The concept for the new collection from Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga extended to a major overhaul of a section within the Gap Times Square flagship, part of an omnichannel experience for shoppers as the Yeezy Gap label released its goods via a brick-and-mortar location for the first time.
The space reflected the futuristic minimalism for which Ye is known while also promoting waste reduction. The color scheme for the space ranged from solid black to gray and bright white for the collection’s July 21, 2022 NYC launch, followed by a July 23 unveiling in store locations across the U.S.
Set atop the store’s marquee outside, two billboards set in grayscale — one featuring Ye’s signature dove imagery and another displaying pieces from the collection — provided a preview of the design guests would encounter inside. A strong digital presence inside included large screens and handheld devices that allowed guests to engage with the collection through a gaming concept envisioned by Yeezy Gap and Balenciaga and designed by Demna. Through the game, which was also released on YeezyGap.com, guests become avatars in a virtual world so they can interact with the collection.
Additional grayscale dove imagery and mirrored columns were found throughout the store’s design. One side of the room featured evenly spaced slender white columns that reach from the floor to the middle of the ceiling, which then transitioned to a flat wall painted black.
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Breaking from the traditional organization of apparel retail merchandising, each piece of the Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga collection was arranged in separate piles and placed inside large plastic bags on the floor. Guests shopped by combing through the piles as they searched for their desired sizes.
“Yeezy Gap and Balenciaga bring their shared vision of physical retail to select Gap store locations across the United States designed for the future,” the collaborators said in a statement. “The store design represents a reinvention of physical retail rendered with minimal waste in either display or design.”
