Posen, for his part, saw himself in Gap’s plight. “I love sleeping beauties,” he says, adding, “America loves heralding and shooting down. And I’ve definitely been a dove, a pigeon, a unicorn, and a dragon. So for me it’s like, What an opportunity!”
GapStudio’s “Collection 01” features elevated wardrobe essentials such as a tailored denim trench coat, double-breasted denim blazer and two new colorways of the poplin maxi shirtdress that sold out in its limited release last spring. It will retail for $78-$248 and is available globally as well as on gap.com and in 10 select U.S. stores.
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Photo Credit: FashioStock.com / Shutterstock.com
