Deanne writes...
I really enjoyed writing this article even though inspiration only struck the weekend before it was due! This was how the the page turned out. Excuse me if it seems like I'm blowing my own horn but I'm super proud of it! If you want to read the article - and please do - click below.
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At first glance, J. Crew
is akin to the American phenomenon of preppy style: polo shirts, cashmere
cardigans, and pleated skirts. It’s a look that was first spotted across the
Ivy League universities and country clubs. Later on, brands like Ralph Lauren and
Tommy Hilfiger took the style and adopted it as their backbone. Noticing the
attention this quintessentially modest look was gaining, Arthur Cinader founded
J. Crew in 1983 and decided to lay its design foundation on just that. Till
now, it strongly emphasizes its American identity as the First Family attends
national gatherings clad in the brand’s pieces. Cue the entrance of the
million-dollar question: will J. Crew find an embracing, loving, accepting home
in the arms of the British whose style has often been described as eclectic,
independent, and insouciant? Even with a long-standing tradition of monarch
rulers and tea parties, the British have deviated from that as they have pinned
down their style in cool mishmash and have proudly placed themselves on the
opposite side of “preppy”. Over the years, not known to many, J. Crew has done
exactly the same.
It would be quite surprising to find out
that J. Crew started as an ugly duckling. Although the idea was there, it
didn’t seem to translate very well into their merchandise. There were knitted
cardigans and kitschy chinos all over the place. The clutter seemed to reflect
the company’s waning spirit. Once strongly founded, now completely lost in the
tricky scheme of business. The employees felt like waifs in a slump, the
all-American vigor disappearing into thin air. On a day in January 2003,
everything changed. The legend goes like this: Mickey Drexler, dismissed from
GAP due to the plummeting stocks under his tenure, entered J. Crew and asked
Jenna Lyons, who was then a designer’s assistant, to prune the entire clothing
line. After doing so, nothing was left except a pair of skinny jeans. And then
it began.
All that J. Crew needed was permission and
that’s what Drexler gave them. After Lyons snipped away at all the clothing
that didn’t feel right, Drexler passed the baton on to her and told her to
design guided by intuition. What succeeded that request was a fashion fireball
that had waited to be sparked; a flood hinging on an unlocked gate. Lyons head
has been brimming with creative ideas that were bounded by corporate strategies
for too long a time. All it required was someone to say, “Go ahead and do it.”
Ever since then, fashion has never seen a tandem more perfect. They’re one of
those rare sightings who know how to balance the two goals of fashion companies
– “No financial decision weighs heavier than a creative decision. They are
equal,” says Lyons. Now, J. Crew is at the height of its success with an annual
revenue which has tripled to $2.2 billion since 2003.
But its transformation
from ugly duckling to beautiful swan is wholly seen in the style it has
propagated for legions of fashion aficionados to follow. Lyons wouldn’t call it
preppy (trivia: she hates that word). In a beautiful stream of words, she
encapsulates the brand’s aesthetic: “We love colorblocking and pattern mixing.
We think it’s better to clash than to match. We like to break the rules and
appreciate a good surprise. We temper tomboy with heels, high with low. We
don’t believe there’s just one way to wear an outfit. For us, the magic is in
the mix.” In her quirky signature, Lyons, along with Tom Mora and Frank
Muytjens, has managed to evolve J. Crew’s identity by sewing a spirit of chic
nonchalance in sophisticated classics. For them, it has never been about being
uptight snobs in stiff clothing. The look lies in the intended, slightly undone
imperfection that allured to people all over. Think navy tuxedo jackets paired
with flat-front chinos, pink schoolboy blazers, Fair Isle sweaters tucked into
python pencil skirts. It’s a winning formula that takes you by surprise.
Although doesn’t it all sound oddly
familiar? The mix of high and low, boy and girl? Just look around you and
everyone is living in it. The British have been known the world all over for
being the ambassadors of rumbled perfection. Starting at the top of the style
chain, Kate Moss has been dubbed as an icon for her look that is almost perfect
but not quite which, by the way, is totally okay. She can exude sartorial
knowledge in a classy emerald gown paired with, not a blush-dipped silk scarf,
but a black leather jacket. Or take Alexa Chung and her kooky style that
sculpted her staple presence in the fashion industry. She exudes individuality
with a little white dress and a pair of oxford flats. Even the lay people of
the style chain possess this eclectic gene. Only in the streets of Britain can
you find such pairings: a divine camel coat with a punk-inspired scarf, a
turquoise netted dress with lived-in Chuck Taylors, printed palazzo pants with
a peplum top. The possibilities are endless.
Dare I say it: Beneath
that American heritage, the seams of British inspiration pull J. Crew together,
albeit unintentionally. It just happened naturally. After all, Jenna Lyons, the name that has
become synonymous with J. Crew, finds her roots here. “My father is British and
I spent all my summers in Surrey and London,” she reveals. The brand further
reconnected with the inimitable British aesthetic in their 2012 campaign, “We
Know You’re Out There”, where they highlighted individuals who hold a strong
grasp on their personal style. Among the roster are two British leading
stylemakers, according to J. Crew: Tank magazine’s Caroline Issa and Wonderland’s
Julia Sarr-Jamois. For the Fall 2013 collection, Frank Muytjens looked to Cool
Britannia for inspiration as he peppered the show with rusty denim jackets and
patched gray sweatpants.
So when the company was looking into international
expansion, it didn’t require any second thoughts. “London was an easy decision
- it’s a place where people understand and respect the integrity of great style
and great design,” said Drexler. With that goal in the bucket, J. Crew slowly
seeped into the British consciousness. It started when they launched online in
the U.K. last August 2011. And then came the Summer 2013 catalogs in May, being
distributed in underground entrances all over. A few weeks later, J. Crew became more than just an elusive idea in our
heads as it opened a pop-up store across Central Saint Martins, which offered a
preview of their Moroccan-inspired Fall 2013 collection. It has been a process
done step by step but in two months, its doors on 165 Regent Street will
finally open to the fashion-hungry public. Their opening will be accompanied by
a scholarship collaboration with Central Saint Martins to “underscore the
brand’s commitment to nurture up-and-coming design talent.” Part of J. Crew’s
success can be ascribed to their curator strategy, discovering designers who
have a stylish aesthetic. Tapping into British potential marks the company’s
belief in what the country can offer.
But is the love between the two reciprocal? The financial proof can only
come once the Regent Street store begins its operations but as far as style inspiration
is concerned, it was a match made in Fashion Heaven. Lyons says, “In our New York stores, we’ve
had a lot of visitors coming from London wishing they had a J. Crew in London.”
The attachment to the brand was always inevitable for the British. J. Crew
fills that gaping hole between the excess of high-street stores and the
unattainable price tag of luxury brands. More than that, J. Crew’s clothing
understands the eclecticism of British style. When you find a brand that does
that, cling on to it and hold it tight. A bit more patience, Londoners, the
wait is almost over.
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