Latest news with #GapStudio
Elle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Uma Thurman Gave the Canadian Tuxedo a Surprising Twist
Canadian tuxedos have always possessed an 'if you know, you know' kind of chicness, but how you style them makes all the difference. Uma Thurman embraced the look at the New York premiere of Dexter Resurrection, wearing a custom GapStudio denim ensemble designed by Zac Posen, executive vice president and creative director of Gap Inc. The Kill Bill actress posed for photos alongside the original Dexter himself, Michael C. Hall, and co-star Peter Dinklage. The trick to making it not your dad's Canadian tuxedo? Swap the separates for a wide-legged jumpsuit. Underneath, Thurman sported an ivory silk charmeuse long-sleeve collared shirt. Both the blouse and the darker wash helped bring the typically casual look from day to night. 'Uma is a longtime friend and a true force—she brings such elegance, intelligence, and magnetism to everything she does,' Posen says in a press release. 'I wanted this custom indigo denim look to feel effortless but powerful, just like her. It's all about precision, ease and that undeniable Uma presence.' Gap is in the midst of a quiet renaissance. Since Posen's appointment in February 2024, an unmistakable It factor has crept back into the household brand. Red carpet moments have played a key role in establishing its evolving house codes under his direction. 'Each one has been a powerful way to express GapStudio's creative potential,' Posen told ELLE earlier this month. 'Red carpet dressing is a kind of high-frequency communication—it lets us amplify the brand codes through an artistic lens.' From Laura Harrier's three-piece suit at the 2025 Met Gala to Anne Hathaway's shoppable shirtdress—and now Thurman's denim jumpsuit—Posen has seamlessly blended Gap's sensibilities with his own relatable allure.
Elle
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Take It From Zac Posen: The Mall Brand Is So Back
Zac Posen, the smiling conqueror of the red carpet, has been up to something a little different lately. With his appointment as the chief creative officer of Old Navy and creative director of Gap Inc. in February of 2024, the designer was tasked with revitalizing a massive heritage brand. In just a little over a year, Posen, who can also point to his ready-to-wear experience as creative director of Brooks Brothers, has launched GapStudio (a brand atelier of elevated staples), ushered in a subtle aesthetic shift, and signaled that the 'mall brand' renaissance is finally here. Many of Gap's peers have re-found their footing within new niches. Abercrombie & Fitch pivoted to TikTok influencers and released pieces across an inclusive range of sizes. In 2021, tapped Noah co-founder Brendon Babenzien to head up menswear, in an effort to revitalize the brand by capitalizing on his downtown New York appeal. More recently, also rebooted its beloved catalog and delved into high-end, cult-following-driven collaborations with designers including Christopher John Rogers and Maryam Nassir Zadeh. However, no 'mall brand' conversation would be complete without the retail giant that is Gap Inc., and it is precisely why Posen's and Gap's fans are paying so much attention. Many are nostalgic for the simple-but-cool appeal of '90s and early 2000s-era Gap, much of which was attained through its high-fashion-like commercial advertising. Celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg, Madonna and Missy Elliott, along with supermodel Naomi Campbell, fronted campaigns shot by fashion greats like Patrick Demarchelier and Annie Leibovitz. With so much star power, there was an undeniable aspirational appeal. 