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Gap Creates the Ultimate Hoodie With TikToker Julia Huynh
The brand's first creator collab
Last October, TikTok influencer Julia Huynh launched “Hoodies That Hoodie,” a series of videos chronicling her search for the perfect hoodie. The posts went viral because, well, we all love hoodies!
Huynh modeled and dissected the hoodies in her personal collection in the series. She also tried on new ones sent by brands eager for her approval and the exposure that comes when an influencer with 1 million followers on TikTok shows off your product.
But Gap, which has been making and selling hoodies for nearly 30 years, did not send Huynh a hoodie. The brand did something bolder.
Calvin George Leung, Gap’s head of creative, invited Huynh, who lives in California, to NYC to design a new hoodie with the brand’s designers. The Extra Heavyweight Hoodie that came out of that collaboration is now available online and in select Gap stores.
Here, Leung talks about the design process behind the premium, oversized hoodie and the importance of being open to new ideas.
MUSE: How did Julia Huynh wind up on your radar?
Calvin George Leung: Julia’s [first] video had made its way around our office. Our head of product eventually sent it to me. At the time, we had already been kicking around this idea of a new, upgraded hoodie. It was perfect timing.
You could have just sent Julia one of your existing hoodies and left it at that. Why did you decide to go all out and create a new garment with her?
Based on the amount of views, it was clear that many others were also in search of the perfect hoodie. To me, it presented more of a challenge. If everyone is looking for this, there is clearly an opportunity for Gap. Rather than just sending one of ours to her, what if we learned what she was looking for and made with one with her?
Tell me about the design process and what Julia brought to it.
Julia has a very fresh and specific POV on what makes a hoodie hoodie. Our team was eager to take in all of her feedback on how it should fit and feel. She had notes on the size of the hood, the drop of the shoulder, the width of the waistband and many more small details that made a big impact on the final design. That combined with the expertise of our designers resulted in something truly original.
What did you get out of the experience? I imagine it was fun to work with a fresh pair of hands.
This is the first time we’ve co-designed a product with a creator. It was an extremely organic, fast experience. I’ve always believed in letting the creators create. This gives new meaning to that and, hopefully, opens the door for more ideas.
I have four hoodies that I wear once fall hits. I just moved them from the top shelf of my closet to a drawer last week for easy access. Why do we love hoodies so much?
Hoodies are like a warm hug. They’re comfortable and practical. And the best ones have that lived-in feeling that keep you going back to them.
I understand you had to sign up for a TikTok account so you could reach out to Julia. Have you spent more time on the platform since then?
It’s true. Up until this point, I didn’t have a personal account—I only looked at TikTok as it related to the content we create at Gap to live on the platform. I signed up for an account to reach out to Julia so that she could hear directly from me and understand our genuine intention around this idea. While Julia and Gap are still the only accounts I follow, it has opened my aperture to the power of creators and the potential that exists on the platform.
Can you talk a bit about why it is important as a creative/creative team to be open to new ideas and new ways of working instead of just sticking to plans?
I’ve always believed in letting ideas drive the process, not letting process drive ideas. There’s a quote from the movie Parasite that always stuck with me: “You can’t go wrong with no plans.” The best ideas are instinctual and organic. Those are usually the ideas with the most soul.
