GAP x Madhappy is the youth culture collab of the century. Well, maybe last century. This is a singular crossover moment that says a lot about where today’s culture of clothes lies.
Namely, Mad-GAP-py (GAP-happy?) illustrates the sartorial meetup point between those who lived through Y2K and those who reference it as a vintage styling category.
GAP, a beacon of aughts nostalgia, was a primary figure in the world of branded hoodies for nearly 30 years. As American as apple pie, its signature garments were an attainable staple that, crazy as it might sound, united everyone.
From supermodels to elementary school chefs, the GAP hoodie was a classic, trusted garment. It also set the stage for the athleisure boom that swarms the style zeitgeist to this day.
Enter Madhappy: a 2017 bloom of the comfy-cozy seeds planted by GAP years prior. With optimism at its core, Madhappy had its way with the hoodie game in a manner not wholly dissimilar to GAP’s, just on a much smaller scale.
Now, nearly 30 years after the first GAP hoodie dropped, the San Francisco-based brand is mixing the classics with the reimagined in collaboration with Madhappy.
The apparel collection, announced on July 29, includes denim, outerwear, hoodies and accessories that will be all available on the GAP and Madhappy websites on August 2.
This amalgamation of Y2K meets Gen Z, is an unrivaled throwback moment. Literally.
Inspired by Gap’s “Individuals of Style” campaign from 1989, the collection sees today’s influential figures rocking the retailer’s signature zip-up hoodie design. Instead of ‘GAP”, though, ‘MAD’ is embossed on the cult favorite hoodies and zip-ups.
Also, where you’d typically see a Lenny Kravitz or Whoopi Goldberg, you have influencer Devon Lee Carlson and singer 070 Shake.
Even looking at the ad (if you squint), it looks like these photos could have been taken in the late 90s or early 2000s.
Baggy jean shorts? Hip-bone exposing denim? Flip-flops? Could have fooled me!