San Francisco – July 22, 2009 – Bringing unique style and diversity to the perfect t-shirt, this month Gap introduced original designs from 12 artists for its fall (PRODUCT) RED Artist Edition T-Shirt collection. The featured artists range from the established to the up-and-coming and include James Jean, Geoff McFetridge, Non-Format by Kjell Ekhorn and Jon Forss, Deanne Cheuk, Keiko Itakura, Kari Modén, nomoco, James Joyce, Stephen Kelleher, Stina Persson, David Hollier and Celia Calle.
To spotlight the new collection, this Saturday, Gap is opening the doors to a pop-up art gallery featuring original works of art by 10 of the artists in its rotating concept venue adjacent to its 5th Ave. flagship store. In addition to unique paintings, sculptures and sketches, the Gap (RED) Art Gallery also features the exclusive t-shirt designs [$28] for men and women. The Gallery is open Saturday, July 25, through, Monday, August 10.
The collection is also available at Gap stores nationwide, with select styles available at gap.com and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Now through August 30, the Whitney Museum Store will carry five women's and five men's styles.
In partnership with (PRODUCT) RED, 50 percent of profits from the sale of Gap (PRODUCT) RED Artist Edition T-Shirts will benefit the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.
“We take pride in working with (RED) and providing opportunities for our customers to participate in the fight against AIDS in Africa,” said Ivy Ross, executive vice president, Gap Marketing. “With our heritage in redefining classics, we love how this collaboration with original artists to rework our iconic t-shirt provides consumers with unique, meaningful pieces that serve a very important purpose.”
Meet the Artists:
The artists come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from poets and illustrators to designers and animators.
James Jean is in constant search of the sublime in the forms of nature, in the rationality of design, and in the havoc of chance, rendered in pigment and pixels.
Geoff McFetridge instinctively ignores creative boundaries. He’s a truly multidisciplinary artist. From poetry and graphics to textiles and animation, McFetridge is an all-around visual auteur.
Non-Format is Kjell Ekhorn (Norwegian) and Jon Forss (British). They believe typography and image making are two sides of the same coin. Which side is heads and which side is tails, they leave for you to decide.
Deanne Cheuk is an artist, designer, and illustrator. She is obsessed with utopia, mountains, waterfalls, outer space, trees, clouds, the ocean, patterns, mushrooms, shadows, and colors that look almost black.
Keiko Itakura's work traces the complexity of happiness with adventures into the outer reaches of virtue and vice. The more you look, the more you feel.
Swedish illustrator Kari Modén is inspired by pop art, fashion, and South American poster design. With a great sense of color, she uses her bold and expressive style to mix simple shapes with type.
nomoco’s inspiration is nature. She enjoys playing with ink and its organic movement.
James Joyce's art combines bold graphic shapes, hand drawn lines, and vibrant color to create powerful, ideas-based imagery.
Stephen Kelleher is an Irish born designer and illustrator who makes Brooklyn his home. Working under the name Frankenstyles since 2003, he regularly bullies shapes and colors to do his bidding.
Stina Persson is an illustrator based in Stockholm, Sweden.
Celia Calle's aesthetic is strangely alluring and undeniably powerful. Her images are ominous, commanding, sometimes warped, but always spiced with a generous injection of humor, in keeping with the artist's effervescent personality.
David Hollier is a New York-based graphic designer and illustrator.
Details about Artist T-Shirt Gallery:
WHEN: Saturday, July 25, through, Monday, August 10, 2009
Store Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: 680 Fifth Avenue (between 53rd and 54th Streets), New York
About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta brand names. Fiscal 2008 sales were $14.5 billion. Gap Inc. operates more than 3,100 stores in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan and Ireland. In addition, Gap Inc. is expanding its international presence with franchise agreements in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. For more information, please visit gapinc.com.
About (RED)™ and (PRODUCT)RED™
(RED)’s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT)RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only), Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark, Dell, Windows and Starbucks. Since its launch in the Spring of 2006, more than $130 million has been generated by (RED) for the Global Fund. (RED) money is at work in Swaziland, Rwanda, Ghana and Lesotho. For more information, visit http://www.joinred.com/
About The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the dominant financer of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with approved funding of US $15 billion for programs in 140 countries. The Global Fund supports programs based on agreed performance targets and disburses money in response to proven results. At the end of 2008, programs supported by the Global Fund have averted more than 3.5 million deaths by providing AIDS treatment for 2 million people, TB treatment for 4.6 million people, and by the distribution of 70 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria worldwide. For more information visit http://www.theglobalfund.org.
# # #
Don’t miss out on the latest Gap Inc. news! Sign-up to get email alerts about news on Gap Inc. and our brands.