Around 45 minutes ago, the reengineered flagship GAP store in Time Square, New York City became the first place in the world to stock YEEZY GAP in real life as opposed to online. We can only imagine the chaos right now. But while Ye’s desire for the world to have access to his creations is well documented, the move also seems endemic of a new ideology: To get fashion back on the high street.
The GAP announcement came via video, featuring two models dressed head-to-toe in reworked GAP apparel. It provided instructions on how to purchase items in-store, in case you forgot, and basically looks like what it might be like to buy clothes in the underworld. Up first will be YEEZY GAP Engineered by Balenciaga, with further collections available at select GAP stores over the coming year.
YEEZY isn’t the only collection to make a play for irl stores. YUNG featured the opening of Les Benjamin’s new, super sleek store in Istanbul last month, while Louis Vuitton has recently opened a menswear-only store on Rodeo Drive. It’s fully fitted with on-site stamping to personalise any of its leather goods and a fragrance counter offering bottle customisation.
Elsewhere, Apple announced the opening of its latest flagship store on London’s Brampton Road. Set to open its doors on July 28, it will sit alongside the likes of Harvey Nichols and Harrods. Of course this is Apple, so things won’t be entirely as they seem. Rumours are that the new store will house a fully-fledged AR realm.
Perhaps that’s the future? A hybrid shopping experience that takes you in-store and beyond, an artificial experience entwined with a real one. Quite frankly it sounds exhausting. In the meantime, why not soothe your senses with the thought that soon, you could miss out on the YEEZY GAP collection to a real person rather than a bot. Humans 1, computers 0.
