Garance Doré Exhibit @ Gap (London, UK)

Apologies for being a bad blogger again, though I did have a very good excuse (or so I think)... I was scurrying around London (sans Internet) taking pictures of everything I found remotely interesting - some are related to Vogue's Fashion Night Out - others completely random. I also got the chance to meet up with a fellow blogger, the fabulous Anna from Cocktail of Fashion who was kind enough to spare a few hours to hang out with me.

The three different limited edition Garance Doré tees. I got the one on the far right.

Before that, I had a bit of time to kill so I thought I'd check out the '1969' pop-up store Gap had set up near Carnaby Street to celebrate their 40th anniversary. As part of the celebration, they had invited famed French illustrator, photographer and blogger Garance Doré to curate an exhibition showcasing her drawings and images. In addition to that, Gap were making available three different t-shirts designed by Doré herself. The only downside was, these were limited edition items - only 69 pieces of each style were to be sold. Guessing they'd be sold out by the time I got there, I went anyway, if only to look at all the lovely sketches and wonderful streetstyle photos.

The upper level of the pop-up store selling special Gap items. Those denim booties were pretty cool.

When I finally found the place (it's not directly on Carnaby Street, but in Kingly Court), I was surprised by how empty it was. I was expecting a mob scene, knowing how large Doré's following is and even though many of the t-shirts had sold by then - many women bought 5 or more tees at once - all styles were still available. I took a quick peek at the other special edition Gap items, including pieces designed by Pierre Hardy or Pharrell Williams, posters and other denim gear which were already being tried on by eager shoppers.

Heading towards the exhibit...

The exhibition space was in the basement area and three walls had been covered in photos and drawings. There were also larger-than-life illustrations that could be found directly on the wall. Doré and staff members were still in the process of putting the finishing touches on dressing the mannequins and setting up the lights. Not wanting to disturb anyone, I started looking at the different walls. As with The Selby exhibition I had visited a while ago, it's always interesting viewing so much of an artist's work at once... presented as a group. I loved the larger drawings as well: seeing them in that size gave the impression they had come to life.

Overview of the two main walls. The writing reads 'why don't we do it on the street?'.

A brief introduction accompanied by one of the larger illustrations (same as one of the tees) and a mannequin modeling a shirt.

Doré had also scribbled a brief introduction on the wall, describing how Gap had asked her to join forces with them and the idea behind her blog. The adjoining walls showed a collage of her inspirations - probably the most interesting part of the exhibit if you want to catch a glimpse of her raw ideas. These contained anything from Vogue editorials to a copy of her favorite album.

Above: Garance Doré near the inspiration wall (close-up is above right). Below: more from the inspiration wall highlighting her muses.

As Garance was still in the process of working away, I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to approach her. But she gave me a big smile while I was hovering near her staring at the photographs, so I thought I'd give her a quick hello. I must say, I was blown away by how genuine, friendly and down-to-earth she was. She's every bit as beautiful, bubbly and outgoing as you would expect from her blog, but unlike those who let their popularity go to their heads, she was surprisingly humble. When I asked her how long she had been doing this (pointing to the walls) she at first misunderstood, and told me she had been gathering her illustrations and photos for three years, adding that she has a blog. She seemed honored anyone would actually be familiar with her work. I told her I knew all about her blog and that I actually followed it regularly. She thanked me profusely, almost hugging me and told me that hearing things like that always make her want to cry with joy. I gushed a bit more (I'm such a geek) and she seemed genuinely touched that I had taken time out to see the exhibit (I did mention I lived in Paris - she probably thinks I'm a stalker).

Garance hard at work.

I found out it had taken her three days, with very little sleep, to create the giant illustrations and collage the walls. She mentioned that not everything was done... the lights still had to be installed, but she said she'd be there for the entire day if I wanted to come back later. Unfortunately I didn't make it back that day, but I'm sure by then other fans and Garance Doré addicts found the place and managed to meet the fantastic woman behind the blog. I did take another quick look the next day, just to see the space set up correctly with all the lights. By then of course, both t-shirts with her sketches had been sold out, though the tank top was still available.

Another large illustration (right) which again could be found on one of the tees.

The London pop-up store along with the exhibit will run for 19 days and 69 hours - up to October 3, taking you right through London Fashion Week. Doré will make another appearance on September 21 (more details on her blog) and because of the high demand of her t-shirts, they will now also be made available at Colette (hopefully also online) and Gap in Paris. Unfortunately supplies will be limited again, but she's working on getting more produced. If you get the chance, pay the exhibit a visit or better yet, try to meet her when she's in town next.

And if for some bizarre reason you're not familiar with Garance's work yet (she's been deemed the French version of the Sartorialist and happens to be dating Scott Schuman), then check out her blog now. It also has better pics of the exhibit and of course the full scope of her amazing photos and drawings.

Address: Units G7 & 8, Kingly Court, London W1
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-20:00, Sun: 12:00-17:00

Gap 1969 Homepage