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How Gap is reinventing 1969 through their design-driven heritage

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For the past year, Gap has been designing their 1969 denim line in a former cigar factory on a quiet industrial block in Los Angeles. Known as the Pico Creative Loft, the move from their San Francisco headquarters signals a renewed focus on design, one that draws on Gap’s heritage of accessible quality, while also redefining their take on modern fashion in the process. When we were tapped to help tell the story of new design studio for their fall campaign, we were excited to pick up where our last successful collaboration with the brand (our joint holiday pop-up shop) left off.

During the week we spent in L.A., interviewing 1969 designers, documenting their work and the space on video and with photography, we had the rare first-hand experience of witnessing a mega-brand reinvent their strategy from the inside out. Reconfiguring their infrastructure as more design-centric shows Gap rethinking the very blueprint of how they do business. Pico operates more like a start-up, reflected in the open workspace, a pervasive entrepreneurial spirit and emphasis on collaboration. And most importantly, as you’ll see if you check out the videos and other content we produced, the designers and their team at Pico all share a passion for denim that infuses the space.

Also integral to the project and one of the best-kept secrets of the industry, Los Angeles is home to some of the few remaining U.S. facilities for treating fabric. We were lucky enough to spend an afternoon at a prototyping facility to see the highly-specialized processes—from 3D effects to stonewashing—that help realize the design concepts that come out of Pico. Again, it’s this kind of commitment to technique that enables Gap to make denim that can compete with brands considered more “high fashion.”

While it may seem like Gap’s just jumping on the design consciousness bandwagon, the project works because it stays true to the brand’s authentic design heritage. What that means at Pico is interpreting the idea of denim as a modern American symbol for pragmatism, hard work, and creativity. By embracing concepts traditionally reserved for the more hardcore denim-heads, they make premium fabrics, better cuts, innovative washes and other high design features accessible to the masses.

Rather than defining themselves with gimmicky embellishments in a denim market that’s no longer dominated by any one brand, the emphasis on design itself becomes the aesthetic. Each product embodies minimalism, incorporating just enough technical details to see wearers through a typical day, seamlessly transitioning from the office to playing soccer with your kids.

This lifestyle element is also integral to Pico’s location, drawing on the area’s tremendous influence on popular culture. Love it or hate it, the inherently laid-back lifestyle that goes with the skating, surfing and health-consciousness on the West Coast has influenced our relationship with denim (and modern dressing as a whole) for decades. The resulting products draw on the Southern California lifestyle, Los Angeles’ denim heritage and the design talent of the Pico team to give them the kind of integrity that it takes to make it in today’s market.

Key to accomplishing the overarching design concept with the fall collection was to break away from blue denim. The men’s Straight Fit in grey, a perfect example of merging materials and ideas, was born from the extremes commonly seen in standard gray and black jeans. A gunmetal warp and light gray weft provides a clean but edgy look, formal yet rebellious. In Men’s Design Director Jason Ferro’s words, keeping it “a little bit cleaner, but it still has that energy and that really nice dynamic to it.”

Another great use of the contrast between warp and weft is the olive Skinny Fit men’s jean. The pant, constructed of premium Italian denim, combines a black weft with an olive-yarn warp, creating a fantastic contrast where the lighter olive tone shines through the darker denim—letting you maintain the ruggedness of a black jean but with enough variation to set you apart from the crowd.

The new pieces in the women’s line follow these same principles, clearly illustrating where the 1969 staff was challenging themselves to move beyond the typical denim design expected from a large brand. The Mid-Weight High-Rise Legging takes a super casual fabric and shapes it into a classic denim form. With an almost-sweatpants feel, the pant allows you to stay super comfortable while retaining the look of a five-pocket jean. This non-traditional denim mix is a fantastic example of how Gap is taking an unconventional approach from the ground up, directly addressing style, comfort and lifestyle.

