I got to visit the GAP flagship store in Times Square, New York, a few days ago and see, first hand, the Kanye West clothing line launch that has been mired in negative press recently.
Upfront I need to note I am not the customer. But, I am a retailer. This felt like staged theatre, that had miss-stepped.
The idea, as I understand it, to to release a range of clothes through a retail experience that draws ‘inspiration’ from homelessness, hence the way the products are displayed in-store.
I have seen plenty of homelessness in Australia, the US and elsewhere. This did not feel connected. certainly, US$350.00 for a basic hoodie did not feel homelessness connected.
Hey, kudos to them for trying a very different approach. At the Times Square store, the whole ground floor was given over to the experience. You had to go down the escalator to the lower level for the traditional GAP experience.
For me, I think storytelling, the connection, that Kanye West claimed to be aiming for was missing. It felt like controversy created for the sake of it, to get in the news, which it has.
The whole experience did not feel like innovative or even experiential retail. To me, it felt gimmicky, attention seeking for the sake of it, without the social purpose claimed in interviews.
Here are some photos I took of what I saw. The first photo is the signs outside the business while the next three are the ‘visual merchandising’ inside.
Kanye West says this is his art and while art appreciation is subjective this does not read like art to me. The price tag for one says that – it distances the ‘art’ from the claimed intent.
But, this is a retail location designed to sell stuff, in a high-traffic location known for selling stuff. This collaboration felt off, odd … but I am glad I got to see it.
Now, for more background on this range and the story behind it, this article by Jake Silbert and published yesterday at Highsnobiety is a worthwhile read from someone more aware of Kanye, trends and the US experience.