Canadian Buiness retail correspondent Zena Olijnyk covers the tough times iconic retailer the Gap finds itself in.
Aside from the fact that this is the third article in recent memory in which Ms Olijnyk flaunts mentions that she wears the same size jeans as her teenage daughter , she makes some important points about brand, image, and the message you send to consumers.
So what happened? Well, to put it bluntly, Gap lost its way. Not only did it turn its back on longtime, loyal customers who were drawn to its classic, timeless styles, but it did a bad job of courting the younger crowd it was hoping to attract. The results were laughably uncool interpretations of fashions that shoppers are flocking to at stores like Abercrombie, American Eagle Outfitters, Zara and H&M. (Besides, teens NEVER want to shop at the same stores their parents do.) But when Gap did try to return to keeping things clean and simple — harkening back to its heyday in the 1990s when ads featuring Miles Davis in khakis was the epitome of Gap "cool" — its offerings were so bland as to be boring. And with fashion, there's nothing worse than boring.
Image IS everything!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Gap in a pickle
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Most certainly image is everything in the fashion industry as anyone can "see".
"Your runway model is underweight. We no longer accept transparency as a desirable characteristic. Modest translucency is what we're aiming for. Oh and for goodness sake don't let any of your girls actually die of malnutrition on the runway. It throws off the whole vibe of the show." - Melvin Aloyious Snivelsnot III, Fashion Designer and Professional Misogynist.
Post a Comment