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AS the
high-low, fast-fashion collaboration gets more and more
ordinary, along comes The Gap to make it interesting
again. The mother of all clothing-chain stores is taking
another run at reinventing the classic white shirt—this
time enlisting the help of four of the most
idiosyncratic American designers: Philip Lim,
threeASFOUR, Band of Outsiders and Michael Bastian, as
part of an ongoing partnership with the CFDA/Vogue
Fashion Fund to support emerging design talent.
Working
in crisp, white, cotton poplin, the designers have come
up with clever spins on the wardrobe basic—none more
than $88. They’ll be in stores starting Tuesday.
The best
of the batch is by threeASFOUR, the avant-garde New York
design collective. Naturally, it bent the rules (perhaps
knowing one of the hottest trends for spring is the
shirtdress), sewing its signature swirly seams into a
sporty white tank dress. The result ($88) is clean and
modern—a great day dress to pair with earthy brown
sandals.
Bastian,
a New York retail buyer turned designer, has two styles
of men’s shirts: one military-inspired with small front
pockets ($58) and one with a Western-style patterned
yoke, pointy flap pockets and three-button cuffs ($58).
Both are simple enough to appeal to any Gap-minded guy.
Lim, the
hottest designer in the contemporary market, created a
blouse with a girlie, bow-tied neck and soft pleats
($78). It’s cute but boxy in an unfortunate way—like a
dentist’s smock.
Band of
Outsiders designer Scott Sternberg also took a stab at
the shirtdress ($88) that literally falls short. To
complement the line, Philip Crangi, the punk-prep
jeweler, was tapped for a black-and-white jewelry line.
The pieces have his signature details—small silver studs
on a white resin cuff and a small silver ball on a white
rope bracelet. A subtle, and welcome, addition to the
clean white palette. n
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