J.Crew's Tom Mora talks about J.Crew's Appeal

There is an article over at the Province (click here to read in its entirety) that interviews J.Crew's Tom Mora about J.Crew's timeless appeal:

Creative combos, timeless appeal: J.Crew's Tom Mora
The Province
May 19, 2012

Here’s one way to avoid being a slave to trends: ignore them.

Tom Mora, vice-president of women’s design at J.Crew, lives by that philosophy. Fashion, for him, is about creating something he loves.

“We try to live in our own fashion bubble and just create great things that we love,” he says.

It’s a liberating approach that anyone can emulate: By only buying the things that you love, you’ll more than likely wear it again regardless of whether a fashion magazine says it’s “in” or “out.”

So those skinny, neon pink jeans on the mannequin at Vancouver’s newly opened J.Crew store? No, not for everyone, but Mora didn’t hesitate when questioned if a gal really could wear them beyond this spring’s colour-obsessed season.

“Absolutely, absolutely, we love neon colours,” he says with conviction.

As a designer, Mora says he aims for timelessness. The trick to ensuring it feels anything but vanilla is all in the styling, for which J.Crew has garnered plenty of industry cred. The preppy company is known for creating surprising but still wearable looks, many of them based on its executive creative director Jenna Lyons’ personal style.

Think sparkly skirts with a casual striped T, or a cotton summer dress kicked up a notch with heels and dramatic costume jewelry pretty enough for a summer party. Taken apart, each individual piece is pretty straightforward. Put together, it feels fresh.

“The pieces are really classic, but that’s what’s great about it. Once you take it apart and it’s not styled like that, you can still take it and incorporate that into your wardrobe so easily. We really try not to do things that don’t feel like they’re going to transcend a season or a trend. I think [when it feels trendy], it just happens organically when you’re in a creative field. There’s a lot of polkadots and we do polkadots and it’s a happy coincidence,” says the New York-based Mora.

If you’re new to this idea mixing pattern, colour and layering and feeling unsure, Mora’s best tip is to go with your gut. If it doesn’t feel good, don’t wear it. “It has to put a smile on your face,” he says.

Tom Mora’s top 3 buys for spring

1. Coloured jeans: “One of our great coloured skinny jeans is a great update to the wardrobe. They’re really comfortable. They feel really right again. You can make them really casual, make them feel dressy.”
2. Dress: “Dresses are always a great way to update a wardrobe. You just put it on and have a great little cardigan over it . . . or with the right heel, all of a sudden you’re ready for a summer party.”
3. Blazer: “It never goes out of style. We love it.”

The overall theme of buying things you love (over trends) is a great piece of advice. Although it is sometimes hard to remember that when actually shopping! ;)

As for the top 3 picks for Spring, I could not agree more with number 2 and 3. A nice dress and sharp blazer can take anyone from work to play easily. As for color jeans... this is tricky. It really depends on the color and fit of the jeans to pull off. Finding the right pair definitely requires some time and effort.

What are your thoughts on the article? Disagree or agree with the advice shared by Mr. Mora? What would your list include?