Solange Knowles Spotted Wearing J.Crew Collection Skirt

"Thanks!" to D*ska (in this post), who shared the image above of Solange Knowles, during Coachella 2013 (image from The Citizens of Fashion "Solange Knowles, in J.Crew and Alice + Olivia, with Marni sunglasses." post).

Solange was wearing J.Crew's Collection Leather Skirt in Hibiscus Floral (item 74681) that retails... wait for it... $1,200!!! Yeah, that skirt is worth a whole lot of money. So much, that I would be very worried about sitting anywhere at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Annual Festival in fear of getting it dirty. (Which seems like it would be more about cheap jean cut offs and v-neck tees. Not pricey collection items.)

Solange Knowles is no stranger to J.Crew. She was the face of Madewell, J.Crew's sister company, last year (refer here). Plus, she is buddies with J.Crew's Jenna Lyons (refer here). Which makes me wonder if she got some former-employee-discount with the Crew.

What are your thoughts on the skirt? Do you like the way Solange is rocking the skirt? Would you consider getting it (if you had some spare cash laying abouts)?

Jenna Lyons is One of Glamour's "Women of the Year 2012"

"Thanks!" to Lesley, as well as JSR (in this post), who shared the news that J.Crew's Jenna Lyons was named as Glamour Magazine's "Women of the Year 2012" (click here to read in its entirety):

Jenna Lyons: The Fashion Original
By Amy Wicks
Jenna Lyons is a Woman of the Year because… “As my friendship with Jenna grows, so does my complete admiration for what she embodies as a woman, a mother, and a force in the world.” —singer Solange Knowles

With her dark-rimmed glasses, signature center part, and talent for mixing color, texture, and pattern (a striped T-shirt with sequined pants? yes!), Jenna Lyons has inspired legions of women to wake up a little earlier in the morning to try to look even half as cool as she does. As president and executive creative director of J.Crew—the booming $1.9 billion brand that Michelle Obama, Katie Holmes, and Oprah can’t get enough of—she’s not only the brains behind the clothes but also their most recognizable model.

“I enjoy the process of putting crazy outfits together,” says Lyons, 44, who started making her own clothes in seventh grade when her six-foot height made shopping a challenge. She earned a degree from Parsons in New York City and then ascended through the J.Crew ranks, from assistant in 1990 to creative director in 2007. Add the introduction of kids and bridal lines to the mix—not to mention 170 percent growth over nine quick years—and it’s clear Lyons is on fire. “Amazing things happen when you’re having fun doing something you love,” she says.

Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion critic Robin Givhan isn’t surprised by Lyons’ success: “She transformed J.Crew from an inexpensive preppy brand into a brand that really gets at the heart of how American women want to dress…. Her greatest skill is that she can dress both mothers and daughters with equal style. And she proves that it can be done at a fair price.”

This year Lyons continued to push the company to exciting new places: celebrity endorsements, a new presence in Asia, and, next year, world domination—literally—with its first brick-and-mortar store overseas. “She influences, she creates,” says J.Crew’s chairman and CEO, Mickey Drexler. “But what’s less known about Jenna is that she’s a really smart businessperson.” She’s also mom to a six-year-old son and a judge for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. “I’m constantly looking for ways to do more,” Lyons says. “My day is never over!” Such is the life of a superwoman. “I’m partial,” says Drexler, “but I think she’s a Woman of the Year every year.”

It is an amazing honor to receive. Congratulations Jenna for being recognized for her achievements!

Now who is this celebrity that will be endorsing J.Crew??? This piece of news that slipped in the article, has me guessing! Let's hope they bring back Lauren Hutton. :)

What are your thoughts on Jenna being selected as a "Women of the Year 2012" by Glamour? Any points in the article that you agreed or disagreed with? If so, please share! :)

Madewell Fall Catalog

"Thanks!" to Bikbik & Roro who shared the following exciting news with us... The latest Fall 2012 catalog for Madewell is now available online for viewing!

To view it, click HERE. To request a catalog, click HERE. The catalog features Solange Knowles as their newest spokesperson!

Will you be checking out Madewell's catalog online? Are you receiving the print version via snail mail? 

Solange Knowles + Madewell {+ free shipping on all orders!}

"Thanks!" to Priview who shared the following article from Fashionista (click here to read in its entirety) with us:

Solange Knowles Is the New Face of Madewell, Watch Her Be Flawless in This Behind-the-Scenes Video
By Dhani Mau
August 7, 2012

Good call, Madewell. In what we think is one of the most awesome celeb/brand marriages in recent memory, J.Crew’s cooler sister has tapped Beyoncé’s cooler sister as their new campaign star (sorry had to–but how about that’s really the last time we talk about Beyoncé in a story about Solange? Deal?).

