Patrick Robinson Co-Chairs Costume Institute Gala Benefit With Oprah Winfrey and Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour

SAN FRANCISCO, April 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Furthering its commitment to the arts, Gap is helping support The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Spring 2010 Costume Institute exhibition: American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity (on view May 5 – August 15). As part of the iconic brand's sponsorship, Gap Executive Vice President of Global Design, Patrick Robinson, will co-chair The Costume Institute Benefit on May 3 in New York City.

Inspired by the theme of this year's exhibition, Gap reignited its relationships with current and past CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners–Alexander Wang, Rodarte, Sophie Theallet and Thakoon—to create original gowns for the Gala. The gowns, which will be credited as Alexander Wang for Gap, Rodarte for Gap, Sophie Theallet for Gap, and Thakoon for Gap, will be worn by eight well-known muses who span the fashion, music, film, television and Broadway realms. Alexander Wang will dress M.I.A. and Zoe Kravitz; Thakoon will dress Kerry Washington and Riley Keough; Jessica Alba and Vera Farmiga will don gowns by Sophie Theallet; and Rodarte will dress Kirsten Dunst and Jamie Bochert.

"On behalf of the entire family at Gap, it's a true privilege and honor to be a part of one of the industry's most important exhibitions and events," said Patrick Robinson, Gap's EVP of Global Design. "It's been thrilling to watch some of today's greatest design talent as they prepare to bring to life their interpretation of today's modern American woman for the Met Gala red carpet. We look forward to extending the magic of this extraordinary event off the red carpet through the auction of these unique dresses and our limited edition t-shirt collection."

The exhibition and the benefit for The Costume Institute are made possible by Gap.  Additional support is provided by Conde Nast.

Gown Auction

Beginning on May 5, 2010 and spanning the entire month, Gap's rotating pop-up shop at 680 Fifth Avenue at 54th Street in New York City will be transformed into a salon displaying the dresses designed by Alexander Wang, Rodarte, Sophie Theallet and Thakoon. Open to the public, the display will offer a firsthand look into some of the Met Gala's red carpet couture. Additionally, a silent auction of the dresses will be offered at www.gap.com/gownauction, with all proceeds being donated by Gap to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in support of The Costume Institute. Bidders can log on to see each dress take shape from sketch to reality while learning more about the designers and their inspirations for each piece.

Limited Edition T-Shirts

In celebration of its role in this spring's Costume Institute Exhibition and Gala Benefit, Gap is introducing a limited edition collection of seven innovative t-shirt designs. The t-shirts marry Gap's casual cool aesthetic with the various style revolutions of the modern American woman, as seen throughout this year's American Woman exhibition. The t-shirts speak to the multi-faceted personality of a woman, easily allowing her to find a design that expresses her individual style.

"As I worked on the collection of t-shirts with the team, we were very inspired by how relevant the themes of the exhibition are to the way women dress today, even though they celebrate women's style from the past. It's a collection that takes the simplicity of that classic American piece of sportswear – the t-shirt – to a new level that is still very easy to wear," says Robinson.

Styles include: The Heiress, The Gibson Girl, The Haute Bohemian, The Suffragist, The Patriot, The Flapper and The Screen Siren, available for purchase at participating Gap stores nationwide and online at www.gap.com ($34.50-$44.50).

About Gap Inc.

Gap Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories, and personal care products for men, women, children, and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, and Athleta brands. Fiscal 2009 sales were $14.2 billion. Gap Inc. operates about 3,100 stores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and Japan. In addition, Gap Inc. is expanding its international presence with franchise agreements in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com.

SOURCE Gap Inc.