It’s a widely known fact that the best investments for any wardrobe are the essentials. That much is iron-clad. What comprises an essential, however, is entirely a different story. A cashmere sweater? Clearly. Ballet flats? Not so clear. How about leather trousers? Even hazier. To only heighten the vestiary vertigo, the word “essential” is one that resurfaces in the domain of the fashion campaign with fierce persistence.
Be it geared at shoes, accessories, or apparel, the sound of its three worn-out syllables can easily send your head spinning in a spiral of semantic satiation, leaving you to wonder if everything is essential, is anything really? And, perhaps more pressing for your wardrobe as winter thaws into spring, where does one look when searching for proof of essentiality? Fret not. Referencing the originals may help clarify a thing or two.
Linen, for one, can be considered an, if not the original, essential. It has, after all, stood the test of time (and then some). Rewind a couple thousands of years. It was the Georgians who originated it with their sharp eye for quality. The Egyptians then popularized it with their knack for otherworldly glamour. In the '30s, only the most glamorous wedding gowns bore it with lace trims. Then, in the '90s, the prep sought to claim the storied fabric with films solidifying linen as an emblem of effortless East Coast elegance (see The Talented Mr. Ripley). Fast forward to 2024. Now, the flax-based textile finds itself redefined at the hands of the design team at GAP. The San Franciscan propeller of the all-American prep mode knows all too well about the timeless allure of linen. That’s why it’s made it the star of its latest endeavor.
The slant is ‘90s and off-duty cool, as evidenced by the expansive cargo pants, loose trousers, and long-sleeve button-ups billowing throughout the campaign. Just like the buttery howls of Jungle’s “Back on 74” that serves as the campaign’s score, the choreography is swift and seamless, appearing almost effortless in motion. Thanks to Shay Latukolan’s affinity for organic, theatrical movements, the film’s choreography looks just as linen would feel: diaphanous, poetic in its lightness, and savored best in motion.
The campaign hints that perhaps above a desired aesthetic, clothing should offer freedom of movement to convey meaningful expressions. Tyla agrees. “I’m excited for my fans to see me do a new type of dance where I’m styled in comfortable clothes with my own personal touches. It was really fun—a true celebration of music, fashion, and dance,” the musician explains.
At the heart of GAP’s collaboration is the desire to spark self-expression, regardless of the shape it may take. Painters in the Middle Ages did favor linen for the canvases of their would-be masterpieces, after all. And while it’s unlikely GAP’s latest collection will inspire tear-jerking baroque portraits, its crip linen essentials offer its wearers the chance to define their clothes, not by their static appearance, but by the originality of the motions made in them. The route to discovering true essentials, too often redirected by the whims of passing fads, can be guided by the clothes you’ll actually end up wearing on the daily. And while there are no hard or fast rules in the pursuit of the bonafide essential, range-of-motion, as evidenced by GAP’s latest campaign, may be a good starting point on your search.
