Over a decade ago, in , Benz spent time working with Drexler and Lyons at J. All this begs the question: What is the future of J. Crew and what does it mean for menswear? The little time between Lyons and Drexler leaving saw the company tone things down a little.
Preaching about provenance felt self-aggrandizing at best. Benz, on the other hand, does feel fun. A little less corporate, a big fan of color and somebody who brings a lot of fashion world goodwill to the table will help the brand in the short-term. While fashion has evolved in the last decade Barbour jackets, Nike Killshots and other Dad Canon staples are great, but people want stuff by Virgil Abloh these days, maybe not something that Steve Bannon would wear , J.
It was hot just a few years ago, but now feels decidedly less so. Crew is reliable, sure, but a lot of places can give you that.
You can get a pair of chinos for the office almost anywhere now. When Drexler and Lyons took over, the field was smaller. Hardly anybody stateside had heard of Hypebeast, Mr. Porter was a few years away from being launched and The Rake was just a handsome magazine, not a competitor in the sales world.
Crew helped people who might not otherwise care to refine their style, upgrade their shirts and sweaters, and in the process, help to spark a new, wider interest in menswear.
Ultimately where the J. Crew problem lies is legitimacy. The difference was, of course, that Ralph Lauren was legit at that point. Everybody knew the brand, but most of all, they knew the lifestyle. Crew was an interloper, a brand trying to pass itself off as traditional and cool without one bit of tradition or history behind it.
Now there is some history. Our source told us that J. These two suits, the Ludlow being the slimmer version of the two, have become the go-to for editors and everymen alike because they perfectly strike the balance of style and price.
Crew for their suiting needs, from the suit itself to shoes, shirts, ties, socks, even tie bars. And rather than let it just be successful and reap the benefits, J. Lots of J. Our source did admit that this summer has been rather hard on certain summer-centric suits, like those in linens, cottons, and patterns, but that the category in general remains strong.
Meanwhile, J. According to Quartz , menswear ecommerce grew In fact, our former employee source informed us that over the past three years, J. Perhaps the answer for J. Narrator: At the height of its success, J. Crew and its sister company Madewell were operating in over countries and had over stores. Seen on celebrities, politicians, and working professionals around the world, J. Crew was considered at the top of the retail food chain. So how did the brand go from extreme popularity to bankruptcy?
Let's just say it wasn't entirely the pandemic's fault. Way back in , two men by the name of Mitchell Cinader and Saul Charles founded Popular Merchandise, a low-price clothing company that catered to women.
Fast-forward to , when Popular Merchandise launched its first catalog, the J. Crew catalog. At the time, it targeted customers who were conscious about how much money they were spending as a way to compete with higher-priced brands. The catalog touted affordable clothes but was packaged with high-end photography that mirrored the glossy layouts of fashion magazines. Catalogs provided convenience to customers who either didn't have the time to go to the mall or just didn't want to.
It was an effective way to build an audience. By , though, J. Crew had hit a financial wall. However, J. Crew's potential to grow was recognized by private-equity firm TPG Capital. Jenna Lyons, who had been with the company since , was the vice president of women's design when Drexler was hired.
As soon as he started, he and Lyons made a decision to focus on the brand's authenticity. The pair changed where they were sourcing their fabrics, executed a design rehaul of their stores, and gave creative control to the designers. In order to raise even more cash, Drexler took J.
Crew public in , and this is when things really start to turn for the company. Drexler opened the first Madewell store that year, and Madewell would soon become a popular brand among younger clientele. All of these decisions proved to be fruitful, as J. Every day, consumers and celebrities alike gravitated towards J. Crew's combination of formal and informal clothing. Narrator : In , Michelle Obama famously wore J.
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