This interview asked some fun questions. It's not everyday you see your boss riding around on a bike (& ringing the bell!) or even holding office hours for that matter. Sounds fun! :)Shop Talk with J.Crew's Mickey Drexler
By Cator Sparks
March 29, 2010
I recently had the pleasure of meeting J.Crew CEO and man of the moment, Mickey Drexler in Aspen during the city's second annual fashion week. The company hosted several intimate events and the mogul was always right in the middle of the madness—meeting people, asking questions and cracking jokes. The man himself is a humble boy from the Bronx who, since his days at The Gap in the '90s, has aimed to revolutionize the way many dress. Us boys owe him a lot these days. Along with designer Frank Muytjens, he's tapped into men's love of lore, offering clothes that won't break the bank yet still hold their own against a Bastian design. I pulled him aside for a quick chat after getting the inside scoop on the guy from his co-workers, err, employees, well, let him explain... ...
I hear some people call you "the Wizard of Oz" because of your love of the intercom.
It's this paging system throughout the building and what I like about it is it makes the organization feel spontaneous and emotional. It actually started on the first day I came on board. It's just so easy if you are looking for someone. When something has to get done, it gets done quickly!
I also use it as a survey technique. Who has heard of this brand? Who is from this city where we are thinking of opening a store?
When traveling, I become the 'Roving Reporter' and get on the intercom via phone and tell everyone where I am and what I've seen. It keeps it real and breaks down barriers. That's a positive. It's part of my DNA.
Speaking of which, explain the importance of open office hours everyone talks about. Anyone can come into your office and challenge the status quo?
How many people know what can be done better in their job position? Everyone. I just got a box from UPS the other day and didn't open as easy as FedEx. So I sent a note to the CEO of UPS and said they need to improve their boxes. We should all be open to hearing what can make things better. It's what I wish my bosses would of done in the past. But sometimes I announce open hours and nobody comes in. I guess they're afraid of angering me. So I have to send out another call explaining 'I am sure someone has something to say.' Then I get the traffic flowing!
J.Crew's creative director Jenna Lyons told me that you peddle a bike around the office.
That's just fun. And seriously, it's efficient. I just do it when I get the whim. It's a Madewell bike that they showed us in a meeting and I asked to keep it. I want people to always know that I'm approachable and it makes the office much less imperial. I hate the idea of an imperial office. And I can ring my bell so people know I'm on the way to their office. ...
What are your thoughts on the article? Were there any points made that you found particularly insightful?
I just took a picture on those same stairs Mickey is sitting on in front of one of the NYC J.Crews when we were visiting! Funny!
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't just like to ring his own bell, he likes to toot his own horn!
ReplyDelete"It's what I wish my bosses would of done in the past." Would of done - seriously? Valet needs a refresher course in English.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of needing improvement, if I were in NYC, I would walk into Mickey's office, unload my j.crew cashmere on his desk, and tell him to have at it :-)
LOL La Belle Helena! I was thinking the same thing. I know UPS' packaging is much better than J Crew's cashmere.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling I wouldn't like Mickey very much IRL.
I wore my UPS Bag into work today. I took 2 bags and made a really nice pair of bermudas out of them. Very sturdy. Paired it with a chambray popover shirt and some dazzling chunky money jewelry. Everyone stared at me, probably because I was very pretty.
ReplyDeleteChristy, I hope you didn't forget to wear anklet socks and heels with your outfit! ;D
ReplyDeleteWhile I may not agree with all of Mickey's opinions, I respect the vision he has for JCrew -- even if it isn't *my* vision, he seems very passionate about his company.
La Belle Helene - frequently journalists will leave the grammar errors of their subjects intact when they use quotes. It is seen as a bit too much to correct someone's grammar, and if say, Fox News cleaned up significantly the poor grammar of a Republican congressman but left the poor grammar of a Dem Senator, and there was a recording of both, you know Jon Stewart would be all over it. And how was that for a run-on sentence?
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes they use only the quotes that have poor grammar to make a point about the speaker. Just sayin.
Mickey Drexler seems a bit impish, in a good way and likable overall. He looks dapper in his outfit, too. I was the type of employee who would tell upper mgt how I felt in a heartbeat. Sounds like the J Crew corporation would be a match for me in that regard. Speaking of, I told one of the store mgrs about the fit of a dress and how I feel about the dresses overall. The next time I saw her she mentioned that she passed the feedback onto the higher ups. It's nice to hear they probably listened to her. One can hope.
ReplyDeleteGigiofCA, I agree -- I think Mickey Drexler seems quirky, but in the best way. He can be straightforward to the point of being blunt, and probably steps on toes from time to time, but he also clearly loves what he's doing and takes pride in his work. I like that he wasn't willing to just keep churning out striped button down shirts and collecting his paychecks, but instead he's thrown himself into breathing new life into JCrew and making it relevant in the fashion world. I imagine it's a tough balancing act to continue to produce the classic pieces that appeal to your longtime customers while simultaneously creating more fashion-forward pieces to draw in new customers.
ReplyDeleteAs for observations that Mickey is very good at self-promotion -- of course he is; that's a big part of how a person becomes the successful CEO of a giant company: he makes sure everyone around is aware of his achievements.
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ReplyDeleteRebecca, I agree, but that is not the case here - the correct phrase, "would have" sounds very similar to "would of" - so in this case, it's just sloppiness on the part of the interviewer - who in this case isn't a professional journalist, anyway :-)
ReplyDeleteGood point! I obviously missed that in the first place, sorry.
ReplyDelete