We’re obsessed with Solange and Madewell in pretty much equal measure, so we’re very excited about this news; though it’s not all that surprising. Solange, who is signed to Next, has professed her love for J.Crew on multiple occasions (even to us), and attended a few of the brand’s fashion week presentations. Oh, and she went to the CFDA Awards with Jenna Lyons, about whom she had this to say:

I mean, we’re friends first. I of course love what she does at J.Crew. I just think it embodies my style in that it has so much color and texture and character but it’s classic with great tailoring and I think if you have one you have to have the other. And she’s just so freakin’ cool. What else can I say?

Her eclectic, quirky style does make a little more sense with Madewell than J.Crew. And while we love a good Jenna Lyons doppelganger, it’s nice to see someone front the brand who looks a little different from everyone else, but who still fits the brand’s aesthetic perfectly, and happens to be super pretty. See below for a very cute behind the scenes video from the campaign shoot of her looking flawless and “mixing well” and just making us want to be her best friend.

Very cool news about Madewell's new campaign with Solange Knowles! I definitely see how her style matches Madewell's cooler, more stylish, brand.



How cute is this video?!? Love it!

On a related note, "thanks!" to emilybethzzz who let us know that Madewell is offering free shipping in all orders (no min!). No code is necessary, it is automatically applied at checkout. This offer expires Monday, August 13, 2012.

What are your thoughts on Ms. Knowles being the new face of Madewell? Do you think she is a better fit with Madewell over J.Crew?

Jenna Lyons at the CFDA

"Thanks!" to Raina (of the amazing "If The Lamp Shade Fits" blog), as well as Irina, who shared the following article from Fashionista (click here to read in its entirety) with us:

Jenna Lyons Tells Us How She Pulled Her CFDA Outfit Together at the Last Minute
By Leah Chernikoff
June 5, 2012

We always look forward to seeing what our style crush Jenna Lyons wears to formal events. She never fails to mix J.Crew with high fashion in a way that seems effortless and just, well, cool. Our friends over at The Cut were keen on Lyons being the desperately needed “wild card” of the CFDA Awards last night, especially since style icon award recipient Johnny Depp wouldn’t be there to grace it with a pinstriped vest, a fedora, and thousands of man-cessories.

Luckily Jenna was sitting right in front of us during the awards so we got a good look at her striped sequined pants, printed periwinkle silk blouse and navy blazer.

So how does she feel about being a buzzed about fashion person to watch? “I was shocked to see something on New York Magazine,” she told us. “I didn’t actually think about [my outfit] until this morning and then I was like, ‘I probably need to think a little harder.’”

But, but! How does she always manage to mix and match to such quirky cool perfection? Especially sans planning? “Well, I’m not so good if I plan because then I think about it too much and I over think it,” she confessed, rattling off what she was wearing last night (“J.Crew, J.Crew, J.Crew, Celine” [Ed. note: I'd like to be able to say that about my outfits someday]).

Turns out her CFDA look was really down to the wire. “I was thinking what looks cute that I can have tailored before six o’clock,” she said. “I had the pants tailored today because they were a little big on me. We have an in house tailor and I called and said, ‘You know I haven’t actually figured out what I’m wearing so can we have somebody standing by’…The pants were delivered to my house as I was finishing my hair and make up.”

"Thanks!" also to st (in this post), who also let us know about a related article over at the Daily Mail: "Dressed-down Jenna Lyons and Lauren Hutton prove you don't need a ballgown to wow the fashion elite at CFDA Awards" (click here to read). They share:

Ms Lyons wore her trademark thick-framed glasses with blue and white striped and sequined trousers that evoked a maritime theme paired with the navy blue cocktail jacket and a periwinkle silk shirt.

On her feet, playful red pumps added a hint of femininity to the look as she posed for photographers with friend Solange Knowles.

Lastly, Fashionista has another article called "Solange Knowles Wishes She Hadn’t Chowed Down on Two Bags of BBQ Potato Chips Right Before the CFDAs" (click here to read in its entirety) that shared the following:

The more we know about Solange Knowles the more she seems like a normal down-to-earth girl that we’d want to hang out with. In a not creepy way, we swear. Last night she attended the CFDA awards with one of our other favorite people in fashion, Jenna Lyons. And since Solange wasn’t even wearing J.Crew (she was wearing an awesome yellow paillette-covered Marni number) we’re pretty sure Solange and Jenna just came together just because they’re buddies. But we had to ask, of course. ...

