Chaotic, electric, vibrant; New York

City.

I lived in New York for the months of

August – December 2016. In that time I
completely fell in love with the
aesthetic and people of the city, and
so conceptualised a capsule collection
for GAP inspired by both New York and
its people, for the New York woman, to
be sold as an exclusive in the NYC
stores. I have incorporated everyday
sights of the city into each design to
add a feeling of nostalgia to the
garments. I have chosen GapFit as my
area of choice as the people of New
York are always on the go, be it to a
magazine board meeting, an audition or
simply a run through the iconic
scenery.
!
!
 From 1969 – 2017 GAP has dominated global high street
fashion; from fifth avenue in NYC to Limasol in Cyprus.
Upon walking into each store you are immediately
greeted by a staff member with a smile; an inviting and
inclusive atmosphere for all.
!
Upon visiting the stores, I found that a large presence
was GapFit; a tight collection of sportswear tailor
made to suit all types of activewear needs. The high
quality construction and exciting design features made
for garments which could be incorporated into everyday
life and rival the sportswear of the dominant
sportswear brands.
!
 In the New York stores I noticed the Visual
merchandising had a street style aesthetic to it;
garments were styled with more of an edge, and were
placed on the mannequins in a more intentional way.
This I believe translates well to the streets of New
York as people aren’t afraid to dress boldly, and it
enabled GAP to sit comfortably opposite stores such as
Coach and just around the corner from the Museum of
Modern Art.
 !

Breathable, moisture wicking fabric

Good for runners or as a layering piece
Hidden pockets
!

Turtleneck height is dramatic; can be adapted

! Insulated
 Compression print on jersey

Competitors for GapFit include:

-Zara sports
-Superdry
-Adidas
Velcro wrist strap to adapt; thumb holes for warmth and comfort! -Nike
!

Concealed hood in collar;

Useful for changing weather
I felt superdry was a competitor for GapFit as their sportswear
is around the same price range and incorporates similar fabrics
into the collections. I thought the way they chose to brand
themselves was interesting as it appeared in many different ways
(e.g. on the zip, sleeve and as an embossed layer of fabric) and
feel that is something GAP could focus in on as the logo is a
huge selling point for the brand.!
competitor: superdry
 In my opinion Nike is GapFit’s upmarket rival; it
focuses more on the streetwear elements of sport
attracting customers who prefer to shop high fashion.

Clever innovations such as detachable sleeves and

adjustable waistbands are incorporated into each design
for maximum use from the wearer.
!
 YC Runners; an anonymous crowd
Style: functional sportswear
Neighbourhood: everywhere, anytime, any day.
!
 I have created 3 logos which represent
the key characters of my collection.
Runners: Central park running maps.
Performers: Broadway lights.
Fashionistas: Clothing rails.
!
I took some of the sights of New York which I found the most
exciting and manipulated them to form patterns which could work
on the hem of garments/as a focal graphic point. I aimed to give
each pattern a sense of movement in keeping with activewear.!
 Digital Design Development

I decided to overlay images from my research in New

York over a mannequin to give a sense of silhouette and
graphic features before beginning design developments
on paper.
!
When researching the brand I was told by employees that some of
the best selling garments have the GAP logo on them; in keeping
with the New York theme I wanted to explore some of the sights I
saw living in the city and alter them to carry branding for GAP;
for example the graffiti on the Brooklyn bridge.!

‘Mind The Gap’ is a popular slogan for train safety in

the UK and so I used it to reference the NYC subway.
!
Concrete Jungle

Pietro Nolita

Soho Blues

Subway Yellow

Battery park
!
taten Island Ferry

idtown Purple

ashington Square Park

 ‘Night Active’ is a new colourway for AW17 according to
WGSN.
Designers are taking influence from nightlife; taking
light from the dark and using it to inject colour into
street style designs.

Much of NYC’s magic is in that it is truly the city

that never sleeps, so the colour story is influenced by
the bright, light accents that punctuate the urban
scenes of the streets of New York.
!
 Look 1
The Runner
Fulton Street station architecture
adorns the shoulders of this look, using
compression printing to ensure high
performance. The fractal glass
structures of One World Trade climb the
legs of the wearer up to a lightweight
statement puffa jacket emblazoned with
run nyc and mind the gap slogans.
Features include adjustable cuffs,
hidden pockets and mesh detailing.

!
 Look 2
The Performer
A layered look keeps you comfortable and
chic between the stage and the street.
Inspiration from the streets literally
translate to a cropped jacket,
incorporating concrete and graffiti
graphics. Straps and ties infuse the
look with a ballet inspired aesthetic,
whilst bold slogans add impact and
flair. Graphics on the leggings are
inspired by the towering skyscrapers
that surround your journey. Features
include hidden pockets, layered shorts,
adjustable waists/cuffs

!
 Look 3
The artist
A bold look awaits your strolls in soho.
Bright graphic leggings emblazoned with
the sights of the subway peek out from
underneath the crossing graphics on a
sporty mesh skirt. A high neck sweater
provides thermal support and gives a
dramatic touch to the ensemble which is
capped off with a sheer latex poncho
including pockets for New York
essentials such as the iconic metrocard.
Bold graphics are present throughout the
look which includes features such as
neck ties, skyline inspired graphics and
layered shorts.
!