8:30 AM – Our tailors arrive on set, and we give them the download on how we plan to shoot to signal where they’ll need to sew the product. If we’re planning still, front photography, they can tailor in the back. If we're planning video or 360° shots, they’ll need to hide all the tailoring marks.
9:15 AM – I pull racks for our models and connect with our creative director, Len, to align on the selected looks. Then, we share new ideas. He mentions that Selma has a walking cane, and he envisioned her doing a character play inspired by Charlie Chaplin. ‘What if we did a shot with her cane, wearing big baggy pants and an oversized shirt?’
For Labrinth (Lab), Len mentions how he was inspired by a picture of him wearing a hoodie, so we add a black hoodie from the collection to his rack. We follow a similar process for the rest of the cast making sure we intentionally bring their unique styles to life alongside our creative visions.
11:00 AM – When I’m styling celebrity shoots, we want the individual’s personality to shine through. We spend the first thirty minutes getting to know each model and walking them through the looks. The best-case scenario happens when we truly understand our models’ styles. As I review the key looks with Len, there’s one outfit that makes him say, ‘That’s Selma. That’s 100% Selma,’ and he was right. She tries on the proposed look, she loves it. But not the shoes. We always have an assortment of options ready, so we quickly find something else. With one major fitting behind us, we break for a short lunch, and I prep for the next fitting.
1:00 PM – Lab walks in and we go over his rack. As a true musician, he keeps singing and humming through the entire fitting. Can you imagine how beautiful that was? We show him ideas of how to wear the product and he’s open to anything.
We do a contrast play, putting him in all-white and all-black outfits made up of our key buys: hoodies and cords. We find creative ways to play with color and deconstruct the outfits to highlight more of his face and expressions.
But a key part of our process is to play around and plan for the unplanned. This look ends up being styled with the model’s own bracelet and all-white desert boots that Len hand-painted himself. They were prop shoes that we originally planned to use for a different shoot, but somehow, they fit perfectly! A little bit of set magic for the afternoon.
2:10 PM: We continue fitting with three more models for the rest of the afternoon. I would say this is the typical volume, but it honestly depends. Today’s fitting is about icons and individuals, but sometimes we’re dressing 60 people behind Katy Perry or 38 holiday dancers with two outfit changes!
3:35 PM: Len encourages us to express our creativity and be weird. So, we do it. It’s one of the things I love most about my team—the permission to play and stretch our creative muscle. We partner with tailors to try different ‘sculptures’. We lengthen a few items to transform the clothing into art and give our customer a different perception. And speaking of teams, I sneak in a few moments to check on my incredible team. Today they’re holding it down with a few working remotely and a few at the office, prepping product page shots and generally keeping us afloat as I focus on the campaign.
6:00 PM: We wrap the fitting and tailor outfits. We’re missing a few items so Erin and I run to the nearest Gap store to get the sizes we need. We hit a Japanese spot for dinner, and I head back to the hotel to recharge for the rest of campaign week.
'Fit Check with Eddie
What makes you proud to work with us?
Gap is a heritage brand, but we continue to evolve. We’ve taken customers on a ride from where we were, to figuring out who we are today. I’m proud to play a hands-on part in that journey, creating a safe working environment where my team and I can get creative, work hard, and have fun at the same time.
I love seeing people happy in our clothes and falling in love with the brand. Experiencing that next to some of the smartest, most skilled people is why I’ve stayed at Gap for almost eight years.
Tell us about your personal style…
Two words: oversized and baggy. I love our Gap oversized pocket tee shirt and oversized cropped khaki pants. And always a hat. I’m never without a hat.
Did Eddie’s work day inspire you? Learn more about how you can join Gap's creative teams here.