By Hayley Kaufman
The Gap has been a staple of American wardrobes for so long that a major reworking of its clothes makes news. Which is exactly the way Patrick Robinson, Gap’s head of design, likes it. Intent on making the mega-chain relevant and on-trend, Robinson’s spent the past couple of years reimagining Gap products, category by category. Now, coinciding with Gap’s 40th anniversary, he unveils a new line of jeans: the 1969 Premium Denim Collection, 13 new fits and finishes for men and women. We caught up with Robinson and asked him why he’s decided to jump into the premium jeans market, what’s influencing his designs, and who the Gap shopper is today.
Q. Why get into premium denim market?
A. Easy. Since I started at Gap I didn’t feel like I could walk in and start telling a story, an American story. I went through everything, category by category, and asked is this the best product in every way? Is it cool? Is it comfortable? I went out and listened. And I really saw the way people wear denim. Over the last 10 to 15 years, denim changed. It went from a commodity to a luxury item. People conquered fit problems, hand washes, great fabrics. So, we started hiring. We got a really amazing wash person, a great fit person. . . . We spent the next year in fit sessions. We make the best fitting denim in the world. They’re rock-star fits.
Q. What’s the profile of a Gap shopper?
A. It’s America. They buy an American attitude that shows how people really live. It’s what a person really lives in today, with jeans and T-shirts and khakis. It feels young but it spans much broader than that. I’m in my 40s – that’s what I’m admitting today – and I feel young and relevant. That’s what Gap serves up.
Q. You’ve rebooted the Gap brand. Talk about your philosophy.
A. If you go into the store and you buy a pair of jeans or a T-shirt or khakis – it’s going to feel good, it’s going to look good. And we’ll keep looking at things to make sure they stay relevant. Now, we want to tell the story. With us having stores around the globe it’s really important to build that out. How do you talk about the Gap? How do you tell the story of the demin? What does it stand for? How does it fit into my life? And really showing the energy of America today. I want the stores to feel like they’re talking to you and letting the product do that.
Q. What’s influencing you now? Music? Movies?
A. It’s not one thing. It’s a little bit of everything. It’s about listening to the current. It’s an interesting melange of music and TV and the street. You feel this sense of urgency and searching for a new path. You have to listen to that as a designer. People are interested in their planet, the country, their politics, and how things are coming together in their lives and how that will carry on to the next generation and their own. The Internet influences me and how people communicate and blog. It’s not just seeing a movie. It’s how people are living. It’s a cool time.
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