'You would see them put these famous people in their ads in very simple clothes, and it was this interesting way to say 'You can have this look, too,' because they would be in a $14.99 hoodie, for example,' Liana Satenstein, a fashion writer and founder of the shopping series Neverworns, tells ELLE. In 1993, Gap even launched its famous 'Who Wore Khakis' campaign, which utilized archive images of cultural figures like Miles Davis, Salvador Dalí, and James Dean all sartorially equalized by a single everyday item of clothing. Though the marketing landscape and celebrity culture have vastly changed since then, within Posen's brief tenure, parallels can be drawn. His creative directorial debut began with something true to his heart as a designer, a red carpet rollout that included Da'Vine Joy Randolph at the 2024 Met Gala and Anne Hathaway's instantly shoppable shirtdress at a Bulgari event last May. The looks lent themselves to the budding excitement for GapStudio, which officially debuted in April of this year. 'We've only done a few red carpet looks so far, but each one has been a powerful way to express GapStudio's creative potential. Red carpet dressing is a kind of high-frequency communication—it lets us amplify the brand codes through an artistic lens,' Posen explains. For the designer, each look, whether it be Demi Moore's goddess gown at the Time100 Gala or Laura Harrier's recent Met Gala suit, provides a platform for the brand's new house codes. Current offerings from GapStudio's summer drop include draped denim trousers, a light-wash denim dress, easy slip dresses, and on-trend off-the-shoulder tops. Posen adds, 'These moments are rooted in the same language: American classics, reimagined through construction, elegance, and wit. They're about taking familiar pieces and distorting them into something special.' By opening the design dialogue between the red carpet and the mass market, this strategy recalls the 'they're just like us' mentality that Satenstein noted. In both 1996 and 1998, Sharon Stone caused a stir arriving to the Oscars wearing a Gap shirt paired with her Armani jacket and Vera Wang skirt, respectively. Controversial at the time, the blending of relaxed, classic day-to-day aesthetics with red carpet glam has made both appearances some of the most iconic Oscars looks of all time. Add on a handful of collaborations with hugely popular independent brands like Dôen and Cult Gaia, and customers are noticing a tangible shift in designs across the company, too. New York City-based content creator Kelsey Kotzur recently went viral for a pink bubble-hemmed dress that she found at Old Navy. 'He's taking the heart of Old Navy/Gap and putting his expertise behind it and creating something incredible,' she tells ELLE. For Kotzur, who worked at both stores throughout high school and college, the fact she can now find an on-trend, evening edit-inspired dress for under $50 at the retailer is surprisingly refreshing. The shift in offerings has been subtle and pleasant, or as Posen explains, 'Not through an overnight transformation, but through thoughtful evolution.' Recent ads are also reflective of this nostalgic, real-life celebrity appeal. In May, Old Navy tapped a star-studded cast, including ELLE's Summer Issue cover star Lindsay Lohan, Dylan Efron, Quen Blackwell, and Charo, for a retro workout video, titled 'Old Navy, New Moves.' The campaign was shot by fashion photographer Ethan James Green and directed by Torso. Coinciding with Posen's appointment, Gap brought back its dancing commercials, featuring Tyla and Jungle's viral hit 'Back on 74'—signaling a re-ignition of the videos that heavily contributed to its advertorial influence in the '90s. Since then, Gap has continued dancing its way through digital marketing, producing campaigns starring The White Lotus's Parker Posey and Troye Sivan. Not to mention Lila Moss, the ultimate Gen Z iteration of '90s iconography, fronting GapStudio's summer 2025 campaign. Turns out, Posen's design identity has more in common with the label's '90s era than one might think, and it's an aura that the company is undoubtedly working to recapture. 'There's this amazing intersection of '90s sportswear, New York grunge, late-'30s futurism, and uptown/downtown energy—all of which shaped me growing up. We're looking at how that aesthetic, that attitude, can live in today's world,' he says. As for what we can look forward to at GapStudio, he adds, 'At its core, it's about building an elevated capsule wardrobe that feels personal, cultural, and timeless—designed to live in your life and also be remembered.'
