When KATSEYE’s “Better in Denim” campaign dropped last summer, the internet erupted. Caught on the precipice of their come-up, the girl group fronted what will forever be remembered as one of Gap’s most iconic advertisements of the modern era.
The virality (now having amassed upwards of 68 million views on YouTube), the collaborative campaign achieved, and the permeative discourse that ensued were unprecedented for the fashion label – but in actuality, it’s no new approach for the legacy label, which has long aligned itself alongside the music zeitgeist.
From its storytelling approach to direct design inspiration, music plays a major role in rounding out Gap’s cohesive creative world. Even the brand’s in-store playlists have a dedicated Instagram account (@gapplaylists, if you’re unfamiliar).
In 1997, LL Cool J led Gap’s “Freestyle Campaign” (and dropped the legendary FUBU bar), while 1998 marked the premiere of the now-classic “Khaki Swing” commercial, which smartly landed at the peak of the late-nineties swing music revival. Daft Punk led a denim campaign in 2001, with Missy Elliot and Madonna teaming up for “Into The Hollywood Groove” in 2003.
In the 2020s, Gap has continued to dial in its sonic strategy, partnering with Kanye West on the Yeezy x Gap collaborative suite, and in 2024, tapping talent in their particular primes – Troye Sivan right after Something to Give Each Other’s release, and Tyla as her post-”Water” notoriety began to bubble – to star in new dance campaigns.
In the past year, the label has seemed to double down on its ties to music, flexing its sonic storytelling arm more consistently than in years past. Most recently, the outfitter teamed with Coachella – arguably one of music’s most major tenpotle moments of every year – as the festival’s exclusive clothing apparel sponsor. Fresh off the festival’s second weekend, we’ve rounded up our favorite Gap music moments from the past year.
Hosting the Gap Hoodie House at Coachella
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Setting up shop in the desert for both weekends of Coachella was one of the most strategic moves Gap could’ve made, as it continues to operate in tandem with the trends of the music industry. On the Saturday and Sunday of Weekend One and Weekend Two, Gap hosted its Hoodie House pop-up. Guests could stop by to cop limited-edition Gap x Coachella hoodies and customize them on-site. The immersive desert reprieve was the one place to get your hands on one of the coveted zip-up and pullover hoodies, stamped with “Coachella” across the middle in place of the signature “Gap” logo.
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“Coachella is one of the most influential global stages for music, movement, and creativity, making it a natural place for Gap to show up and engage audiences in a meaningful way,” said Fabiola Torres, Gap’s Chief Marketing Officer. “As we continue to strengthen our connection to music culture, Hoodie House brings one of our most recognizable icons into that environment and allows festivalgoers to make it their own.”
Central Cee’s Custom Gap Look for Coachella Weekend One
Amy Sussman/Getty Images For Coachella
Continuing the Coachella momentum, Gap also chose to pop up at one of the most culturally relevant performances of the evening. On Friday, Central Cee’s performance was one of the most anticipated hip hop sets, marking his first US performance in just under a year. Cench took the stage for his Weekend One set in custom Gap, donning a reworked version of the classic hoodie. The rapper’s red zip-up replaced the “Gap” typography with “Cap” written across the middle, complemented by his Union Jack-printed denim shorts, Louis Vuitton belt, and hefty ice.
Paired With a Playlist – Sushi Club, Summer Fridays, and Seasonally Curated Selects
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For every creative endeavor to come from the Gap hub comes a playlist to match. Be it a seasonal collection, coveted collaboration, or talent-led visual campaign, there’s a playlist to soundtrack whatever the clothing drop is. From Sushi Club’s intimate dinner playlist to a Young Miko-assisted Spring lineup, swipe for some of our favorites as of late.
KATSEYE’s Internet-Breaking “Better in Denim” Video
You remember where you were when you came across KATSEYE’s Gap ad for the first time. For most of us, it was on the day it debuted, August 19, 2025, the minute-and-a-half-long clip covered by every fashion and music publication. Socials were flooded with snippets lifted from the “Milkshake”-tracked visual, which landed as a visual campaign entitled “Better in Denim.” Each member of KATSEYE donned a custom GAP denim look for the video’s impressively choreographed routine.
