Patrick Robinson leaving Gap

The $14.7 billion Gap Inc. now needs a new designer - on May 5, Patrick Robinson was replaced from the brand. He was brought by the company in 2007. What's most notable, he took a year to re-design Gap's entire denim line. While Patrick was 'reining', a successful collaboration with Stella McCartney for Gap Kids also happened. Nevertheless, Gap sales in North America slumped, and that was the reason Robinson has been fired.

Patrick Robinson, supported by Anna Wintour, is a graduate of Parsons School of Design, which has produced such successful designers as Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and Tom Ford. He previously worked at Giorgio Armani, Anne Klein, Perry Ellis, and Paco Rabanne. In 2007 he became Gap's president of Gap Global Design for Adult and Body.

On May 5, Glenn Murphy, chairman and CEO of Gap, Inc., stated: "Patrick has been a dedicated and passionate advocate for Gap brand and our customers over the last four years, and we're grateful for his hard work, especially related to our 1969 denim... Our leaders of the new Gap Global Creative Center are taking the necessary steps to compete and win around the world."

Gap is still in search of Robinson's replacement. Meantime the company will be managed by Jennifer Giangualano, senior vice-president of Kids and Baby Design.

We just have to hope that all the firings this year are for the better.

NYTimes