Gap has announced a collaboration with A.P.C. for a 39-piece autumn collection combining men's, women's clothing and accessories, according to FashionUnited UK. The launch is scheduled for Friday.
In the Royaume-Uni, the assortment on offer comprises 34 pieces, with prices ranging from 25 to 245 pounds sterling. It will be sold on gap.co.uk and at the Gap store in Covent Garden, Londres. The collection is also distributed in Japon, Europe, Turquie, Chine, Mexique, Australie and the Moyen-Orient.
On the product side, the men's pieces, including the denim jacket and the relaxed straight jean sold for 120 pounds, use Japanese denim. The women's styles apply Gap's rigid cotton denim to existing cuts such as the High Rise Stride and the Low Rise 90s Loose. Au-delà denim, the collection covers tailoring, Oxford shirts, outerwear, knitwear and accessories, with cashmere, wool and corduroy. The fleece hoodies and accessories carry a reworked Gap arch logo given the A.P.C treatment.
Mark Breitbard, president and chief executive of the Gap brand, explains that the company was drawn to A.P.C. for « leur perspective parisienne distinctive et leur engagement envers des essentiels intemporels », an approach he says is combined with « l'héritage de Gap de style américain moderne, d'une manière qui semble authentique pour les deux marques ».
Jean Touitou, founder of A.P.C, frames the project around a simple idea: « Pour moi, il y a une façon chic d'être décontracté et une façon décontractée d'être chic. » He adds that « la recherche de cet équilibre est au cœur de cette collaboration, qui donne vie au concept de “sheer casual”. L'amitié et les affinités culturelles partagées entre l'Amérique et la France sont également à la racine de ce projet. »
A campaign filmed in Montmartre
The brand is accompanying the launch with a short film, Long Way, directed by Karl Cannone, styled by Alastair McKimm and overseen by Gap's creative lead, Calvin Leung. Filmed in Montmartre, drawing inspiration from 1960s cinema, the film features American rapper ian and French DJ Paloma Friant. It will premiere on Gap's own channels, alongside the collection's launch.
