New designer for Gap

US clothing retailer Gap announced on Tuesday that it will appoint a new chief designer for its main Gap brand. The announcement came as the company continues to battle with falling sales.

Charlotte Neuville will replace Pina Ferlisi, effective immediately. Neuville was previously head of women's wear design at the small fashion retailer New York & Company. She spent nine years at the company and led its design team. Prior to that she worked in senior design positions for Cygne Designs, Jones New York Sport, Adrienne Vittadini and Perry Ellis. She also had her own successful fashion collection.

Gap adjusted its profit forecast for this year in August, stating that the revamp of the brand's women's clothing line had failed to garner the results it had hoped for.

Gap's chief executive Paul Pressler admitted that the group has been struggling to attract new customers and that it has lost its merchandising edge. One of its top priorities has become the revamping of its Gap women's collection. To entice customers it has even been offering free music downloads.

Pressler said that the revamp was not expected to deliver results until the Spring of 2006, at least.

Cynthia Harriss, Gap brand president, said the Group was "excited" about Neuville's appointment and said that with "more than twenty years of design experience, Charlotte has a strong and proven ability to interpret style and provide leadership in product development."

www.gap.com