Design is King at The Gap

After years of trying to boost sales through celebrity endorsements and gimmicks, The Gap is returning to its roots; quality classic American design. Yes, Design will once again reign as king. Fashion Designer, Patrick Robinson, the former designer for Paco Rabanne and Giorgio Armani will join the company as executive vice president of design for Gap Adult and gapbody. Mr. Robinson, 40, will oversee all elements of design for Gap women’s and men’s apparel, accessories and intimates lines in North America. The Gap suffers from new competition. Specifically, the growing list of luxury brands selling at low price-points through diffusion fashion lines. The Gap has also been challenged by fast-fashion giants such as Zara and H&M. And after the launch of Old Navy, there was confusion among customers about The Gap brand. Most chose Old Navy for its lower prices. At Design Futurist, we believe the opportunity for great American classics is now. Affordable stylish basics are missing in today’s market. And retailers with large distribution, such as J Crew have capitalized on the opportunity. Most other mainstream retailers are competing in a fickle trend and celebrity driven space, where customers come and go flippantly. Statistics show, brand loyalty is low among customers that choose products based on endorsements. Customers that choose based on value, design and in-store experience stick around. Cheers to a bright future, may good design mean good business. NATALIA

GenArt Genisis

In Greek, Ninaki means something small or precious. It is fitting that Ninaki Priddy would be destined to design jewelry.

Jewelry design was not the original plan, she started out as a biology major (many great designers start off in science). This proved to be the main inspiration for her first collection.

An LA based jewelry designer of Mexican-American heritage, Ninaki is also a sculptor and architect. Her organic forms are captured from still frames of movements, put together to create fluidity in form. The bold collection morphs into continuous whimsical shapes with touches of natural elements.

Recently, she won the accessory design competition for the GenArt Styles International Design Competition. We think this is a first of many to come.

This year, Ninaki plans to expand her line to include necklaces, earrings, ear-cuffs and hair-pins. Yes, custom ear-cuffs, her unique take on modern ornament.

New jewelry design for a new generation of women. NATALIA

Lights on LD Tuttle

Tiffany Tuttle, a California native, founded LD Tuttle in 2005. A shoe and handbag designer, Tiffany Tuttle has managed to take classic favorites and bring about a sexy twist to create a contemporary rock ‘n’ roll flare. Her Spring/Summer line for 2008 takes on metallic and layers it with matted tonal colors, juxtaposed with colors like poppy red and yellow. Tiffany Tuttle’s collection of flats and heels uses elements of architecture with geometrical shapes. Her subtle details of lace, belted straps, and zippers closures at the heel add feminine detail and definition.

Her Fall/Winter line for 2008 takes on dark greys and blacks. Snow white, olive, fuchsia and metallic is added to the line to help break up the monochromatic color scheme. Her collection of boots has created a softer elegance of the male counterpoint. Her leather boots tightly wrap around the legs and when unbuckled or unzipped the boot gently drapes down.

Tiffany Tuttle places great emphasis on recognizable pieces that she brings about through her creative elements – cut outs, contrasting textures, and subtle detail. Her designs are being sold internationally and online. (http://www.ldtuttle.com/home.html). HANNA

No to Nano-silver

Freshness during the day is more than just applying deodorant in the morning. Due to many consumers longer workday’s, consumers are in search of apparel fabrics that, not only feel fresh but also smell
fresh for longer periods. Many of these fabrics require certain finishes in order to maintain its freshness.

According to a survey conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres Inc, 51% of male consumers would pay the extra dime to purchase clothing with specialized freshness treatments.

Silver has a natural antimicrobial ingredient that seems to inhibit the growth of bacteria and it has been used for years as bandages to cover up wounds and irritations. Because silver particles are measured using the nano scale it does not modify any fiber characteristics or performances. There are even
washing machines that spray out the particles that place the nanosilver straight into the clothes while they are being washed. The hope is that we not only have clean and fresh clothes but we can also be cleaner and bacteria free.

So what’s the catch? Silver run-off found in the concentrations has been linked to systemic disorders including retardation, cancer and blood disease. Yikes.

HANNA