Patrick Robinson to Lead Design at Gap
Signing Patrick Robinson is the best move Gap has made in years.I loved his work at Perry Ellis and he has a track record working for large companies like Armani.
H&M and Zara have left Gap spitting their dust but I still have an affection for Gap plus it will keep J. Crew on their toes.
This will be fun to watch.
Comments on "Patrick Robinson to Lead Design at Gap"
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Anonymous said ... (3:39 PM) :
post a commentsart, i appreciate that you're an insider. at first the idea that you were doing the street fashion vs. the insider fashion seemed like an outside approach, and i've read some comments that say..."enough with the labels,etc." but i credit you with making the fashion sceen accessible, and i like the perspective that you bring to the industry. its an education for me. at least an introduction. so thank you.
is there a connection to this and the vogue model's cover where they are all wearing gap shirts? virginia smith is with patrick robinson...
I don't think so
he was not involved with Gap at that point - he actually had new product at Target at that time
I hope he'll find a happy home at Gap; they need his help and he needs to find the right place to do his work. I haven't been able to shop at Gap in years, because their stuff is so off the mark in recent years. In fact, I've spent more money in Zara and H&M than I have in Gap in all that time. You're absolutely right, this is a good move.
This will be a very exciting period 4 the Gap. I hope that Mr. Robinson takes Gap "outside of the box" and restore the respect I once had for the brand.
I still heart Gap too, but lately they have sucked. It is a struggle to find anything to buy there, and I think Patrick Robinson will be great if they let him drive the design like they should. He's fabulous. I remember they had that accessory designer from Prada (maybe?) who did great stuff but didn't last very long. They need a makeover from the inside out....
Good for him but I dont think the Gap is any competition for J Crew. The Gaps's quality has been lacking for years, pants shrink when washed, tops lose their shapes, not enough variety in color.
I'm still mad at Gap for closing Forth & Towne, but I'm willing to give them another chance if they start producing clothes that I can actually wear.
Sart, when did P. Rabanne part ways with P. Robinson? I have never seen any official announcement of this but P. Robinson is collaborating with everybody lately. Wait for the special Baby Phat collaboration soon.
I want to say congratulations to Patrick on yet another career success. And what a gorgeous photo of him! Years ago I repped his first eponymous line at Bergdorf and when he visited from Milan, he was very shy and unassuming, with short hair, horn-rimmed glasses and painfully quiet clothes. It's great to see him rocking a bolder look and embracing his inner Lenny!
I love Gap! Anonymous 11.50 was that Emma Hill you were referring to (accessories designer, ex Marc Jacobs)? I wish Gap would make some regular boy-style khakis for women (and not comedy-wide ones).
Anonymous said...
"is there a connection to this and the vogue model's cover where they are all wearing gap shirts? virginia smith is with patrick robinson"
@ anonymous- I think that cover had something to do with the big supermodel cover in the 90's in which the models wore gap on the cover.
yessss!
i was a little disappointed by his capsule collection for target, although i did get a great pleated blue voile minidress (i think they called it a tunic--it is very brief) in the store one day when i was looking for socks (or something like that, you know how it is with target). anyway, it will be interesting to see if he can change gap's fortunes... the last fashiony person they hired didn't last at all long, if i recall correctly. they're obviously trying to get into h&m/target/etc.'s fashion niche with their ny-designers-do-takes-on-the-white-shirt thing (the doo.ri was pretty nice).
Interesting prospect. He should definitely fit well with the Gap's aesthetic and customer while also adding a little edginess to draw in more outsiders. I'm anxious to see the results of this collaboration.
This is so fabulous. Maybe now the drab, cheesy, unimaginative garments that pass for cutting edge fashion at what used to be a fresh idea will be revitalized. Robinson seems a lovely guy and for sure his sense of style will be a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to see what he does!
ok, i know this comment is a bit off-topic, but -
oh my goodness, when/why did gap close forth and towne??
sadness.
even though i thought their clothes were a bit too frilly/frou-frou, they were responding to what i think is a DESPERATE need for mature, elegant, chic clothes for older women. i'm not even in their target age bracket (it's more for my mom's generation) but i was so excited that they'd opened. AND their clothing was really well-made!
bah!
but patrick robinson for gap - that is REALLY exciting. some of my favorite clothes over the years have been from the gap. but for the past couple of years, they have sorely disappointed. hopefully this will bring back the gap i once knew and loved...
Patrick Robinson has had some rough times at Anne Klein, Perry Ellis and Paco Rabanne. He was not able to ignite the labels like Tom Ford did for Gucci or Stella McCartney for Chloe. Personally, I think these labels had some unrealistic expectations. I mean, how can one resurrect a near death label within a couple of seasons?