Fashion Network
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
GapStudio launches summer drop with Lila Moss campaign
Gap 's latest GapStudio drop arrives in-store this week with made-for-summer styles featuring lightweight denim being fronted in a campaign starring British model Lila Moss. Designed by Zac Posen, EVP & Creative Director of Gap, there's a big spotlight on the brand's all-new draped denim, that we're told has 'a liquid-soft hand feel and breezy lightness that offers an easy, effortless flow'. It also has a 'sun-faded finish' for a ' lived-in look' and design details like let-down hems that reveal tonal contrast. Denim isn't the only focus, of course, as the drop is also built around chambray and voile that add to the feeling of lightness. Posen said: 'It's about the sensation of that first walk along the ocean in jeans. We wanted fabrics that are soft, light, breezy — capturing the feeling of summer, while honouring the heritage of Gap.' Key pieces include denim baggy jeans, a draped denim playsuit, denim crop shirts and voile separates 'that blur the line between beach cover-up and streetwear', and crepe dresses in an 'abstract, smile-inducing print'. Plus there's a voile and draped denim shirt dress that the brand also calls a 'Gaptan' that 'offers ethereal lightness with an elevated wash and drape'.
Fashion Network
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
GapStudio launches summer drop with Lila Moss campaign
Gap 's latest GapStudio drop arrives in-store this week with made-for-summer styles featuring lightweight denim being fronted in a campaign starring British model Lila Moss. Designed by Zac Posen, EVP & Creative Director of Gap, there's a big spotlight on the brand's all-new draped denim, that we're told has 'a liquid-soft hand feel and breezy lightness that offers an easy, effortless flow'. It also has a 'sun-faded finish' for a ' lived-in look' and design details like let-down hems that reveal tonal contrast. Denim isn't the only focus, of course, as the drop is also built around chambray and voile that add to the feeling of lightness. Posen said: 'It's about the sensation of that first walk along the ocean in jeans. We wanted fabrics that are soft, light, breezy — capturing the feeling of summer, while honouring the heritage of Gap.' Key pieces include denim baggy jeans, a draped denim playsuit, denim crop shirts and voile separates 'that blur the line between beach cover-up and streetwear', and crepe dresses in an 'abstract, smile-inducing print'. Plus there's a voile and draped denim shirt dress that the brand also calls a 'Gaptan' that 'offers ethereal lightness with an elevated wash and drape'.
Business of Fashion
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Gap's Quarterly Sales Beat on Strong Demand for Old Navy, Namesake Brands
Gap kept its annual forecasts intact after beating Wall Street expectations for first-quarter sales on Thursday as more customers shopped for its Old Navy and namesake brands following a style refresh over the past few quarters. Under CEO Richard Dickson, the company has stabilised sales by implementing initiatives such as remodelling of Gap stores and bringing in trendy clothing. Gap has taken steps including partnerships with actor Parker Posey of the White Lotus TV series and Disney collaborations. The company also launched sports apparel line StudioSmooth under the Old Navy brand and featured more vivid prints and silk clothing at its Banana Republic banner. Comparable sales at Old Navy rose 3 percent, while at Gap banner it increased 5 percent. The results come at a time when most retailers including Walmart and Target have struck a cautious tone due to the impact of US President Donald Trump's tariffs on global trading partners. Most companies have either withdrawn, cut or stuck to their annual expectations while the global economic environment remains volatile with a US trade court blocking most of Trump's tariffs on Wednesday and an appeals court reinstating them a day later. Gap, which bought less than 10 percent of its merchandise, by dollar value, from factories in China in fiscal 2024, said it expects incremental costs of about $250 million to $300 million but has strategies to mitigate more than half of that amount. It retained its fiscal 2025 sales forecast of 1 percent to 2 percent growth and operating income growth of 8 percent to 10 percent. Gap said the forecast does not reflect the potential effect of tariffs. The company's first-quarter revenue rose 2.2 percent to $3.46 billion, compared with analysts' average estimates of $3.42 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. It reported a profit of 51 cents per share. Analysts were expecting earnings of 45 cents. By Ananya Mariam Rajesh; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta Learn more: Why Gap Is Going Premium With the new GapStudio line, creative director Zac Posen is introducing an edgier, fashion-forward perspective and a platform for monetising his designs on the red carpet, such as Gap's latest custom outfit for Timothée Chalamet.
