It’s over a year now since Gap hired former Cos Creative Director, Rebekka Bay, to be its new Global Head of Design and Creative Director. She’s taken her time getting to grips with the brand, absorbing herself in its DNA before offering up her new vision and so far we’ve only seen hints of her influence – we’ve thoroughly dissected the brand’s a/w 2013 collection for evidence of her handwriting. But this morning we got a first look at s/s 2014, Bay’s first official Gap collection.

So what can you expect when you walk into stores come February? No big surprises. Bay's new look isn’t a major sea change, more a subtly stripped back, back-to-basics take on the brand. ‘The real inspiration came from Gap,’ says Bay. ‘My starting point was actually the icons. So we know half the collection already, and it’s more of an exercise in how to apply seasonality.’ She’s focused on the core pieces that the high street giant is best known for – denim, shirts, basic knits – and concentrated on making them as brilliant as they can possibly be.

There’s a mixture of masculine and feminine pieces, from distressed boyfriend jeans and oversized shirts through to printed dresses and floral jeans. And there’s a lot of blue in varying shades – there’s been a conscious move away from using so much black. ‘They’ve taken a more casual, jeans-based approach and really gone back to Gap’s roots, which make absolute sense for Rebekka’s first collection,’ says ELLE Assistant Editor and ELLE Collections Editor, Rebecca Lowthorpe.

Our favourite pieces? The navy MA-1 bomber jacket, the dip-dyed boyfriend shirt that fades from turquoise to pale pink, the navy and white biker jacket, the pastel coloured clutches and straight white jean with pale blue rectangular patches across the knees. The first pieces will be available in February 2014.

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