The legging’s sister pant, cut from a densely-knit jean fabric, the Ponte five-pocket are like every woman’s “little black dress” but also available in a deep neutral olive. Fit for any occasion, the Ponte moves with you thanks to its structured yet stretchy material—a versatile fabric that feels great against your skin and goes with just about any top, casual or formal. Unlike standard flimsy leggings that leave you feeling exposed, the Ponte hugs and supports the body in all the right places, strategically revealing and concealing—which means you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for appearance.

Un giorno Vera mi fa vedere questo video in stop motion. Resto folgorato. La clip in questione è stata girata per il singolo Her Morning Elegance di Orien Lavie. Per completare il tutto, sono stati impiegati circa 2096 scatti; l’artista ha ora deciso di mettere in vendita gli originali, autografati e con certificato di autenticità. Li trovate qui.

Gli Orsi hanno diretto, filmato e prodotto questa clip per un gruppo di performers milanesi, chiamati The Sleeplees sulla base della nuova traccia di Africa Hitech Out in the streets.

Punchdrunk Theater Company’s designer talks to us about creating an immersive and interactive set

An intensely detailed set, we took a minute to find out more about the challenges and excitement of Punchdrunk Theatre Company’s Sleep No More‘s decor from the Associate Designer Livi Vaughan. Check out our video for an in-depth look at what it takes to create such an enigmatic ambiance and read on to learn more about the immersive theater’s experience.

Wandering, disoriented and alone, no two people will ever experience Sleep No More in the same fashion. This choose-your-own-adventure sets audiences in a dark and stormy, detail-obsessed mash-up of film noir and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. This is not a play you take a seat for. In fact, you might just find yourself running through a forest chasing after a blood-soaked witch. Defying category, this immersive experience blends ambiance, dance, and elements of a carnival fun house for three hours of interactive theater.

Sleep No More takes place in The McKittrick Hotel—three Chelsea warehouses, gutted and linked together in a labyrinthine manner. From its exterior, McKittrick wouldn’t warrant a second glance. Once inside, the performance begins immediately as guests meander through a dark maze, finding their way into a gaudy cabaret, complete with a full bar and jazz band.

Masked and regrouped, everyone’s experience diverges from here. A bellhop lays out the rules and from then on, nothing can be taken at surface value. The McKittrick Hotel dictates your course, much the same way the Overlook Hotel lead to the unraveling of Jack Torrance in The Shining. Dull, throbbing mood music fills every room and floor, and each turn casts a unique sense of awe or mystery. Walls yield. One moment guests are in a grand ballroom, the next at the remains of a castle foundation. You can indulge in a candy shop, or admire the taxidermy. Everything can be touched. All the while, a loose adaptation of Macbeth, circa the 1930s, breezes around you.

Unexpectedly, guests catch sight of a sole unmasked figure. It is an entry point, with the option to follow. Taking place, simultaneously throughout, the characters of Macbeth interact. You can follow one character through the entirety of the production, or stray and seek a point of reentry. The dialogue is minimal, but if chance or preparation allow, you can glimpse Lady Macbeth and her iconic, “out, out damn spot!”

Physical, dance-driven performances illuminate character and plot points. Murder, betrayal and sex are all choreographed elements. Without much warning the performers disperse, leaving the guest to pick a direction and scramble among throngs of onlookers.

Playing off one another, the McKittrick and the actors vie for guest attention. Macbeth has been adapted over and over, but this site-specific production embodies a striking breed of theater where the guests themselves are an active component. All attendees, losing identity behind their masks, are ghosts populating the magical realism. With balletic grace, performances erupt and cease. Plot points may fall to the wayside, but the text is so familiar that it bears no influence. The space shifts and performs, leaving no moment unfilled. Therein lies Sleep No More’s greatest ally—unbridled, consistent stimulation uniquely yours.

Our video on conceptual artist Rirkrit Tiravanija and his newest video project

Rirkrit Tiravanija has continuously proven himself to be at the forefront of modern conceptual art. Extremely social in nature, Tiravanija’s exhibitions range from feeding gallery-goers to recording footage of a road trip and displaying it, along with the car that made the journey, for everyone to see. In this video, Cool Hunting talks to the artist about his current project as part of Absolut’s 365 Days initiative in Mexico and the culture’s attitudes towards art.