Have I been under a rock? It isn't a white button down designed by Rodarte, it's...CFDA winner, Alexander Wang and the Gap collaborating. OK the items are khaki...and they are motorcycle-ish jackets, but what the hell, he rocked it. I don't know what motorcycle mama would choose to rock the khaki garb over black leather any time of year. These babies are under $100 bucks and the daring conservatives that have been being served up at the Gap lately now have something to live for.
Harsh I know, but the Gap used to be my eight ball in the corner pocket. It has not been for years. I don't know what happened. I saw it coming, all of a sudden bright colors, I mean primary crayola colors hit the racks and sent me screaming out of the store. Where was the edgy city stuff that fed my appetite for years? Oh please no, I begged the manager, who I knew to send my message of the slow death approaching. It continued. I think I have spent under $50 in the Gap since 2001-ish. I keep going back once and a while, hoping for redemption, but retribution has never come.
The Gap lost me almost 10 years ago. That is a long time to lose me. I am pretty loyal to what I love. I remember The Gap to be clean and a little edgy, SF with a hint of NY. Quality...nicely fitting staples that you can count on never to let you down. You could venture in on a Friday at 5:30 and find a perfect little black shirt for a night out on the town. It was the kind of place you can go and spend money every week because there was always something good. Not so much...and not for a long time has it stood for that for me.
Nonetheless, I hope it works out with Alexander Wang and some of his black, chic downtown duds make it into The Gap further on down the line. My city does not offer up the kind of shopping that I love, thank god, because I can't afford it. The Gap always gave me the little things I could pair up. I guess I have been pretty pissed at The Gap for a long time and Alexander Wang has made me realize there is hope. Maybe the Gap will get the $100 out of me for the jacket...but that doesn't make up for the $40/week they lost in earnings from me for the last 10 years. $20,800 is what they really lost by letting me down.
p.s. I hope their Patrick Robinson can hear me. Oh, can I have 5 minutes with you? The Gap's demographic was not the same as American Eagle or Aeropostale EVER! If they were trying to capture that demo, they missed by a long shot. It would have been a stretch, a lucrative one if they could have transformed, but in doing so, they let all their loyal customers down.
Hello... The Gap was cool and sophisticated, not just "classic American". They had the staples and ventured outside the box. A step way above the teeny boppers blazing the AE on their chests, but not stuffy BR office apparel. No other comparable store, not J. Crew has hit that niche since the Gap sold me out. ON is not even close, and they would miss their price point altogether. I am praying to the Gap gods tonight, if they think that breathing life into the brand with a social media strategy will make their customers come back, they are loco. It's time that they took back control of the niche with innovation in design and integration of today's social media frenzy.
One serious plus for Gap Inc.is Piperlime...100% rocks. Find out more about Gap Inc. here.
Oh, just design ...design and they will come!
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