American retail juggernaut The Gap is leading the fast fashion charge to Australia, opening its first store downunder this month. Spain's Zara is also en route, ditto Japan’s Uniqlo. But is the first Gap store due to open in Melbourne, as advertised - or Sydney? Looking at The Gap’s website (screen cap above - click to enlarge; tks to Guy Willis for the tip), you’d be forgiven for thinking the company hasn’t got a blinking clue which city is which. Behind the “Melbourne” sign on the left are three Sydney icons: the Opera House, Centrepoint Tower and what appears to be Aussie Stadium. Behind the "Sydney" sign on the right are three Melbourne icons: a green tram, the Arts Centre spire and what looks very much like the Docklands. To Gap’s credit it did get the correct Luna Park – that’s Melbourne's version on the left. And that appears to be a sliver of Melbourne's Flinders Street Station behind that. Unless, of course, it’s Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building. Could The Gap please sort itself out stat. We’re pretty laid back, us Aussies, but there is a minor difference of 1160kms between the two cities.
7 comments:
I hope Abercrombie and Fitch follow in Gap's footsteps extremely soon. Sigh. Love that label.
It's definitely Flinders Street, and not the Queen Vic Building. And the stadium is the MCG.
I actually, ahem, like it. I like how it's all mashed up. It's quite refreshing to see how another country views Australia (and obviously only drawing from the two cities) but there's something kind of lovely about it - albeit from an American chain store.
My reservations about these retailers coming to Australia, with however the exception of Uniqlo is that there will be more wasteful fashion. In some ways, it makes Sydney a larger than life city but with stale shopping. Usually when Monocle magazine produces their annual Quality of Life Index, it is reported that even Sweden and Copenhagen are suffering from store chains.
Reports also were that there was an invitation to Harvey Nichols coming to Australia. It would be a great welcoming because then maybe we would really get to know a real department store.
I was told by the shop assistant at the store in the South Wharf DFO (that sells Gap stuff but is called something like Brand Republic) that they were opening in Chadstone in July... but that has not happened...
Very excited to hear about Uniqlo, I quite agree with Mike re the wasteful fashion comment as Uniqlo doesn't really jump on trends quite as much and their quality is fantastic AND they are so reasonably priced, in Japan at least - I have tops from there that I bought ten years ago that are still fine. (Plus of course their collaborations with Jil Sander are cool!)
I wonder how Gap will go down in UAS, i'm an aussie girl in London and its so big over here. I don't see why it cant take off big time in aus.
SCANDALLLLL!!!!! AMERICAN GRAPHIC DESIGNERS MAKE A MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!!!
i must say, this is the most interesting read i've had all week.
I love Uniqlo but I disagree with the "wasteful" fashion comparison between the two. I find Gap's quality is a step or two above Uniqlo's, and thus the higher price point.
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