The holidays have a way of making us feel real nostalgic, and how could they not?
Between childhood traditions (cringey then, comforting now), gifts you couldn’t wait to unwrap, and the feeling that it could all last forever, even the “Scrooge” in your life would get a little sentimental.
Adulthood, with all its highs, lows, and unknowns, has a habit of taking the fun out of the season, but Gap has long understood how to bring the magic back. The California-based brand is as much a harbinger of the holidays as Christmas’ unofficial crooner Mariah Carey.
Just think back to its classic, cozy knits your mom would wrangle you into for family portraits, the mad dash to its stores to scratch a few things off a wishlist, or its seasonal star-studded ads that somehow never left our screens. Suffice it to say, Gap’s got the holidays in a chokehold, and this year, New York City’s feeling it first.
While rain fell over Williamsburg last night, the brand brought cozy vibes indoors with a holiday bash celebrating its beloved CashSoft collection. Soft knit sweaters lined the walls and racks of the scarlet space, with guests sifting through the selection, gifts top of mind and cheeky concoctions in hand. Playful seasonal doodles were scattered across the cherry-red interior while footsteps padded across the matching red floor, as chatter filled the room. It was opening night at Gap’s CashSoft Lounge, and it sure felt like it, with the who’s who of NYC’s style scene, from Olivia Joan to Ian Jeffrey, showing up in their holiday best.
They grooved to bouncy house beats by DJs Rae Sada and ANASTAZJA, posed for moody Polaroid portraits shot by Happy Beginnings Studio, and personalized their Gap picks—from cozy striped socks and knit triangle scarves to cashmere-soft totes—with custom embroidery before having them wrapped up in a neat bow by the night’s end.
So, guests left with a few gifts to put under the tree and bellies satisfied by sweet treats and spirited cocktails from Loser’s Eating House, a decidedly adult version of the nights we’d stay up to leave cookies and a glass of milk out for good ol’ Saint Nick. But Gap’s festive fun was only getting started, with the CashSoft Lounge set to take over Williamsburg for the entire weekend.
From Friday, November 13, to Sunday, November 15, New Yorkers can get the gift of Gap with its immersive pop-up and a head start on the holiday season, all in one.