So you and Jenna are buds–why do you click with her and J.Crew?
I mean, we’re friends first. I of course love what she does at J.Crew. I just think it embodies my style in that it has so much color and texture and character but it’s classic with great tailoring and I think if you have one you have to have the other. And she’s just so freakin’ cool. What else can I say?

I really like Jenna's outfit and would totally wear it myself. Not sure about wearing it to the CFDA event (seems more formal). In any case, she looked great!

Also, it must be really nice to have an in-house tailor at your service. That is an amazing perk!

What are your thoughts on Jenna's outfit? Do you think it was the right choice for the fashion event?

The Looks from J.Crew {Spring 2012}

A big "thanks!" to Lauren who shared her article over at Lucky (click here to read in its entirety) with us:

NYFW Spring 2012: J.Crew's Stunning Lincoln Center Debut
By Lauren Sherman
September 15 2011

The Venue: The Studio at Lincoln Center ...the catwalk was transformed into a presentation stage for onlookers to view J.Crew's men's and women's collections.

The Scene: Lots of important stylists (Susan Joy), bloggers (Susie Bubble) and pretty much every editor in existence came out to support Jenna Lyons and her designers, Marissa Webb and Frank Mujtens. Oh, and Beyonce and Solange Knowles, too! Beyonce arrived at the morning presentation in a dress covered in gold sequins.

The Look: The J.Crew girl goes to Europe for spring. She's wearing her favorite preppy basics like colorful slacks and stripey tops, but she's mixing them in with silk pajama blouses, mint green leather bags and 1950s-style day dresses.

What We Want to Buy: I will undoubtedly be purchasing the matchy-matchy blue floral peplum top and trousers. And maybe the navy and red striped house coat. But who am I kidding? I want everything!

I love that image of the "J.Crew girl goes to Europe for Spring". Ooh la la! And now for the best part... the photos! Just click on any of the images for a larger view.








What is your favorite look from the photos? Any pieces you found interesting? Are you excited about J.Crew's upcoming collection?

J.Crew's Jenna Hangs Out with the Knowles

As mentioned in the "J.Crew Works Fashion Week {part 2}" post, Beyoncé and her sister Solange made a visit to J.Crew's presentation during New York Fashion Week.

"Thanks!" to Irina, who shared a photo from that event. Solange is wearing the Prabal Gurung at J.Crew Exploding Bow Blouse (Item 49310; $225.00). Beyoncé is wearing a gold sequinned dress from J.Crew... could it be an upcoming Collection piece???

Do you like the J.Crew pieces worn by Beyonce and Solange? Do you like Jenna's outfit?

J.Crew Works Fashion Week {part 2}

In today's "J.Crew Works Fashion Week" post, we learned that J.Crew had its first presentation today. Since my invite got lost (clearly, that is what happened), we can live vicariously through the news reports.

The following list is just a start, I will update as they come in. Also, "thanks!" to many of you, including Sydney (in this post), Louise @ cosmetic bee (in this post), as well as Molly, who shared the following:

• Celebrity Gossip: "Beyonce and Solange Knowles: J Crew Ladies"
• Elle UK: "Front row at J.Crew: Beyoncé"
• E Online: "Beyoncé Takes Her Baby Bump to Fashion Week"
• Examiner.com: "J Crew Spring 2012 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week"
• FabSugar: "JCrew Spring 2012"
• FabSugar: "J.Crew Embraces Color For Spring 2012 Presentation" *Video
• FabSugar: "J.Crew's Marissa Webb on Adding Contrast and Color For Spring" *Video
• FabSugar: "Jenna Lyons Thinks Fashion Week Is Like Going to Prom" *Video
• Fashionologie: "JCrew Spring 2012"
• Huffington Post: "Beyonce At J. Crew, Vera Wang & Rodarte -- All In One Morning!"
• Matchbook Mag: blog
• NY Mag: "J.Crew | Spring 2012 RTW Shows"
• Styleite: "Beyonce’s Arrival At J.Crew Leaves Jenna Lyons Speechless"
• The Fashion Spot: "J. Crew Spring 2012 Runway Review"
• The Guardian: "J Crew wows New York fashion week"
• The Province: "J. Crew makes a splash at New York Fashion Week"
• Washington Post: "Tory Burch, J. Crew, Marchesa put on their first runway shows at NY Fashion Week"

According to the Elle UK article, "Sparkling in a gold sequinned J.Crew dress, Beyoncé toured the looks with creative director Jenna Lyons and womenswear designer Marissa Webb." How exciting!?!

What are your thoughts? Are you excited about J.Crew's presence at Fashion Week?