“Linen Moves” Dances with the Idea of What Moves You
Movement is an unspoken art form—and no one knows or demonstrates that notion better than dancers. Undergoing years of rigorous training to perfect their control, flexibility, and strength, these maestros of motion are able to tell stories through the universal language of movement. With every graceful gesture and fierce pose, an emotion is gleaned, a message is conveyed. It wasn’t a leap to think that dancers would be the prime candidates to bring GAP’s Spring 2024 collection, “Linen Moves,” to life.
Three of Gen-Z’s preeminent powerhouses from across dance disciplines—India Bradley, Devin Neal, and Natasha Kiliachikhina—share what moves them. Outfitted in GAP’s latest linens, these movers and shakers embody the expressive power of the pieces they wear: elegant linens that serve as a canvas waiting to be painted on through sharp styling and free movement.
India Bradley, a member of the New York City Ballet, has been enamored with dance all her life. Her mother taught dance classes in their native Detroit, bringing a 2-year-old Bradley along to the studio. “[One day] my mother found me outside, stripped down to just my diaper, dancing by myself and completely unbothered,” she recalls with a laugh. Beginning her training at the precocious age of 4, the talented creative rose through the ranks of the ballet world in Detroit and NYC, captivating audiences with her impeccable precision and grace. The fast-paced energy of the Big Apple is one of the main forces that moves her, which is why the ballerina chose to film in front of the city’s iconic skyline. Like the towering buildings in the background, she soars skyward, her deft movements facilitated by the freeing power of her GAP’s linen-wear.
“The word that comes to mind when moving in GAP’s Linen is ‘airy.’ Even when just trying on the [collection], the fabric hits the skin in such a delicate way, inspiring me to get moving,” she reflects.
Multi-hyphenate movement artist Devin Neal, found himself drawn in another direction when creating his imagery. Long before gracing stages alongside the likes of Rihanna, Doja Cat, and Lil Nas X, Neal honed his craft in his mother’s Long Island studio. The dance prodigy later joined the Kozmic Edge dance company, setting himself apart by learning “hip hop, jazz, tap, West African [dance], and competitive gymnastics” and immersing himself in other disciplines such as photography. “Training in the city has definitely given me a sense of personal style, character, and a drive that only can be birthed from New York,” he notes.
But in order to fully embrace the liberatory philosophy of the “Linen Moves” campaign, the dancer found himself drawn to open skies and gentle breezes of the Las Vegas desert. “The desert is a place that has wind, fresh air, and no audience. I could completely connect with my passion while moving freely, with no judgment,” he explains, adding, “I styled the GAP linen with the intention for the desert winds to soar through the fabric with ease, allowing abstract shapes to be created by the shirt.” The effect: clothing that ripples and flows with the same unfettered, dynamic spirit as its wearer.
Yet another unique perspective is adopted by world-famous breakdancer Natasha Kiliachikhina. The riveting B-Girl from Krasnodar, Russia, finds personal style to be an integral facet of her artistry, telling Highsnobiety, “I've loved dressing up since I was a kid. Getting dressed is the same as painting on canvas or dancing; clothes are one of the components of my self-expression.”
Propelled by internal and external drives—from her emotions and feelings to art, books, and architecture that inspire her—Kiliachikhina has been breakdancing since she was 12 years old. A two-time winner of the Red Bull BC One world title, she’s become one of the most successful B-Girls on the global stage. Her "What Moves You" dance number features the unique architecture of Seattle, a nod to her formal art studies. Not limited to one creative outlet, Kiliachikhina exemplifies how different domains can combine to form something beautiful in harmony with both—for example, fashion and dance.
“I like to put my dance into the movement of my clothes,” she says. “I like to feel free. The GAP linen shirt gave me that freedom and amplitude.”
From big-city ballet and avant-garde desert expressionism to gravity-defying breaking, Bradley, Neal, and Kiliachikhina transform the GAP Spring 2024 campaign into a work of art. A common thread throughout their diverse performances is empowerment. The linens they wear enable the trio to move without inhibition and express their authentic selves while turning the world into their stage. Of course, you don’t have to be a dancer to find what moves you and run with it—that’s one art we can all master.
What moves you? Click here to discover more from GAP's Spring 2024 Collection.
