American biggie Gap has launched its first “freestanding store in India” at Mumbai’s Infiniti Mall, Malad, Mumbai and has forged a “long-term partnership” with Reliance Retail Ltd. The Telegraph chatted with Crystal Henricksen, senior director of Denim Design for Gap Specialty, to know more.
What are you launching in India this time?
We are launching the first Gap freestanding store in India at Infiniti Mall in Mumbai. We have launched a series of shop-in-shops in the market over the past several months, but this store will serve as the fullest expression of the brand, featuring denim, logo products, khakis and modern essentials for the family.
What has changed in how you perceive the Indian market?
India has always been an important market for the brand. Reliance Retail is India’s largest retailer and has extensive experience, relationships and capabilities to help us scale the brand across the country.
What is your spring-summer collection looking like?
Spring is all about modern denim and denim dressing. Today, denim is more than an old pair of fivepocket jeans. It’s versatile, it can be worn for work and for play, and it has the ability to be customised and take on any personality. Our spring-summer collection really plays into the versatility of denim as we played with new proportions, leg shapes, rises, and lengths, and pushed this fabrication into feminine dresses, tops and outerwear pieces for her. Men’s is cool and modern through the use of our Gapflex and Softflex fabric innovations in indigo, black and modern neutral colours. Kids’ is fashion forward and a nod to trend and novelty, and (the) baby (collection) is delicate and special. All of the denim marries back to the rest of our Gap Icons including logo, shirting, and tees to help the customer define their own personal style.
You have been with the company for over a decade. How has the brand evolved over the years?
The brand has really evolved with the times but remained true to its heritage. We started as a T-shirt and jeans company, and we will forever be that. But we’ve continued to evolve our interpretation of these icons to feel like today. Beyond products, our company has remained modern and relevant by adapting to the needs of the time. Today, we need to be more responsible and develop with sustainability as the foundation and core of what we do. We work to save our resources as much as possible. We develop products that are more mindful than when I started at Gap 13 years ago. Additionally, we’ve moved forward into the digital age through digital design and creation. Gap is modern, Gap is agile and Gap is ready to continue moving forward, not just for another decade but for another 50 years.
Fashion has seen phenomenal changes in the last decade. What have been the most significant ones when it comes to how people are consuming fashion now?
Fashion is less rigid and less onenote than it used to be. Even 10 years ago, when there was a particular style or silhouette, everyone followed that. Today, it feels more like a fluid melting pot of opinions and ideas living together. Ten years ago, both men and women wore skinny jeans. Today, we can wear our skinny jeans alongside our loose fits, wide legs, flares, slims and boot cuts. It is ok to flex from one fit on one day to a completely different fit on the next day.
Additionally, 10 years ago was the era of fast fashion. Now, people consume fashion based on comfort, emotion and versatility. People are making choices that make them feel good and bring joy. Choices are made based on quality, longevity, sustainability, and investments are made in pieces that feel iconic or have the grounds to serve as foundational pieces. People are less interested in quick fixes and are more inclined to invest in elevated basics that will serve them over time.
How has retail changed in the last three years? Has it seen growth in the ‘elevated basics’ category?
Retail changed dramatically in the last three years. In the United States, Americans found themselves sheltered at home when Covid swept over the nation. People took to adjusting their lifestyles to accommodate this new way of living, including cleaning out closets and re-evaluating their life choices during their free time. People shifted to shopping online and working from home and having to juggle this new hybrid life. In retail, the result of this was an immediate uptick in online sales of comfort clothing. We also saw an increase in elevated basics — long-living staple pieces that our customers saw value in. Today, as many return to the office and social events, we are seeing this shift back to shopping in stores as the customer values high-quality products they can touch and feel.
Let’s talk about the forever appeal of denim. What makes them timeless?
Well, that’s what is fun about clothes and style trends, it’s cyclical. People like to experiment with their style, try new things, and find what feels best to them on any given day. It’s never going to be one style fits all, so using denim as an example, skinny jeans and wide leg can both exist at the same time for different types of people. However, there is certainly a shift to more wide-leg and loose-fit jeans. The ‘90s style is back in a big way, and we are going to continue to see styles reinvented from that decade as well as from the 2000s. People are really interested in pieces that offer versatility for their lives — dress up or dress down, wear to work, wear to play.
What are your top five denim combinations?
Oh, that’s a tough one! My go-to are:
1. Cropped tee and high-rise stride
2. Shrunken tee and low-rise stride
3. Anything back to the baby boot (so cute!)
4. Oversized top/sweater back to the vintage slim
5. Oversized top/sweater back to the low-rise stride
How many pairs are there in your wardrobe?
I’m afraid to answer… ha! I easily have 50-100 pairs of jeans. I own a lot of vintage denim, I own every pair of low-rise stride, high-rise stride, ‘90s loose and all of the dark and black wash options of the vintage slim, baby boot, cheeky, and our new ‘90s straight (coming very soon!)
What is your roadmap for India?
For now, we are focused on opening freestanding stores in key locations to offer our full assortment of iconic products to customers, increasing the overall accessibility of the brand in the market and allowing customers to really engage with our products in person.
