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Sharp-Dressed Men: GQ's 2012 Best New Menswear Designers Collection for Gap

At the end of September, Gap to launch good-looking limited-edition menswear collection featuring designs by BLK DNM, Ian Velardi, Mark McNairy New Amsterdam, Ovadia & Sons, Saturdays NYC and Todd Snyder.
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GQ's favourite menswear designers design limited line for The Gap

"Here Staff, you can do a post on this limited-edition menswear collection coming out at Gap at the end of the month," I said.

"Can I just post the picture and the press release?" she asked.

"If you don't want a byline," I said.

. . . . .

Toronto, ON September 19, 2012  “On September 27, Gap will debut a limited-edition collection for men designed by GQ's six Best New Menswear Designers in America for 2012. The one-of-a-kind assortment, which ranges from accessories to outerwear, showcases each rising designer's signature spin on iconic menswear pieces.

"From the very early stages of the design process, we knew this collection was going to be something our customers were drawn to," said Mark Breitbard, head of merchandising for Gap North America. “These designers are shaping the future of menswear, and it's an honour to bring their distinct visions to life in a way that complements Gap's casual American point of view."

With price points starting at $20 for essential items such as boxer briefs and ranging up to $348 for more indulgent pieces like a leather bomber jacket, the collection is available at select Gap stores worldwide and online at Gapcanada.ca and Gap.com. The collection will include hats, belts, knit ties and scarves; graphic tees, fleece hoodies, oxfords and mohair cardigans; chinos, cargo pants, wool trousers and denim; and blazers, wool peacoats, parkas and leather bombers.

GQ x Gap Ad with Text

The six designers and the pieces from their Gap-exclusive capsule collections will be featured in a special fourteen-page advertising insert in the October 2012 issue of GQ. They include:

  • Johan Lindeberg's BLK DNM celebrates the new uniform of the way-downtown set, where black jeans share sartorial space with tuxedo jackets and leather bombers.
  • Ian Velardi who fuses active sportswear with classic tailoring techniques to form his signature uptown-meets-downtown aesthetic.
  • Mark McNairy New Amsterdam turns classic American sportswear on its ear. Military, workwear and athletic influences mesh in his rebellious and playful collections.
  • Twin brothers Ariel and Shimon Ovadia, of Ovadia & Sons, bring fresh eyes to old-world tailoring by updating classic menswear items with unexpected details and pops of color.
  • Saturdays NYC, founded by Morgan Collett, Josh Rosen, and Colin Tunstall, brings surf style to urban dwellers with designs equally suited for sandy beaches and concrete sidewalks.
  • Todd Snyder's designs reside at the intersection of rugged and refined. He makes clothes for the man who wears a jacket and tie because he wants to.

GQ's Best New Menswear Designers in America project, which was established in 2007, works to advance and bring attention to up-and-coming American menswear designers. The recognized designers who were selected by GQ editor-in-chief Jim Nelson and creative director Jim Moore, along with the fashion editors of the magazine, took part in a mentoring program led by GQ and Gap.

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I love the aesthetic. (Click on the images to see them larger.)

Are you going to send your man shopping? Or maybe pick up a few things for upcoming birthday and holiday gifts?