Zac Posen’s Gap Menswear Debut Is Finally Here
Even before Zac Posen launched menswear for GapStudio, the elevated proposition nestled within the all-American style flagship that is Gap, it seemed like everyone was already eager to get their hands on it.
On a recent weekday morning in Gap’s Tribeca office, Posen is showing me a silky, champagne-hued trucker set from his first GapStudio men’s collection. Save for the color, it is practically identical to an outfit first sported by Timothée Chalamet at the 2025 Academy Awards Nominee Dinner.
“He wanted a GapStudio look!” the designer crows. “That was a cool moment, and the duchess satin I thought was kind of hot.” And then there was the time 15-year-old phenom Owen Cooper picked up his first Emmy in a tailored GapStudio mechanic’s jacket and tuxedo pants. “He has such swag and good style and was very involved in what he wanted,” Posen says.
Posen then points to a shin-sweeping overcoat in a caramel wool blend. “It’s double-face,” he notes. Surely a movie star is fiending for this number, too? Even better: Posen mentions that he’s been getting “crazy messages” from Ralph Rucci, legend of American couture, asking for the coat. “And I’m like, you’re a double-face king!” Posen exclaims.
Posen looks at the garments and cracks a warm smile. “It’s a good sign,” he says.
Courtesy of Gap
The first full GapStudio menswear offering officially drops on Tuesday, and the line of minimalist ’90s-ish staples does indeed look like a good sign of where the brand is headed under Posen. The studio is quiet, but Posen gets worked up as he pulls pieces off the small rolling rack in front of us, mixing and matching tops with bottoms and offering commentary along the way.
Of a soft chambray shirt with a matching tie: “It’s very Gap.” A pair of clean raw denim jeans with tailored pockets: “Really great.” A reversible faux fur car coat, the priciest of the lot at $328: “Bold, wonderful.” A pair of plush wide wale corduroy pants: “They have a little bit of stretch in the back, which I can live with,” he says more conspiratorially, pointing out a scrunchy waistband inserted above the seat.
That’s the challenge—and promise—of Posen’s position in a nutshell. In February 2024, Posen was appointed EVP and creative director of Gap Inc. and handed the tall task of turning around one of the biggest apparel companies in the world, which was struggling to stay relevant in the trend-driven fast fashion era. Now, the former high fashion darling—who ruled the red carpet for two decades and served several terms as a Project Runway judge—oversees design at Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta. It’s a position that demands a genuine vision for modern American style as much as it requires certain flexibility (e.g. stretch waistbands) to accommodate the mass market.
