Gap and A.P.C. Are Joining Forces for the Ultimate French-Girl Collection of "Essentials"

The Gap x A.P.C. collaboration has been in the works for 20 years. Gap Inc. creative director Zac Posen is a longtime friend of Jean and Judith Touitou, the husband-and-wife co-founders of the French fashion brand. "It was not like a CEO calling another CEO saying, 'Hey, let's have a drink. Let's do a collab,'" Jean tells Marie Claire. "We come from very different places, but I think we shared an ambition to create a perfect wardrobe in the concept of clothes that you can keep."

From their friendship, Gap and A.P.C. debuted a 37-piece collection that blends the former's "heritage of modern American style" with the latter's "distinctive Parisian perspective and commitment to timeless essentials," according to Gap president and CEO Mark Breitbard in the press release. The result? Silhouettes straight from a French girl's wardrobe with an edgy New Yorker twist—ranging from $8 to $328.

"We narrowed down [the collection] to the essential of the essential," Jean, A.P.C's creative director, says. The stripes are "our signature in the collaboration," Judith, A.P.C.'s art director, adds.

After enjoying a "really nice drink" with Posen and Breitbard, Jean and Judith built a mood board of 1960s cinema, music, and art, which became the "bridge between our two brands," says Judith. "A lot [of inspiration] came from the movie world." Specifically: Dustin Hoffman in 1967's Le Lauréat (a.k.a. The Graduate). "For us in France, [that] really embodies American elegance," Judith adds.

They were also drawn to the French New Wave movement, pioneered by the French-Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, known for films like the Jean Seberg-starring Breathless. Godard's spontaneous, lived-in style of cinema comes to life in a short film called The Long Way, directed by Karl Cannon. The five-minute-long campaign follows the collaboration's striped Breton shirts, denim mini skirts, and cargo jackets (or "what we call in France, the battle dress," says Jean) around the historic Montmartre neighborhood.

That doesn't mean the partnership revolves primarily around the Parisian brand's fashion vocabulary. Jean believes some underestimate the impact that American culture has had on fashion. When a 16-year-old Jean started curating his personal collection, he was drawn to American Army surplus stores. "There was nothing Parisian [about my closet], just English and American," he says. Now, the Gap x A.P.C. collaboration spotlights the best of both worlds.

It was important for Jean and Judith to maintain their label's "quality of fabric and precision of pattern making," so the collection was crafted with longevity in mind. "I know it's going to be in people's [closets] for at least a good ten years," Jean says. The denim, button-downs, and everyday basics were designed to remain as "reliable" after many washes as the day they were bought.

"With [Gap], it has been possible to reach an incredible quality of cut and fabric sourcing that is at A.P.C. level at a price that is not the A.P.C. price," he adds. For instance, the cozy cardigan is woven from 100 percent wool, and the jeans are made from cotton and Japanese denim; both retail for under $200.

Jean and Judith assumed that "[designing] clothes for such a wide audience [would] be a challenge," she says. "Jean and I are very idealistic people, so it's hard for us to compromise, but for this collaboration, there was none." The "positive energy" between both teams "made things happen that I really thought were impossible, like [designing] for a very affordable price," she adds.

The collection is mostly neutrals, another hallmark of A.P.C., which embraces the "kind of sobriety" that its "reduced color palette" brings. "To look a bit strict is what makes you elegant," says Judith. That elegance extends to the most casual pieces in the collection. "I like to educate people to be very, very sophisticated and elegant, even if they wear sweatpants," says Jean. "The art of mixing sweatpants and a tailored jacket, for example. This is where we, the teacher, can come in."

How to Style the Gap x A.P.C. Collection

Before trying the collection, I took notes like a diligent student. To style the Gap x A.P.C. ivory cable-knit cardigan—featuring ribbed collars and cuffs, statement buttons, and front pockets—I went with Judith's advice: "You wear it with your jeans, and you are very, very chic." After pairing the sweater with straight-leg jeans, I topped it off with the plaid blazer.

I then remembered to "avoid a lot of things rather than add" and exercised a "very strong will to edit" by saving the elbow-patched sport coat for a fancier affair. In terms of fit, I stayed loyal to my typical sweater size, but I'm considering testing a slightly oversized style in-store, too. That way, it could support the slightly baggy shape of the Gap x A.P.C. denim.

By the way, from the thighs onward, the jeans fit my curvy figure like a glove. The waistband wasn't as cinched as the denim I usually rotate between, but a brown belt to match my subdued accessories solved my problem faster than you can say fini.

When Judith and Jean proposed classic colors and silhouettes as the basis of the collection, they expected Gap to "look at us like minimalist Martians from Paris, which we are," Jean says. But these aren't outdated or predictable additions to a fall wardrobe. Instead, they're a master class in recreating the less-is-more looks you'd find in the cold-weather closets of Jane Birkin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and, over in New York City, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.

Speaking of French fashion icons, Birkin and Gainsbourg influenced me to double up on Gap x A.P.C. denim, with blue jeans and a matching jacket. I was tempted to style the look with my tomato-red tote, but with Jean's voice, saying, "don't overdo it," ringing in my ear, I stuck to the same soft loafers and chocolate-colored bag instead.

This isn't the first time A.P.C.'s elevated basics have lent their French cool to another It brand. But unlike their smaller-scale collaborations with Asics, Marc Jacobs, and Katie Holmes, A.P.C.'s most mass-market partnership made Jean's dream of connecting with "[a broader audience]" come true. "What we achieved together was really amazing, and in my opinion, I've hardly seen that in the 30 years I worked," Judith says. What "started from friendship also ended with friendship."

The Gap x A.P.C. collaboration drops on September 18 online, at select Gap stores in the United States and Canada, and A.P.C.'s Mercer Street boutique in NYC.