Wednesday, January 19, 2011

J.Crew's New Catalog Hearts Los Angeles

There is a great article over at the L.A. Times Blog about J.Crew's upcoming catalog (click here to read in its entirety):
J. Crew channels Old Hollywood with spring catalog shot entirely at L.A landmarks
By Melissa Magsaysay
January 19, 2011

When the team shooting J.Crew’s spring 2011 catalog set up at the Hollywood sign in early December to snap a leggy model wearing a pair of shiny gold shorts in front of the landmark, no one was expecting that the scene would turn into something out of "Law & Order: Los Angeles."

"A fireman walked into the shot, and all of a sudden over loudspeakers someone started yelling at us to leave because we were trespassing," said Ashley Price, a senior vice president at J.Crew who had been on set high up in the Hollywood Hills that day. The crew had secured a permit to shoot, and the reprimand was merely a miscommunication, but by chance a fireman in all his gear and a low-flying helicopter made it into a few of the shots. "You can’t get more L.A than that!" Price said.

The New York-based company known for its studio-set catalogs full of elegantly disheveled models and quirky tomboy styling, sought out the sunny backdrop of L.A to showcase its spring 2011 collection. To channel the era of Old Hollywood, actor Sam Page, from "Mad Men," was chosen to model the men’s collection, and locations such as the Chateau Marmont; the Downtown Palace Theatre; the Stahl House, by architect Pierre Koenig; the Paramount Studios back lot; and tree-lined North Hillcrest Road served as backdrops.

We were inspired by the idea of Old Hollywood glamour and tying that into American classics, and we’ve been looking at L.A more for a point of view on glamour,” said Jenna Lyons, president and executive creative director of J. Crew. “We’re making things look a little more polished, things like the hair, makeup and styling. It’s definitely an over-arching theme for styling.”

Crew Cuts, J.Crew’s kids' collection was shot on the Paramount lot to utilize the whimsical sets and outrageous props. “There are those funny extremes you can have nowhere else but in L.A.,” Lyons said.

But the crew said perhaps the most Hollywood of all the locations was the Chateau Marmont. “Within an hour at the Chateau Marmont, we saw three celebrities,” Price said. “That felt very glamorous and very L.A."

The J. Crew Spring 2011 catalog will be out the end of January.
I love destination catalogs! I also really like the outfit featured in the above image. Simple and yet beautiful. I can't wait to see what other "old Hollywood glamour" styles will be shown. :)

What are your thoughts on the upcoming catalog from J.Crew? Do you like that it is set in Los Angeles?

16 comments:

  1. Oh, now I can't wait to get it. As an LA native, I always wondered why they had never done an LA-based catalog. I hope they did a good job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love to hear Jenna say the styling will be more polished. And my fingers are crossed regarding "old hollywood glamour" or however they phrased it. It sounds right up my alley and now I really can't wait to see the new catalog.

    Speaking of...I thought I read a comment about it being out this week. That sounded a bit early to me. The past 2 years it's been released the last week of January. Can anyone comfirm?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Can't wait for a destination catalog. LA is the perfect spot for a fresh start to the year and hopefully something fun.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A destination catalogue with more polished styling sounds very promising. I will be checking my late January mailbox compulsively, much like I used to this time of year before the advent of the tax refund via direct deposit! I had to chuckle though. "Elegantly disheveled models", "quirky tomboy styling" are such polite words to describe the "last one out of the wh%rehouse" look that JC's been keen on the last year or so.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wonder what setting would make shiny gold shorts look good?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Totally agree with David above! Can't wait for a more polished, less "borrowed from the boys" look! I miss the old J.Crew.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the outfit in that picture. I can't wait to see what this catalogue brings!

    ReplyDelete
  8. be still my heart--J. Crew shot in a Koenig house--I'm hyperventilating!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I really wish I still got catalogs! They came regularly (late, but regularly) until this past year when I didn't shop much b/c I was pregnant. I guess J. Crew only allows you a month or two of no orders before they cut you off. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am totally looking forward to the LA catalog. And curious to see if the styling will be in a new direction as stated.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love Sam Page! And always excited about California in the catalogs so I'm definitely going in to grab this one!

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Jessica my sentiments exactly. I was pregnant last year and couldn't shop there like I used to. I still bought acessories and tees etc. By the time I could shop again they had slowed down my catalogs. I guess they shut me down this month b/c I didn't get the January one...

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm excited for the new catalog but at the same time thinking some of the spring sneek peeks have included some "quirky" styling.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'd love to see what parts of LA they've shot. I just hope I get a catalog in the mail.

    ReplyDelete

Dear J.Crew Aficionadas & Aficionados: Please feel free (and encouraged) to share your thoughts and opinions. :) However, please note that this is still a personal blog. So comments that are considered inappropriate (e.g. obscene, racist, homophobic, personal attacks, rude, and just plain mean) will be removed.

And now back to J.Crew! :)