Gap gave the boot to executive vice president of Gap global Design for Adult and Body Patrick Robinson after first quarter figures were announced yesterday. After assessing the brand's creative team over the past three months Pam Wallack, head of the Gap global creative center in New York, decided to make changes in the Gap adult design team.

Early this year the retail chain fired the top business-side executive overseeing its Gap division, blaming declining figures on merchandising. In February, it moved its global creative center to New York from California.

Mr. Robinson joined Gap in 2007 and has previously designed for Giorgio Armani and Anne Klein, to name a few. A successor to Robinson has yet to be named.

Best known for their basic T-shirts and colorful ads featuring prominent celebrities, Gap struggled to find a sharper edge on changing trends. With competition on the rise from companies such as H&M, and Abercrombie & Fitch, Mr. Robinson struggled to produce a trendy product line.

Glenn Murphy, chairman and CEO of Gap Inc. stated: Patrick has been a dedicated and passionate advocate for Gap brand and our customers over the last four years, and we're grateful for his hard work, especially related to our 1969 denim.

During his time at Gap Robinson did have success in some items, particularly in the revamp of denim and skinny cargo pants. However, many of the Gap items appeared too mixed, without order or purpose.

The fashion elements of the assortment were not speaking the same language as the basics, John M. Morris, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets told the New New York Times. You get a bit lost in the store, and I think the consumer was a little bit confused.

Gap has been facing its financial situation for some time now. Since 2005 Gap's North America stores were on the decline, whereas Gap Inc.'s Banana Republic and Old Navy saw an increase in sales figures.

Attributed to the success of Banana Republic and Old Navy, Gap Inc.'s April's same-store sales saw an uptick of 8%,

Gap is now facing the reality that their problems lay beyond merchandising. With a number of organizational changes, Gap aims to improve the overall performance of its North American market and fuel global growth.

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