GAP

I Am Gap: Summer 2017 Campaign

Following the success of the Spring 'I Am Gap' campaign, Studio At Large continued its creative direction for Gap’s I Am Gap platform into Summer 2017 — this time taking the campaign on the road. Photographed by Valerio Spada, the campaign expanded its message across the country, capturing a wide range of American youth in their own environments and on their own terms.
 

Where the Spring campaign was studio-based and stylized, Summer embraced spontaneity and real-world texture. Shot on location in cities and small towns alike, the portraits — candid, sun-washed, and full of motion — offered a layered portrait of contemporary American identity. It was a road trip in spirit and in execution, grounding Gap’s timeless staples in the lived realities of everyday people.
 

The idea remained simple but radical: Gap is not what you wear — it’s how you wear it. Diversity, in this context, was not cast or constructed. It was found — in voice, in gesture, in local flavor. From skateboarders and musicians to students and artists, each person wore Gap as an extension of who they already were.

Spada’s images captured this authenticity with intimacy and clarity. His background in documentary photography brought a distinct honesty to the work, aligning perfectly with the campaign’s ethos: real style comes from within. There was no performance, no pretense — just presence. No two portraits looked the same, because no two lives are the same.
 

At its core, the Summer 2017 edition of I Am Gap continued to expand the definition of American style — not as a monolith, but as a mosaic. And through this, Gap reiterated its role not just as a heritage brand, but as a platform for self-expression — where everyone belongs, and everyone brings something unique to the frame.