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Exclusive: For its first-ever creator collaboration, Gap tapped Julia Huynh to make a “hoodie that makes hoodies.”

Exclusive: For its first-ever creator collaboration, Gap tapped Julia Huynh to make a “hoodie that makes hoodies.”

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In October 2023, 24-year-old Julia Huynh (1 million followers on TikTok, 248,000 on Instagram) posted a TikTok announcing a search for a “hoodie, the hoodie.”

According to Huynh, it’s best described as a hoodie you grab when you “want to be comfortable and stylish at the same time.” It’s the hoodie you take with you “to the airport, to the grocery store, or on a late night ice skate.” It’s your favorite hoodie.”

What makes a hoodie as such is simple, Huynh said. “It’s all about the fit and feel,” she said. “For the fit, you want a wide, boxy fit paired with a nice dropped shoulder and really wide sleeves. And the hood needs to be big enough to fit your head without having to squeeze. For the feel, it needs to be soft and have a really nice, heavy weight.”

Over the past year, Huynh has reviewed many hoodies for her community to decide whether or not they are actually “hoodie” (verb). But for the past few months, she has been keeping a secret from her followers. In the spring, she received a direct message from The Gap inviting her to come to their New York headquarters to create the perfect “Hoodie that Hoodies.” Although the brand has released a number of buzzy collaborations this year — see: Doen, Madhappy, Cult Gaia — this would be the first collection ever where it co-created products with an influencer.

Erika Everett, marketing director at Gap, said she became aware of Huynh’s series through the brand’s head of women’s merchandising, who DMed her one of the posts. At first, the team considered doing what so many other brands did for Huynh: simply submit hoodies for review. But they decided to hold off — after all, Everett admitted, they knew their hoodies might not have hoodies yet. “Our hoodie silhouette is a pretty classic silhouette, and [Julia] has a very specific idea of ​​what the perfect hoodie is,” Everett said. “So we decided to invite her.”

Soon, Huynh found herself on a flight from her home in San Jose to New York. “[Suddenly I was in a] I was in the corporate headquarters of a high-rise building in New York City where these creative professionals were all listening to me. I thought, ‘Wow, this is crazy,'” Huynh said. She remembered educating Gap designers on the ideal hood size, the ideal sleeve fall and what makes a potato sack waistband. “It’s like a little pouch that makes it look a little more cozy,” Huynh said, noting that she also chose the colors of the hoodie style, which will retail for $98. It will be available in navy, pink, green and yellow colors. The hoodie was made for Gap from a new fabric – the heaviest yet. According to the brand’s fabric description, the new heavy French terry “provides breathability, while its weight provides much-needed warmth in colder temperatures.” The resulting hoodie went on sale Friday.

Collaborating with creatives is “the core of any successful marketing strategy,” said Everett, calling this collaboration unique because of its organic nature. Gap’s hoodies, which turn 30 next year, have become increasingly popular in recent years. In 2021, his logo hoodie, particularly in brown, became a Gen Z fixation.

“Fleece is a very important category for us. …It’s always nice to take one of those classic icons that the brand is known for and then give it a twist. And I think that’s the beauty and the magic of this collaboration,” Everett said.

This first influencer partnership hints at Gap’s strategy for future partnerships. “Part of our revitalization effort and a big part of our marketing strategy has been to focus more on social aspects — to be more socially led in everything we do,” Everett said.

The sweatshirt will be available online and in about 20 stores — Huynh plans to visit one and create content of herself.

While large multi-SKU collaborations — like the one Gap launched with Doen in May — are clear in terms of both sales and relevance, a one-piece partnership likely won’t prove to be a big sales driver — and that’s not the goal, Evertt said . “We want to increase credibility and relevance,” she said. “[Success will be based on] Engagement and reach: views, shares, likes, the content that happens in the comments and what the community is saying.”

Huynh was able to gift her hoodie to 50 of her friends, family and fellow influencers, and both she and Gap will be promoting the product on social media platforms. In the comments of a teaser post that went live Thursday, fans expressed their support of her year-long hoodie search: “Girl, I knew you would design a hoodie one day 😭,” one comment read. Another explained: “JULIA, I’ve been here since day one, you have faith in me buying one.”

Launch of the Week: Rare Beauty unveils its annual Impact Fund

Every year Rare Beauty releases a new product – this year products – to raise money for its Impact Fund. Yesterday, this year’s iteration was unveiled: the $25 Stay Vulnerable Mini Glossy Lip Balm Duo, available on the brand’s e-commerce site and TikTok Shop. 100 percent of the proceeds go to the Impact Fund. “This year’s launch helps raise funds that will directly benefit youth mental health organizations and helps ensure young people have the support they need to thrive,” Elyse said Cohen, EVP of Social Impact and Inclusion at Rare Beauty and President of the Rare Impact Fund.

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