Gabriella Enriquez, a senior at The Newhouse School at Syracuse University, crafted a killer visual concept alongside the eye of Professor Kevin O’Neill. Here, denim and water collide in her “Wear the Change” project to put GAP’s sustainability efforts front and center. Turning a GAP zipper pull into a boat slicing through denim waves symbolizes her spin on the Washwell program’s commitment to saving over 20% more water than traditional methods. It’s bold and fresh and makes you think twice about what you’re wearing. Gabriella’s just getting started, and with this kind of creative swagger, she’s already making waves.
By: Gabriella Enriquez, Student, The Newhouse School at Syracuse University
“Wear The Change,” a campaign I created for a portfolio class I took in the Fall Semester of 2023 at Newhouse School of Public Communications, is a positive message and visual representation of the powerful impact sustainable fashion has on our planet. I chose GAP as my client because I admire their dedication to responsibly design their products with sustainable materials. Because Gap is an agent for change in the denim industry, I wanted the campaign to promote Gap’s Washwell program, which uses at least 20% less water than conventional wash methods.
My goal was to create a unique but expressive visual of the denim as water to raise awareness about Gap’s water-saving techniques. In the beginning stages of developing the campaign, I combined different shades of denim with varying shades of water to symbolize Gap’s mission to be more sustainable with their wash methods. I was inspired by the fact that water is an essential part of creating denim, and this was the driver of my creative process that combined denim and water as one. Once I felt visually satisfied with the combined textures of the denim with water, I added another layer to the image to strengthen the visual impact. As a standard part of a pair of jeans, I took the zipper and strategically placed a propelling boat as the pull for the zipper to add dimension to the print while conveying a stronger message.
I am proud to say that “Wear The Change” was the first campaign I ever designed and created as a college student. In everything I do, I strive to find effective ways to successfully relay a message to the viewers. I am honored to be recognized for my work and am encouraged to continue challenging myself to create ads that will spark change in the world. I am especially grateful to my professor, Kevin O’Neill, for teaching me the fundamentals that are important when creating an effective design and encouraging me not to be afraid to be “disruptive” in my designs.
Gabriella Enriquez is a senior at Syracuse University and is studying creative advertising at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Gabriella is an aspiring art director, and her work is inspired by innovation, authenticity, expression of diversity, and advice from experts in the industry. Gabriella creates content with hopes of telling a story and bringing new perspectives of life to others.
