Going Gaga for the GAP?

Four score and seven months ago, when I was but 11 years old and attending the hallowed halls of the Montclair Kimberley Academy, the Gap was my go-to-place for the turtlenecks and collared shirts my classmates and I were required to wear. 10 years or so later . . . it's been a long time since I've ever considered walking back into the Gap. I think they lost me when they broke out the perfume line whose biggest hits were "Grass", and "Dream".

It appears as though I might not have been the only one to become disallusioned by the Gap's preppy mind-set, neutral color palette, and redundant silhouettes: a few years ago the Gap was on the verge of bankrupcy. It was no secret that the mega-brand was in dire need of a make-over; Re-Invent or Bust. After several failed attemps to garner a new audience, it seems the Gap has finally hit the right note. For 2007, the Gap has launched several new campaigns including "(Product) Red", and the Design Editions.

Product Red (tagline: "Let Your Red Out"), is a clothing project where contributions from the sales of these items cover the cost of AIDS treatment for 20,000 women and children in Africa: exactly half the profits from Gap (PRODUCT) RED™ styles go directly to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS. The new concept, which is widely advertised and heavily backed by celebrities and big-wig icons alike, comes at a time where cultural awareness is on the rise. More and more brands are lending themselves to global issues including the AIDS epidemic, civil war in Darfur, and (thank god!) the omnipresent environmental movement to "Go Green". In these dire times of political, social, economic and environmental stress, it is a relief that those in the position to raise both awareness and funds are in fact doing so. Do you need a better reason to shop?

(The styles above at $125 and $19.99 respectively)

On a slightly different note, albeit a less humanitarian one, Gap has entered the designer arena.

In 2007, Gap has collaborated with CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners Thakoon, Rodarte, and Doo.Ri on a limited edition collection inspired by the classic white shirt for which Gap is so widely known. These chic styles are a grand departure from the straight button down, varying from tie fronts, to trapeze sihouettes, to feminine and flirty shirt dresses. Regardless of which style you choose( there are 9 total, 3 styles from each designer!), you are sure to spice up even the most boring of work wardrobes, and with prices ranging from $68 to $88 you can't lose.
Check out my top pics below
(my favorite Rodarte style did not have a picture available, but check them all out at www.gap.com):