It’s 11:15 pm IST on a random Wednesday and a fangirl (me) is masquerading as a professional writer in the waiting room of a very important inter-continental Zoom call. Two minutes later, my screen lights up with six familiar faces: Sophia Laforteza, Lara Raj, Yoonchae Jeung, Daniela Avanzini, Megan Skiendiel, and Manon Bannerman—better known as global girl group KATSEYE.
We’re chatting because the girls have been tapped by Gap for its fall 2025 ‘Better in Denim’ campaign that dropped last night and plays like an early-aughts music video. Manon, who is originally from Switzerland, is refreshingly candid about the group’s initial reaction on landing this collab: “We all freaked out—it’s such a big deal for us! Gap is such an iconic brand and we’ve loved their past campaigns with Tyla and Jungle. Shooting this was three days of fun; it didn’t feel like work at all.”
The final video features the band in head-to-toe denim and is set to the tune of Kelis’s instantly recognisable Y2K bop ‘Milkshake’. “I had the space to blend styles that wouldn’t normally sit next to each other—Fosse technique, ballet, hip-hop, and jazz funk,” said choreographer Robbie Blue, who has worked with names like Doechii and Tate McCrae. The resulting spot had me itching to jump in front of a mirror and try and replicate the moves, and it places the girls among the lofty ranks of Gap’s previous musical campaign stars, everyone from Madonna and Missy Elliott to Daft Punk and Aerosmith.
Hawaii-born Megan, who has an unmissable pink streak in her hair, adds: “When we were getting fitted for this [campaign], we were able to give our opinions on what we like to wear and share our own personal style. Gap was great to work with collaboratively; they made us all look good and feel good.”
“Gap denim is such a staple, and it’s something you can customise to make it individual. I think you can really see that in the video,” adds Lara, the Tamilian baddie, who in the campaign sports the brand’s newly reintroduced 2000s-era Long & Lean jeans in a low-rise fit, with a custom denim bralette and accents of gold jewellery (including her signature nose ring).
Like her, each member styled the denim to suit their personality. Both Manon and Megan chose to layer their fits with Y2K-era waist chains. Daniela, the Venezuelan-Cuban 20-something who is a fan-cam favourite, opted for a pair of men’s baggy jeans with a bodysuit, accessorised with oversized silver hoops. Meanwhile, Sophia, the group’s leader from the Philippines, and Yoonchae, the South Korean maknae (youngest), gravitated towards denim jackets and shirts, Sophia pairing hers with a pleated skirt and Yoonchae with the Long & Lean jeans.
