NYLON - August 2008 - (Page 84) MIND THE GAP DANI STAHL PLAYS DESIGNER FOR A DAY AT THE GAP STUDIOS, AND LEARNS THAT MAKING THE PERFECT PAIR OF JEANS ISN’T AS EASY AS SHE THOUGHT. PHOTOGRAPHED BY REYNARD LI When the Gap asked me to come in and make a pair of jeans, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I mean, the brand is quintessential Americana; it’s iconic; it’s, well, the Gap. They also happen to be launching the Avery jean for the fall—which is slated to be one of their most popular fits—and want me to craft my very own pair in their design studio. The timing couldn’t be more perfect! Can there be a better way to celebrate our annual denim issue than to make a pair of Gap jeans? I thought perhaps I would be whisked away to their San Francisco headquarters (I’ve never been to San Fran and always hoped my Factory Girl adventures would take me there), but instead I make it no further then their Manhattan studio on West 18th street. I arrive at the Gap offices a bit early as I anticipate the usual front desk/building security battle about letting me walk up the stairs rather than take the more ‘normal’ mode of transportation, the elevator. I don’t do elevators… ever. As always, I win my battle and walk up the stairs to the lobby of the studio where I meet Rebecca Maticko, director of public relations. She got married over the weekend and is already back to work: The Gap may give off a laid-back vibe, but they mean business. I rarely get anxious or feel intimidated when it comes to my Factory Girl tasks, but for some reason, I find myself becoming a bit nervous. I’m not myself, and it’s because in a few seconds I will be meeting Patrick Robinson, the executive vice president of Gap design. For those of you who don’t know, Patrick Robinson is sort of a big deal. OK, huge. He’s designed for many iconic brands like Perry Ellis, Anne Klein, Paco Rabanne, and Giorgio Armani before he came into the Gap. But top to bottom: welcome to the gap design studios; patrick shows me how to cut it up; hmm, patterns. factory girl
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.