Custom On-Stage Fits: Sombr, Leon Thomas
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Gap continues to show up on stage as well, with Zac Posen outfitting a myriad of musicians in custom Gap Studio looks for various live performances. In the past year, Posen has tapped in with some of our favorite artists – including Sombr and Leon Thomas – to design one-of-one Gap Studio pieces fit for the stage. Posen proves that Gap’s finger remains on the pulse of the next generation’s sonic circuit, teaming up with talent that is representative of Gap’s younger target audience’s taste and championing authentic artistry.
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Thomas wore a custom Gap Studios reworked, heavyweight denim suit for his performance at the 68th annual Grammy Awards, in commemoration of his Best New Artist nomination. “For the performance look, denim felt right — it’s honest, it moves, it holds history, but it’s always evolving,” Posen said of the design process. “Leon’s music lives between genres, and denim carries that same spirit, a design that moves with him.” For one of Sombr’s tour looks, Posen envisioned a gold woven denim, double-breasted suit.
SIENNA SPIRO Leads the Choir in the “Give Your Gift” Campaign
Every holiday season, Gap is guaranteed to do its big one. In the final quarter of the year, the label leverages its global reach more than ever for what just might mark its most anticipated campaign of the calendar year. For the 2025 holiday season, Gap enlisted the likes of emerging London-based musician, SIENNA SPIRO, to spearhead the seasonal campaign, dubbed “Gift Your Gift.” SPIRO leads a live, multigenerational choir – with singers between the ages of 8 and 72 – in a performance of Miley Cyrus’s 2009 classic cut, “The Climb.” Directed by Bethany Vargas and photographed by Bjorn Iooss, the nostalgic seasonal campaign caught SPIRO at an apex, spotlighting the 20-year-old talent fresh off her debut run of sold-out, solo shows stateside.
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For spinoff content surrounding the striking performance video – which, product-wise, homes in on the brand’s signature CashSoft knits and fleece fabrics – Gap not only further spotlights SPIRO as an artist to watch out for in 2026, but also delves into the stories of the choir members as well. “This campaign extends our platform of uplifting creators and connecting with audiences through music and authentic, multi-generational stories that inspire self-belief across every touchpoint, from social to stores,” Torres elaborated. “The campaign embodies our marketing strategy: creativity anchored in product, powered by culture, and designed for social connection. It’s about finding strength in vulnerability and optimism in what we share.”
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Young Miko’s “Sweats Like This” Video
Young Miko‘s Gap ad was historic on all fronts. Not only did the 28-year-old star signal the first openly queer Latina to star in a Gap campaign, but also, her “Sweats Like This” video marked the first-ever Gap campaign to be produced entirely in Spanish. The campaign video featured a reimagined rendition of Miko’s “WASSUP” cut, backed by a choreographed routine handled by an ensemble of dancers donning the same GapSweats range.
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To follow up the visual, Gap spun off a series of additional social content, and dropped an exclusive Young Miko hoodie drop, which came accompanied with an in-store customization event.
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Awake x Gap, Rooted in “New York City’s Music DNA”
With New York City streetwear culture at the core of the collaboration, the debut Awake x Gap collection is grounded with roots in the 90’s NYC scene. When we sat down with Angelo Baque to chat more about the drop, he emphasized the role of the city’s music scene in informing the drop. “Specifically, from 1988 to 1992, the years before clubs in New York City became musically segregated. If you were a big DJ, you had to play all the genres. It wasn’t just split into reggae night, hip-hop night, and house night,” he explained.
“All the big DJs were playing everything, and this diverse scene played a big part in shaping how the youth, like my older sister, dressed. She’d have an oversized polka dot shirt with baggy jeans and some Timberlands on your feet, big gold earrings, and the Gap anorak wrapped around her shoulders, so that’s why I wanted to tell that story through both the clothes and the visuals through the lens of music.”
After the Band Spotlight
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Justine Dorsey and Graham Epstein make up the indie-pop duo, After. Gap followed the pair around New York City for a full day, as part of its original content series spotlighting creators within the Gap community, “with a strong point of view, and a strong sense of style.”