It will be interesting to see how his new gigs with Target and GAP fare.
not having gap down here in oz means that i LOVE LOVE LOVE gap wherever i can find it in the world. i bought 2 pairs of the best trousers ever on my last visit to the US two and a half years ago and they're both still in perfect condition. can't wait to check out their new wares when i return later this year. zara and h&m are also definitely on my list! that yellow dress from a few posts ago certainly inspired me :o)
Gap manages their advertising better than their clothing, frankly. Their campaigns get me into the store - which I suppose is the object! - but I usually purchase staples, rather than a statement item. Not that there's anything wrong with that! But I figured that was Gap's 'place'. Will be interesting to see how their product changes with Patrick Robinson at the helm, particularly if it gets an 'edge'.
I'm happy for him. And let's hope the GAP improves the way it markets to the customers as well.
Hope his collection for Target is not a sign of things to come at Gap.
good for him and the both of them gap and target..I think he will add something great,hopefully a modern cool look just as funky and hot as he is...to rival their competitors...
His Target collection was pretty bad - not offensive, but boring and medicore - much like how Gap designs and quality have been.
If that is an indication of things to come, then the Gap is screwed. Gap prices do not translate to bland cookie cutter Target designs. Not to say that the Gap is expensive, but it's not exactly cheap either.
anyone see what he did for target's go international collection? it's not pret a porter, or insanely innovative, but it's great. and it's the only one that's selling out at full price. the other, much more anticipated designers had each a piece or two that was fabulous. the rest was watered down for what they think are "middle america" tastes. they all sold out at clearance prices. hopefully he can infuse the dying GAP brand with the same marketability.
How exciting! The Target collection is quite nice, and of much better quality than Proenza Schouler's was! I hope PR does great things with the deeply inconsistent quality and boring look of the Gap over the last few years.
I really miss the old Gap.
Recently went to their website after a long hiatus and I almost cried.
What I look for that's been missing these last few years: classics with a twist, well-made, fairly priced.
In fact, I'm sitting here in Gap Classic Khakis and one of my husband's old dress shirts. My Summer Uniform! The Old Reliable.
I own 6 or 7 pairs of the same pants and the newest of these is at least 5 years old. Most have butts now patched and yet I still wear them. They fit me better than anyone else's khakis. They look good. They're well-made. Classic.
So, why don't they sell them anymore? I swear i was going to buy a couple new pairs, some shirts, sweaters, etc.
Good luck, Patrick!
-- desertwind
I'm so excited for the new executives for Gap. I've been reading and following the situation at gap in the magazines--especially the business magazines. I hope the new CEOs and design team will revitalize the company and get it back into the market that seems to be revolving around J.Crew and H&M right now. I know Gap's been struggling with marketing and product development for a while, and I'm really rooting for Mr. Robinson--hopefully he can turn that around.
If it's one thing I would love to see changed, it's the fit of the clothes. Everything at the Gap seems to be made for short, wide people who like wearing baggy clothes. Even the boring, generic designs would look better with a more tailored, slimmer look.
Great news for Gap - Patrick is a very talented designer!
the anticipation is killing me. i've been dying to hear when GAP would revamp!
well, let's hope they can do a better job of holding on to him than they did Pina Ferlisi, who is no design world slouch either...
anne klein, his own line, a second inexpensive denim line under his own name, perry ellis, and then paco rabanne- none of the above proved to be much of anything sadly enough- not sure what kind of record you're speaking of
"although i did get a great pleated blue voile minidress"
Me too. It is precious. I disagree with the other poster who said that Gap is dead if his Target collection is an indicator. That stuff kicked the pants off of Proenza Schoeler and Luella and any other Go! collection to date...it is comfy, actually flattering and the materials aren't horrid. Nearly perfect,CHEAP,casual summer clothes. Go Patrick!
It will be interesting to see if Patrick can bring his high end sensibility to the Gap.Can the Gap do certain techniques Patrick may want at their current price point? Mmmmm?
so happy about the P.Robinson & GAP collaboration!
and "isis"'s comment about GAP's clothes is true. I hope P. Robinson will also help improve the quality of GAP's clothes so that they don't fall apart after one wash.
I've asked this before but has anyone noticed the huge discrepancy between GAP stores in the USA (yes even NYC) and their stores in London??
In London, they're sort of stylish and the merchandise is well displayed and distributed, whereas in the USA it's a total mess!
London GAPs also have some edgier items that the US stores lack, in their attempts to compete with A&F
can't wait to see what patrick creates for my beloved Gap...hopefully edgier than the target collection.
ooooh! so maybe the gap will go beyond beige?