How Zac Posen Is Ushering in a New Era for Gap
Gap is cool again, thanks to Creative Director Zac Posen, who was appointed February 2024 and is already redefining the brand for a new generation while staying true to its roots.
Anne Hathaway graced the red carpet of a Bulgari event in Rome in May this year, turning heads in a sleek and innovative white shirt dress that radiated an effortless elegance. Fashion enthusiasts and chronically online sleuths alike scrambled to guess which luxury house was behind the look—was it Chanel? Could it be Valentino? Gucci? Plot twist, it was Gap, specifically a $158 dress that became available on the brand's site.
But, this is not the Gap we used to know. Rather, the company is now under Zac Posen, who was appointed creative director of Gap Inc. (which includes brands Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta) and chief creative officer of Old Navy in February 2024. After joining the company, the 43-year-old American fashion designer signaled a bold, new era for the American retailer. But it's not just an aesthetic transformation. The numbers prove something is afoot, too. According to Google Trends, search interest in Gap dipped from 2020 to 2023, but it surged in 2024 by 56% since last year. To top it off, Gap increased second-quarter sales by 5%, spanning online and in-store shopping, compared to last year. How is Posen executing this turnaround and comeback?
“By focusing on building community and resonating with younger audiences, Gap has strategically partnered with ambassadors who authentically connect with this demographic [Gen Z],” Launchmetrics CMO Alison Bringé tells L’OFFICIEL. “Gap has amplified these partnerships, enhancing its cultural relevance and increasing brand value by over 20% [according to Launchmetrics data] since Posen’s appointment.”
It's not just the tried and true Gap denim pieces, for example, that are bringing people back. Since Posen's appointment, the brand has launched celebrity campaigns with the likes of Tyla and Troye Sivan, and it has collaborated with brands like Cult Gaia and Madhappy. And this is no accident. After all, having the chance to renew the brand's vision is what compelled Posen to come on board.
“Meeting with these [luxury] brands brought in questions about my value system,” Posen told Business of Fashion in an in-depth interview discussing his recent appointment. When deciding his next venture, Posen wanted to create products responsibly and sustainably, redefining what a brand can represent beyond clothes, and placing a strong emphasis on storytelling. “I don’t know if some of the brands I was meeting with were there yet... it felt too familiar,” he explained.
With Gap, it only took him one meeting over french fries at New York’s Balthazar to be convinced that it was his next step, albeit a step into a whole new direction. The designer, after all, built his foundation on couture-level craftsmanship, creating custom gowns that have graced countless red carpets and adorned celebrities from L'OFFICIEL cover star Natalie Portman to Rihanna. His career took off in the early 2000s when a dress he designed for Naomi Campbell and became a fast-rising star in industry. He had to close his label in 2019, after much turmoil behind the scenes, opening him up to new opportunities years down the line like this one.
“Gap had a formula, and it didn’t evolve—and to build a business, there were choices made with intentions that made it purely merchant—but you can’t only be merchant led,” Posen continued in his Business of Fashion interview. Ready for a challenge, he took on reimagining Gap’s brand voice and identity. Put simply, Posen thought, “We’re going to make them feel cool again.”
However, Gap’s clothing has always leaned into classic American basics, balancing what's trendy with what's classic. So what exactly changed and reinvigorated the brand? Before answering that, it's important to acknowledged why it was struggling.
Before this latest renaissance came trouble for Gap, which started founded in San Francisco in 1969. As malls died, so did heritage brands that relied on them. Gap and its related brands thrived on mall culture, particularly in the the '90s and early 2000s. But as the fashion landscape changed, including malls being snuffed out, Gap fell out of the zeitgeist. After years of steadily declining sales, Gap become a rare topic in fashion conversations, but under Posen’s creative direction, it’s the new storytelling behind the products that's giving it the cultural refresh. This is what it needs to appeal to younger generations.
According to Kendall Becker, director of fashion and editorial strategy at Trendalytics, “A lot of middle-market consumers are no longer afraid to spend, but rather are interested in investing in a wearable wardrobe,” Becker explains to L’OFFICIEL. “Seeing simplicity on the runways, there is a greater reflection that consumers want something that works and will have a meaningful spot in their closets.”
“Gap is doing something that is not only cool to the girl in Ohio, but also to the girl in SoHo…Borrowing these coveted elements of luxury, moreso the ethos and storytelling behind it rather than the pricepoint.” Becker continues. With Posen’s background in the luxury sphere, he's taking cues from the approach of high-fashion to help Gap catch the attention of fashion connoisseurs again.
In an era where heritage brands are vying for renewed relevance, Gap’s new future with Zac Posen is a reminder that fashion isn’t just about reinventing the wheel—it’s about evolving what’s already timeless. “Take what we have and evolve it. That's what this is... it’s not a reinvention, and it shouldn’t be,” Posen told the Business of Fashion, highlighting Gap’s enduring appeal as a "canvas for creativity" that invites personal expression. Most recently, Wicked star Cynthia Erivo stepped out in one of Posen’s creations, proving its potential as a vehicle for expression.
“We invite you to come play with style,” Posen says. Though Posen makes clear that they are still at the foundational beginnings of this journey, he understands the vision he wants to bring to life. This Gap is a bold call to embrace something classic, yet reimagined for a new generation.
