GAP Designer Patrick Robinson: 'I’ll Create Fashion for the World in Bright Pastel Tones'

[ 9/26/2008 ]

Gap, the largest SPA brand in the United States (a business model in which one company plans, produces and distributes clothing in large quantities at affordable prices), hired fashion designer Patrick Robinson (43, pictured) last year as a creative director with the rank of vice president. Robinson had worked on Giorgio Armani’s design team and at Anne Klein New York and Paco Rabanne, so his move to a mainstream brand like Gap drew attention. In its September issue last year, the American fashion magazine Elle called him “the savior of mass-market fashion.” Gap had struggled with sales as consumers who once bought clothes for their reasonable prices and good quality began seeking newer, more fashionable styles. Before Robinson’s arrival, the brand had focused on basics. Gap’s answer was to bring in a star designer. The move reflected consumers’ desire to see a distinctive designer’s vision even in mainstream fashion. I met Robinson at a fashion show on the afternoon of the 7th, the third day of ‘2009 Spring·Summer New York Fashion Week.’ As if aware that he was being compared with fashion designer Tom Ford, the former creative director of Gucci (Gucci dismissed Ford after he became too famous), Robinson addressed the subject first. “I’m happy to design for a mainstream brand like Gap—clothes that anyone, anywhere in the world, can wear,” he said. Consumers may want the vision of a star designer, but Robinson appeared careful about drawing more attention to himself than to the brand. Gucci, the Italian luxury brand that had struggled until the early 1990s, revived after hiring Ford in 1994. His restrained, sophisticated designs gave Gucci a clear identity and helped restore its reputation. Robinson draws comparisons with Ford because he has a similar achievement to his name. In 2003, he took charge of women’s affordable sportswear at casual brand Perry Ellis and transformed it with his distinctive designs. His Perry Ellis clothes moved beyond the brand’s usual mass-market outlets and into upscale department stores such as Barneys New York. “I’m designing optimism into Gap,” Robinson said. Fittingly, the spring-summer collection he presented that day was dominated by bright, cheerful pastels. His description of the collection as featuring “fun colors that look beautiful against the skin” came through in the clothes. He gave women’s jackets soft, natural folds and brought a playful touch to blouses and T-shirts with stripes. He expressed hope that the pastel designs would make people smile.