The Tamesis
Photo: Hippolyte Petit
Bringing so many wealthy Britons and Americans into one room requires a certain amount of magnetism – and unsurprisingly, Victoria Beckham certainly has it. A group of familiar faces gathered on West 13th Street Wednesday night to celebrate the hallowed retailer’s new, modern chapter. milestone? Gap’s just-launched multi-season collaboration with Beckham reinterprets the rich archive through Beckham’s uniquely sophisticated lens.
Inside People’s, the typical pop vibe is replaced by one filled with nostalgia. Eighties dance music beats overhead, along with classic cuisine from both sides of the Atlantic (a plate of battered cod here, a row of wagyu beef on a blanket there—it’s safe to say, it’s an appetite vortex). Guests were also decked out in elevated essentials: crisp white T-shirts, sharply tailored denim and stylish trench coats, many with Gap and Victoria Beckham crests subtly emblazoned on them.
“I remember shopping at the Gap with my mom when I was little,” Beckham said. Fashionsmiling affectionately. “It feels so fresh – there’s nothing like it in the UK.” Now, decades later, this collaboration feels like a nervous moment for me. “I’m really proud of what we created together. It’s really the perfect marriage of the two brands.” She reflects on delving into Gap’s archives—rediscovering pieces like the cropped denim jacket once worn by Cindy Crawford and Sarah Jessica Parker’s timeless cropped pants. “They’re a great team to work with. I just said to Zac (who also joined Gap two years ago from the luxury industry), ‘They’re a great team to work with.’ Everyone gets along well. “
For image consultant Alastair McKimm, who was responsible for styling the debut campaign, Beckham was the perfect collaborator from the start. “Victoria and I have worked together on different projects over the years, so when I started consulting at Gap, she was my first call,” he revealed. “She’s known for her baseball caps, white T-shirts and hoodies. She loves nice, classic clothes, which I think we all do. What she does is often very luxurious and very high fashion – so it’s always a really exciting thing to bring that to the masses.” Beckham agreed: “I’m excited to now be able to reach women around the world,” she gushed. “It’s an accessible price point – and to me, that’s exciting.”
On the other side of the room, Beckham’s family provided perhaps the most convincing endorsement. She shared that her kids are completely attracted to the pieces, especially the hoodies. “Cruz hasn’t taken off his clothes yet,” she said, laughing. “He was obsessed. I thought that was a good sign.”
While the night was a celebration of a year of hard work, it was just the beginning. “One more drop,” Beckham teased. “A winter collection in different shades. It gets better.” For evening, though, it’s enough. For guests wearing hoodies, holding nightcaps in one hand and chocolate chip cookies in the other, one thing was clear: Victoria Beckham knows how to throw a party.
