In 2019, GANT celebrates its 70th anniversary. The Spring/Summer collection marks the beginning of the anniversary year and commemorates GANT’s preppy American Sportswear heritage. Inspiration comes from the brand’s archive, resulting in classic pieces updated with innovative fabrics and contemporary silhouettes that add European sophistication to the collection.
November 2018; Stockholm, Sweden
For SS19, the GANT design team explored the company’s extensive archive and visited the brand’s birthplace on the East Coast of America. What they found appears in the collection in a variety of ways. Scarves are printed with the GANT Diamond G symbol that was stamped on shirts in the company’s early days as a guarantee of quality. Skirts with bold rose prints pay tribute to Rebecca Rose, the wife of GANT’s founder, Bernard Gantmacher, while exaggerated shirt collars are a nod to a famous photograph of his sons standing outside the GANT factory in New Haven, CT, in the 1960’s.
“Throughout the journey of rediscovering GANT’s past, two things stood out to us,” says Matthew Mounsey-Wood, Creative Director at GANT. “First of all, the timelessness of the design and longevity of our garments. We found excellent pieces from our past collections that still felt relevant today. Second, the innovation in both fabric and features was recurrent. We took great inspiration from this when designing the SS19 collection and aimed to innovate the American Sportswear classics for modern life. We want to continue to design pieces you’ll want to use over a long period, and maybe even pass on to a new generation.”
GANT’s focus on water is increasing this season with the evolution of the sustainable range GANT Beacons Project. The company works with Seaqual, a unique ingredient fiber brand that upcycles plastics collected from the ocean to be used in GANT’s performance products. Blazers and footwear have been added to the line that started with shirts in Spring/Summer 2018.
KEY COLORS AND PRINTS
Inspired by the coastal living lifestyle, numerous shades of ocean blue dominate the color palette, along with energetic notes of pink and red. As spring turns to summer, sun-faded colors become a central part of the collection.
Floral prints are significant for womens-wear this season with inspiration coming from the gardens found along the American East Coast. The larger single flower prints in February develops into a full, lush garden print in May. The bold rose prints pay homage to Rebecca Rose and arrive just in time for Valentine’s day.
KEY PIECES FOR WOMEN
Garden Silky Shirt Blouse & Pleated Garden Party Skirt
A perfect look for this season’s parties. The relaxed, summery shirt blouse has a large scale colorful garden print. A V-shaped neckline with a small feminine lapel compliments the crepe viscose fabric and creates a flowing look. The pleated midi skirt has a flattering shape and is designed in the same print but with cotton fabric. The mix of structures in the look creates the perfect combination of sophistication and casualness.
Signature Weave Shirt Blouse
A luxurious crepe viscose shirt blouse in the new GANT Signature Weave print. The print was developed for this anniversary season as a tribute to GANT’s heritage and specifically celebrates the iconic button-down oxford shirt through an enlargement of the oxford weave. The pattern will be a signature print for GANT for seasons to come. It is found on both women’s and men’s styles such as knits, accessories, and the inner linings of outerwear pieces this season.
GANT Beacons Project Footwear
Crisp white sneakers take inspiration from the imagery of JFK sailing with Peter Lawford on the US Coast Guard yacht Manitou. Developed with a 3D knit upper material containing organic cotton and upcycled ocean plastics. The shoes are designed with a textured, blue outsole inspired by the ocean. Available in both women’s and men’s sizes.
KEY PIECES FOR MEN
GANT Beacons Project Club Blazer
This season, GANT is innovating the iconic Club Blazer with Tech PrepTM containing upcycled ocean plastic. The Tech PrepTM fabric features stretch, breathability and wicking properties to assure comfort throughout the day. Available in Navy and Ivy Green for men and in a longer, double-breasted women’s version in Dusty Pink and Navy.
Micro Surfer Button-Down Shirt
Short-sleeve lightweight shirt in oxford fabric to give it a little bit of extra texture. This season’s “go-to-hell” print is illustrated with colorful surfers. The print links back to the elite East Coast universities in the late 50’s. Students were forced to dress in uniforms, and as a reaction, a rebel movement started to form where scholars embroidered small figures on their clothes to make a statement of individuality. Since then, GANT has included their interpretation of these figures in the collection to add playfulness. The print is also available on shorts and chinos.
Boston Bag
This weekender bag easily transforms into a travel wardrobe. It can be completely unzipped and has compartments to pack the blazer, so it stays nicely pressed upon arrival.
