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Can Zac Posen Reawaken Gap Inc.’s Fashion Cachet?
In the first high-profile hire by recently named CEO Richard Dickson, Gap Inc. appointed celebrity fashion designer Zac Posen as executive vice president and creative director with a particular emphasis on reviving Old Navy.
Posen, who grew up in New York City, is best known for his red carpet looks. In recent days, he has earned acclaim for the gowns he designed for the hit TV show, “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.”
Vogue wrote of Posen, “When he emerged on the New York Fashion Scene circa 2002, a young graduate of Central St. Martins, he displayed an affinity for the dressed-up stylings of Old Hollywood, and over the years, he became a go-to for stars, dressing the likes of Uma Thurman, Oprah Winfrey, and Sarah Jessica Parker in hourglass dresses with portrait necklines and grand skirts.”
The 43-year-old Posen also offered ready-to-wear looks under his eponymous line and worked at Brooks Brothers as creative director from 2014 to 2020, showing some experience with everyday wear. He has partnered with Target and David’s Bridal on collections over the years.
Posen became a reality TV star between 2012 and 2018 as a judge on Project Runway, enabling him to amass 2.2 million Instagram followers. His fashion label closed in 2019 after failing to find new investors, but he’s well-regarded by many fashion insiders.
Stylist Lakyn Carlton tweeted: “As a lifelong Zac-head, I think Zac Posen at Gap is a misuse of his talents, at best, but I’m hoping to be proven wrong! So happy to have him back, regardless.”
Washington Post fashion writer Rachel Tashjian called Gap Inc.’s hiring “a genuine fashion twist.”
As creative director of Gap Inc., Posen becomes the first to oversee design across Gap Inc.’s four brands: Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, and Old Navy. He joins the firm’s executive leadership team and “will serve as a cultural curator and creative partner” to Dickson, the former Mattel executive who has earned credit for re-energizing the Barbie franchise. He’s expected to help offset Dickson’s lack of fashion experience.
Dickson said Posen’s “technical expertise and cultural clarity have consistently evolved American fashion, making him a great fit for the company as we ignite a new culture of creativity across the portfolio and reinvigorate our storied brands.”
Posen also takes the additional role of chief creative officer at Old Navy, Gap Inc.’s largest brand and the second-largest apparel brand in the U.S.
Posen said, “Gap Inc. and its brands have shaped American fashion and pop culture for decades and there’s so much potential at Old Navy. I’m eager to join Gap Inc. now as brand reinvigoration kicks up across the portfolio, rooted in great product, experiences, and a new culture of creativity.”
Discussion Questions
Is the hiring of Zac Posen a major triumph for Gap Inc.?
What steps does Gap Inc. have to take to regain its credibility as a fashion resource, particularly at the Old Navy and Gap banners?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Cathy Hotka
Principal, Cathy Hotka & Associates
Jeff Sward
Founding Partner, Merchandising Metrics
Zac Posen hasn’t even got his feet under the desk, so it is far too early to declare his appointment a major triumph for Gap. However, this is a victory for change: Richard Dickson is shaking things up and is driving cultural change at a retailer that has, traditionally, been resistant to adaptation. Posen has significant talents in design and technical expertise which, if utilized properly, should inject some dynamism and style into a very tired set of brands. However, this isn’t just down to him: Gap needs to take a long hard look at who its customers are, what they want, and how it can differentiate across all its brands. This is more than just about design: you have to know who you are designing for.
It seems, however, that most of Posen’s time will be spend on Old Navy. This is Gap’s largest brand, so it’s important to revitalize it after a run of rather lackluster performance. However, Old Navy isn’t the most troublesome brand in the portfolio and it is partly suffering because of a downswing in demand among the hard-pressed family segment, not just because of a poor assortment.
The main problem child remains the Gap brand, which is still in search of an identity and purpose. It would be great to see some of Posen’s thinking reshape this once iconic label.
To regain credibility as a fashion resource, Gap Inc. must embark on several strategic initiatives. These include revitalizing brand identity through market research and refining brand images; enhancing product offerings by investing in innovation and quality; optimizing merchandising strategies to ensure an appealing shopping experience; refreshing store layouts and incorporating digital features to upgrade in-store environments; leveraging digital platforms to expand brand reach and engagement; reviewing pricing strategies to maintain competitiveness while preserving brand integrity; fostering community engagement through philanthropic initiatives; and continuously monitoring market trends, customer feedback, and performance metrics to adapt strategies accordingly. By hiring Zac Posen, Gap, Inc. has shown their commitment to stepping outside the box to reinvigorate their portfolio.
The landscape is littered with high-profile fashion designers who seemed like a good fit but couldn’t deliver the outcomes the retailer expected. Fashion is so fickle that it’s virtually impossible to pick winners. The best a brand can do is to find a leader with a vision and then give them the opportunity to succeed and to fail as they adjust. Zac Posen appears to be an excellent choice, but ultimately, consumers will decide his success. I understand the PR value of GAP Inc. announcing the partnership with a bona fide fashion maven, but setting expectations too high will be counterproductive. There are many fashion challenges to address in an enterprise like GAP Inc., and it will take time to see meaningful change. Focusing efforts on establishing core lines that can be expanded based on success seems like a good place to start.
