From Icon to Artifact: GapStudio Elevates the White T-Shirt on Fashion’s Global Stage
Tonight, Kendall Jenner debuts a custom look by Zac Posen, Executive Vice President and Creative Director of Gap Inc. Designed and constructed in the GapStudio at the brand’s New York headquarters, Jenner’s look transforms the Gap white T-shirt into a sculptural statement, inspired by the Winged Victory of Samothrace. It is a defining moment for GapStudio, Gap's highest expression of creativity and craftsmanship, with a clear point of view at the intersection of fashion, art, and culture.
For this year’s Met Gala, themed “Costume Art” with a dress code “Fashion is Art”, Posen created a design shaped by his early experience as an intern at the Costume Institute and his longstanding study on the connectivity between fashion, art, and the human body.
Drawing inspiration from the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the look explores the interplay of strength, femininity, and freedom through movement and form. The sculpture’s drapery and sense of motion inform every element of the design, balancing fluidity and structure to create a silhouette that feels goddess-like and ethereal.
“Fashion becomes art when it engages with the body. It’s not separate from the wearer; the body becomes part of the artwork,” said Zac Posen. “The look started with a white T-shirt and evolved through draping and manipulation into something sculptural and alive, shaped by movement, with a sense of fluidity and wind that echoes the sea-swept energy of the sculpture. By bringing GapStudio to the Met Gala, we’re showcasing the strength of our Gap icons on fashion’s biggest stage through elevated craftsmanship and style.”
This collaboration brings together Posen’s signature romanticism and craft with Jenner’s refined sensibility. The look is transformed through liquid-like cotton jersey draped over a custom-molded leather bodice base. Engineered as a second-skin form, the foundation is built from the body outward, where the body itself becomes the structure of the garment. This process moves beyond traditional draping, combining anatomical precision with couture technique to create a work of art meant for the Met. Layers of jersey, satin-faced chiffon, and organza balance fluidity and structure, while detachable wing-like extensions, featuring a photographic print of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, bring the inspiration to life. Hand-dyed in tea to create depth and a lived-in patina, the final composition evokes classical “wet drapery,” where fabric both reveals and enhances the body beneath.
“GapStudio elevates our role in fashion and culture and allows Gap to show up at moments that really matter,” said Mark Breitbard, President & CEO of Gap. “Gap can move seamlessly from Coachella to the Met Gala and feel authentic in both, fueling cultural relevance and driving product demand.”
Posen’s own red-carpet look features a reimagined Gap Icon jacket, cast in leather and sculpted to echo the musculature of a classical Greek figure. Taking inspiration from bust forms, Posen’s look is finished in a hand-painted bronzed patina with subtle verdant undertones, evoking the surface of an oxidized-copper aged sculpture. Grounded in dark indigo boot jeans, the look balances the mythic with the everyday, reinforcing Gap’s ability to translate cultural ideas through its most recognizable essentials.
GapStudio, launched in April 2025, represents the pinnacle of design within the brand, merging heritage with innovation through limited-edition collections and high-profile cultural moments. Its presence at the Met Gala underscores Gap’s broader commitment to creativity and the arts, a legacy rooted in the Fisher family’s longstanding support of cultural institutions and contemporary art. By bringing GapStudio to the Met Gala stage, Gap continues to define its place within the global fashion conversation, positioning itself at the intersection of design, culture, and creativity.
Kendall Jenner Credits:
Look: Custom GapStudio Designed by Zac Posen
Stylist: Danielle Goldberg
Makeup: Mary Phillips
Hair: Tamas Tuzes
Jewelry Credit: Buccellati
Leather Vendors: SEKS (Will and Abel)
3D scan/molding vendor: Locke
2nd foam mold/form vendor: PersonalFashion
Graphic Designer: Brian Carrol
Zac Posen Credits:
Look: Custom GapStudio Designed by Zac Posen
Hair: Thom Priano @thompriano
Grooming: James Kaliardos @jameskaliardos
Press Contact:
GapStudio | PR Consulting
gapstudio@prconsulting.net
About GapStudio
GapStudio is a segment within Gap that represents the highest expression of the iconic American brand in terms of style, craftsmanship and quality, created inside Gap’s New York HQ and designed by Gap Inc’s Executive Vice President and Creative Director, Zac Posen.
About Gap
Gap is a globally recognized icon of casual American style. Founded in San Francisco in 1969, Gap champions originality by creating loved essentials and delivering culturally-relevant experiences that celebrate individuality. Gap is an apparel and accessories brand that offers GapKids, babyGap, Gap Maternity, GapBody and GapFit collections as well as limited-edition collections with GapStudio and with partner brands through GapX. The brand also serves value-conscious customers with exclusively designed collections for Gap Outlet and Gap Factory Stores. Gap is the namesake brand of the global specialty retailer, Gap Inc. (NYSE: GAP) and connects with customers online and in company-operated and franchise retail locations globally. For more information, please visit gap.com.