Two big-name brands. Four breakthrough menswear designers. One limited edition collection.

If you think you’ve heard it all before, then think again. In a menswear market that’s awash with flash-in-the-pan, run-of-the-mill collaborations, retailer Gap and American GQ’s annual Best New Menswear Designers in America (BNMDA) project is a breath of fresh air.

Why? Because unlike the usual ‘A x B’ formula, whereby one irrelevant brand piggybacks on the relevance of another’s in exchange for a tidy sum, the Gap X GQ BNMDA project gives back, not only providing mentorship for emerging menswear makers but also offering up a platform for international exposure.

Established in 2007, the project sees a select group of US-based up-and-coming menswear designers – carefully chosen by GQ US editor-in-chief Jim Nelson, creative director Jim Moore and the magazine’s fashion editors – each produce a limited edition, affordable capsule collection for Gap, with this year’s collection ranging from £10 for marled socks to £249.95 for a washed leather hoodie.

“The most exciting part [of] this program is the strength and speed with which it continues to grow – and the way it helps support the growing menswear movement in America,” says Jim Nelson. “The goal has always been to offer a launch pad for young talent, and I was thrilled to see our designers’ clothes selling out in Gap stores across the country last year. The 2015 designers are impressive, fresh, and most importantly bring unique perspectives to the world of men’s fashion.”

And the BNMDA class of 2015 is:

David Hart

A self-confessed tailoring nut, Brooklyn-based Hart has sworn by suiting ever since he took to wearing bow ties to school. Launched as a small line of ties in 2009, Hart’s eponymous brand has since evolved into a fully-fledged men’s apparel line comprising 1950s- and 1960s-inspired tailoring finished with a modern flavour – think wool and silk ties, Donegal tweed suiting and BanLon polo shirts.