J.Crew's Jenna Lyons In The News

A big "thanks!" to Rosie who let us know (and shared the image) about an article in the recent Delta Sky Magazine, which features J.Crew's Jenna Lyons. To read the article in its entirety, click on the image above or here.

5 Minutes With// Jenna Lyons, Creative Director, J.Crew
By DeltaSkyMag
September 2009

Role: Lyons heads up the design teams, oversees 14 catalogs a year, influences the creative direction of the J.Crew stores and facilitates designer collaborations. Her vision has positioned J.Crew as a top go-to brand for men and women.
History: This Parsons School of Design grad began her career with an internship at Donna Karan. She joined J.Crew as one of the first members of the design team under founder Emily Woods, where she has climbed the ranks for nearly 20 years.

The first lady proudly dons J.Crew. What effect is the first family having on business?
There were people who thought J.Crew wasn't for them, who thought they were too old for J.Crew, who thought J.Crew wouldn't fit them or maybe they just didn't know the brand. But now, these same people want to be a part of something that is approachable and real. There is a real need in this country to be connected to the first family, and J.Crew is sharing in that communal love and attachment to them. We are honored by her choices.

How do you keep up with trends, and where do you find inspiration?
Trend is something we don't really focus on. We don't ignore them, but our design happens a little more amorphously- you see it, you feel it, you're constantly being inspired. Whether it is some cute girl on the street, a book, a magazine, a vacation or art- it is a constant evolving process. We focus on how to do what we do and still look like us while acknowledging what is happening in the world of trend. We like people to feel like they can keep our clothes. Especially right now. I don't think anyone wants to spend money on something they feel will be obsolete in a year.

You're collaborating with other designers and brands that are well known in the industry but not necessarily the "of-the-moment" designers. What is the strategy?
Most of the brands we've collaborated with have been around for years. They've never changed, and they have this integrity in who they are. It is really about us highlighting brands that we have grown up with. Since some of have gone in and out of fashion, it was important that we show a current interpretation. A lot of bigger companies are collaborating with designers, and that is interesting and may be something what we someday do; but right now, we are looking at brands that have an incredible heritage.

An increasing number of your designs feature materials we're used to seeing in couture, but you've democratized them. Why?
As a designer, you always want to work with the best product possible. We realized that because the designer market is smaller, a lot of incredible mills were used to getting orders for 100 to 200 yards of somethings. So we came in and said, "What if we give you a 5,000 yard order?" Because of our volume, we were able to get better prices that we are then able to pass on to the customer. And because we are not selling to a department store, nothing is marked up, so we are able to pass on the quality that we really love and would ourselves want to wear. It is so important to us to keep the J.Crew brand special.

What are your thoughts on the article? Do you agree or disagree any points made? :)