…and this doesn’t even seem like a good fit.
What will Zac wear to work? What does he wear when he is not on the Red Carpet? Checking him out, he seems like a t-shirt and jeans guy. Yes, a traditional leather jacket. That will fit nicely with Gap, Inc. But does Gap, Inc. need an exceptional designer for T-shirts and jeans?
Old Navy’s problems run deeper than fashion. I would advise Zac not to touch their price points. Gap itself might focus on its origins, Generation Gap. Zac could bring some excitement there. Banana Republic fashion stands for nothing. There’s a challenging turnaround there. Athleta might be the one that presents an out-of-the-box opportunity for Zac to take on Lulu. But I doubt it.
Zac Posen’s career trajectory seems to be following the same as Gap/Old Navy–once hot, now not. The trick will be whether he can translate his Old Hollywood glamour style into mainstream fashion for Middle America.
Placing Zac Posen as creative director over Gap’s entire portfolio makes sense structurally. Gap’s previously-siloed brand strategy resulted in cannibalization and a disjointed point of view. A three-fold challenge awaits: Sharpening each brand’s POV and price proposition without dismissing heritage. It’s a tall order but Gap is smart to take a holistic view.
Zac Posen absolutely can reawaken Gap’s fashion equation…IF…he and the team can resist the temptation to go to far. Fashion folks take fashion really, really seriously. I mean really seriously. And too many times “more” is the perceived solution. My opinion is that the Gap division needs to stay rooted in denim and khaki. They stand for everyday apparel. But right now they also stand for boring and undifferentiated. There’s a layer of product and color management that needs to be added back to their equation. A layer of fun and personality and distinction. It would be real easy to overstep the execution of that thinking, as demonstrated by the last 20 years of trying. Gap retreated into a position of risk aversion and their comps tell the tale of that thinking. It’s going to take a surgical application of Zac’s infusion of design thinking. It will be way too tempting to over execute a new persona. Oh, and no garbage bags on the selling floor please.
This is a questionable hire – It doesn’t clarify who Gap is targeting. The company has a history of hiring people with outside expertise, throws them in a chambay shirt to show they have been indoctrinated and Gapized, and sends them out for photo ops. This is true of the new CEO as well. That being said, no matter what, Gap gets the benefit of the doubt. Generally speaking, I believe people hold a soft spot for GAP and people WILL check out the new line. It’s up to them to succeed.
The issues at the Gap run deep, deeper than a simple tweak to collections and silhouettes can solve. With the exception of Athleta, it’s been a long time since a Gap brand has been interesting and relevant. If Mr. Posen can have enough influence in the design process, if they can hold price points on these new items, and if the Gap is willing to make heavy investments in marketing to tell the story of their pending reinvention… that’s a lot of “ifs”. To do some across four brands, three of whose customers are already diluted and difficult to understand, is a huge challenge. We will want to revisit this in 18 months after the first collections have hit retail and we have results to evaluate.
Before entering a Gap store, most customers can fairly estimate exactly what awaits them inside the doors. Pastel striped sweater? Check. Jeans? Check. Sack dresses? Check. Gap needs a whole new fashion language and we can hope that Mr. Posen has the experience and fresh viewpoint to provide it.
I like it. I like his taste and he doesn’t suffer fools gladly. He has a following left over from his days on Project Runway and he does good work. Product is Gaps problem. He’s a product guy.
Makes more sense than Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton.
I am with you, Paula. Across most Gap brands product is at the heart of the issue. That said, I do think they need to understand who the customer actually is before they can improve the assortment.
It’s premature to deem Zac Posen’s hiring a significant win for Gap Inc. Although Posen’s design expertise is valuable, the company grapples with broader challenges, particularly the struggling Gap brand. Posen’s emphasis on Old Navy’s revitalization is a positive step, yet Gap Inc. requires a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond design – one that comprehends market dynamics and caters to diverse customer preferences.
To restore credibility, Gap Inc. must transcend mere design considerations, tackling issues of brand identity and understanding customer expectations. The Gap brand, facing an identity crisis, demands a substantial transformation. Leveraging Posen’s skills, Gap Inc. should concentrate on refining core product lines, innovating based on successful outcomes, and acknowledging that consumer feedback dictates success. Achieving meaningful change, require a holistic approach, blending inventive ideas with a keen understanding of customer insights.
If a large portion of the 2.2 Million followers start shopping at Old Navy or Gap this hire is pure genius. However I seriously doubt that will happen. How does “Project Runway” translate to Gap or Old Navy? Answer: it does not. They could have hired Armani and it would not have made a difference. This is a vanity hire, pure and simple, designed to generate some attention. I hope for their sake it works, but I do not think it will.
In my opinion, Zac Posen’s hiring marks a significant win for Gap Inc. His expertise and creative vision bring a fresh perspective, especially in revitalizing Old Navy. To regain credibility, Gap Inc. must focus on product innovation and enhancing brand identity across its banners. This involves aligning design with current fashion trends while maintaining affordability and accessibility, crucial for Old Navy’s customer base.
Additionally, Gap Inc. should focus on effective marketing campaigns to reposition its brands as trendsetters in the competitive retail landscape. With Posen’s creative direction and Gap Inc.’s commitment to revitalization, the company stands a chance to regain its prominence in the fashion world.