Six Black designers unveiled the bold new looks at the brand’s Folsom Street headquarters
Words by DAVID NASH
Photography by DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY and JOJO KORSH/BFA.com
The City by the Bay was feeling New York Fashion Week vibes with the unveiling of Gap’s 16-piece collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row on Thursday, February 13, during a style-studded runway presentation. As a kickoff to the NBA All-Star Weekend, the collection’s debut not only heralded the heritage brand’s revitalization but also brought a powerful surge of excitement and energy to San Francisco that reflects its own cultural renaissance.
At the beginning of the evening, guests arrived at Gap’s downtown headquarters — with its facade lit up in the 56-year-old brand’s signature shade of blue — before making their way into the atrium for champagne, wine, and passed hors d’oeuvres. After everyone had sufficiently mixed and mingled, the show started with a jolt — and a nostalgic nod to Gap’s iconic campaigns — as a dance performance conceived by Luam Keflezgy paid homage to the brand’s memorable khaki swing dance ad from the late 1990s, along with a body rock set to Madonna and Missy Elliott’s “Get Into the Groove” commercial duet that debuted in the summer of 2003 and its Daft Punk “Digital Love” precursor from 2001.
Following the dance sequence, six Black designers showcased their interpretations of classic Gap staples like white oxford shirts and logoed hoodies. A. Potts, BruceGlen, Kaphill, N’Gai, and Richfresh each created three to four capsule pieces that embodied the brand’s ethos as seen through their own fashion lenses, and sent them down the runway. Pieces like Kaphill’s heather gray floral zip hoodie, embellished with a pair of swirling cotton rosettes, and A. Potts’ belted trench shirt had the audience going wild. After the presentation concluded, Oakland-born, Grammy-nominated singer Kehlani gave a memorable and intimate performance. VIPs also had the opportunity to customize one of Gap’s classic white shirts with embroidery and patches inspired by each designer’s collection and to shop the collaboration itself before it officially dropped the next day.
In the front row: Gap’s creative director Zac Posen and CEO Mark Breitbard joined Bob Fisher who is the current chair and son of the brand’s cofounders, alongside the founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row Brandice Daniel, Ashlee Simpson Ross and Evan Ross, Yvonne Orji, Miles Brown, Yves Béhar and Sabrina Buell, Brandi and Charles Hudson, Todd and Katie Traina, Alison Gelb Pincus, Hunter and Alexis Pence, Alan Dye, Mike Moser, Becca Prowda, and Meena Harris.
February 19, 2025
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