Sponsored: Fashion Insider: Meet CALE a Gap 1969 Men’s Merchant
With a background in architecture, Cale Margol applies what he knows about the structure of buildings to creating the perfect pair of jeans. Growing up in Florida, Margol demonstrated his early passion for denim by challenging its seasonal constraints. “Moving from Winter to Summer, I never wanted to put on shorts. I just wanted to wear my jeans. They’re something you wear everyday and they start to break in and mold to your body,” reflects Margol.
His devotion to denim led him to his current position as Men’s Merchant at Gap 1969. Equal parts merchandiser and product manager, Margol works with the team to develop the story for the season, and notes a close working relationship with Jason Ferro, Men’s Designer. “We added looks that we would wear,” he says in reference to the debut 1969 collection that the pair first worked together on.
Experimenting with lightweight denim as a medium, Margol turned his eye to street fashion to create a different take on denim with the Slouchy Slim and Drop Crotch jeans. “The Slouchy Slim is made to wear a little bit lower on the waist. The Drop Crotch has a relaxed, slouchy look that is baggier on top and tapers at the bottom.” Margol says, “The Drop Crotch is a fashion piece. You see it in a lot of high-end brands here and in Europe. We are bringing some excitement to the store. It sparks conversation.”
To keep the ideas flowing for new, innovative designs, Margol speaks to keeping an open mind. “We are all eager to travel and eager to see and experience new things. I think you can see that in the clothes. We take inspiration from the places we go and the people that we meet.”