Frank Muytjens Favorite Things

"Thanks!" to Nicole who shared the following post (click here) from Times Magazine about our favorite J.Crew executive, Frank Muytjens!

The following is the article which also has a slide show (click here to view online):

GET: IN-STORE; Manly Thing: J. Crew Men's Shop
By Sandra Ballentine
September 12, 2010

Housed in a former bank on the Upper East Side, with a knotty-pine interior inspired by old Swiss farmhouses, the new store is as layered as Frank Muytjens, the company's head men's-wear designer. ''We tried to create a special experience, with lots of exclusive items, limited editions and interesting one-offs, like vintage books and records,'' Muytjens says.

1. The store will carry pieces from the English leather-goods company Swaine Adeney Brigg. ''Each piece demonstrates that particularly English attention to detail,'' Muytjens says. This trolley is $2,875.

2. The designer likes to peruse the case at Bedford Cheese Shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. ''Every single cheese has a mouthwatering description that defies you not to buy it,'' he says. Go to bedfordcheeseshop.com.

3. He makes his point with red graphite pencils from Ito-ya, the Tokyo stationery store.

4. Muytjens has a thing for thistles, and he uses the spiky flowers for design presentations and as office d?r. He even grows them in his garden upstate. ''They are spindly and prickly and look very masculine.''

5. He collaborated on these supple boots ($400) with W. C. Russell Moccasin Co., which has been making handmade moccasins in Berlin, Wis., since 1898.

6. His beat-up Filson bag contains a copy of Paul Taylor's 1988 book about Malcolm McLaren. ''He was the first one to mix musical elements from different cultures and come up with something completely fresh, and was hugely influential to me growing up.''

7. Muytjens teamed up with another American heritage brand -- Seattle's Crescent Down Works -- on this vest ($265). ''I love the simplicity of their designs,'' he says.

8. A nature lover, he heads to his house in Hillsdale, N.Y., for ''tranquillity, open space and a killer view.''

9. He collects examples of ''La France Travaille,'' a series of books from the 1930s and 1940s about French workwear. ''I'm inspired by people who use their hands and are close to the earth,'' he says. ''Their garments are stained and mended and passed along for generations -- they tell a story.''

10. The designer is obsessed with old-fashioned American hardware stores, and tools like this Estwing hammer: ''The more you use it, the more beautiful it becomes.'' Go to estwing.com.

11. Muytjens combs Germain, a home furnishings store in Great Barrington, Mass., for French industrial pieces. ''It's dangerous territory for me.'' Go to germain-store.com.

12. These one-of-a-kind $350 chinos (only 20 pairs were made) are patched with panels from vintage pants. ''We may be a big company,'' he says, ''but we relish small, unique projects like this.''

Um... what is up with those chinos!?! The Repaired Stanton Chinos (Item 39088; $350.00) are just plain ridiculous. I checked out the description and frankly could not figure out why they cost so much. I might be missing something. But I know what I am not missing, $350! ;)

With that said, I really like Frank Muytjens. He has done a fantastic job with men's design at J.Crew. My hope is that one day he will return to the Women's department. Even if it is for just a limited time collection. :)

What are your thoughts on the article & slide show? How much do you love Frank Muytjens?