J.Crew's New Collaboration Involves 4 Year Old

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Katie, as well as Suzy (in this post) and JSR (in this post) who gave us a heads up about J.Crew's most recent earnings report. The following from Refinery29 (click here to read in its entirety) sums up their newest hire:

Why J.Crew Hired A 4-Year-Old
By Stephanie Sporn
December 10, 2014

Though she be but little, Mayhem is fierce. The 4-year-old already has her own sartorial pseudonym, and now, she can add an unbelievably adorable Crewcuts collab to her resume.

We first met the budding Ohio fashion designer back in February when the world swooned over her handmade creations. Working primarily with paper, tissue, tape, and this holiday season, gift wrap and glittery garlands, Mayhem would slay a Project Runway unconventional-material challenge. With the help of her “assistant paper dress maker,” otherwise known as Mom, Mayhem was able to live out her stylish fantasies, whether it was remaking their versions of the red carpet’s most talked about gowns, or simply constructing original styles.

Between the mother-daughter duo’s blog, Instagram, and rave reviews from the press, J.Crew just happened to find its next collaborator. “When we met with Mayhem for the first time we were really curious to see how she would work and were amazed to watch this barely 4-year-old girl start meticulously folding the pleats on a skirt and placing stones very specifically and carefully on a top she had just fashioned around herself,” Jenny Cooper, head of Crewcuts design, said. “She has such an inventive and creative personality that really resonated with us.”

This spring, Fashion by Mayhem for Crewcuts will debut in a nine-piece capsule collection — not too shabby for someone who's yet to graduate elementary school — with items starting at $22.50. Jewels, pom-poms, and tassels give the clothing an appropriately whimsical feel that’s sure to win over her peers, just as they did Jenna Lyons. While it’s obvious that this crafty kid is having the time of her life, the goal is ultimately to inspire other young designers (and their DIY-pro parents) to take their visions to the next level, too. Click on to see a first peek at the lineup, and the mini visionary testing out her designs’ twirl capabilities. (Spoiler alert: They're impressive.)

 "Thanks!" to Katie, who shared the following as well:

... excited to announce our partnership with Fashion by Mayhem (http://www.fashionbymayhem.com/) launching this spring at Crewcuts, for J.Crew's youngest fans.

Mayhem became an internet sensation earlier this year after recreating red carpet looks from the Oscars and the Met Ball using construction paper and colorful tape from her home in Ohio.  This 4 year old little girl and designer has created a 9 piece collection which will be available later this spring.

We are so amazed and inspired by her creativity, and we're thrilled to be bringing her designs to our crewcuts customers and hopefully inspiring them too!  All of the items are under $100 (starting at at $22.50) and the whimsical collection includes clothing as well as shoes and accessories.

Jenny Cooper, Head of Crewcuts Design:
"When we met with Mayhem for the first time we were really curious to see how she would work and were amazed to watch this barely 4 year old girl start meticulously folding the pleats on a skirt and placing stones very specifically and carefully on a top she had just fashioned around herself.  She has such an inventive and creative personality that really resonated with us. It was great to have a truly creative child be at the heart of the design process. "

First and foremost, the 4 year old is adorable! I remember reading about the mother/daughter blog awhile back and thought the mother was most creative. It will be interesting to see what they do for the Crewcuts line.

What are your thoughts on this latest collaboration? Are you excited to see what pieces are put together for the collection?

J.Crew Baby Collection

As many of you already noticed and commented, J.Crew came out with the tiniest extension to their current offerings: J.Crew Baby (click here to shop online). Over at Elle.com, there is a small article (click here to read it in its entirety) about the new line:

Jenna Lyons, the Baby Edition
By Kristin Tice Studeman
September 27, 2013

At last, J.Crew devotees can deck their babies out in the same striped T-shirts and Italian cashmere sweaters they rely on for their day-to-day wardrobes. (But the looks are even cuter because they are pint-sized.)

“For Baby, specifically, we are definitely keeping it to styles and silhouettes that cater to the tiniest among us,” Crewcuts head designer Jenny Cooper told us yesterday at an editor brunch celebrating the new line for newborns to two-year-olds. “I know how squirmy and wiggly they are so we’re making everything very soft and moveable and also considering the adult who has to get them in and out of it. One of the perks of adding Baby is that we get baby fit models in from time to time, complete with chubby thighs and tiny toes.”

To accommodate them, she added easy snaps and openings to J.Crew staples from the main line and combined them with fun, colorful prints from the Crewcuts collection. Our favorites are the tongue-and-cheek phrases, like ‘Heartbreaker’ and ‘Tres Cool,’ on the sweaters. The 71 different styles are available in stores and online at jcrew.com now.

Here is the part I am a bit confused about... J.Crew is making it sound like they are launching this line. However, they have been offering baby items in the Crewcuts section for sometime now. Refer to the "Crewcuts News: Baby & Factory" post from October 2011. Maybe the buzz around the Baby line is because they are now expanding the line??

As for the Baby items... the line is super cute! There will definitely be some super stylish babies out there. Can you imagine the mommy & me outfits... endless possibilities!

Now here are some concerns I have: (1) The price points seem on the high end. I guess they are more Janie and Jack then Carter's or Baby Gap. (2) Owning my fair share of knits and tees from J.Crew, I worry about the quality for the Baby line. With my J.Crew knits, I take great care with wearing and washing them because I know how delicate they are. (JCAs know all to well the holes and seams coming undone with J.Crew cotton tees. I wash mine in the delicate cycle and air dry.) You can imagine how often baby's clothes have to be washed, so I am concerned with how well they will keep up. I hate to find out my adorable, and expensive, one-piece fell apart.

What are your thoughts on J.Crew Baby? Did you purchase any pieces? Have you seen any in person? If so, please share! :)

Crewcuts Trunk Show {Bethesda, MD}

"Thanks!" to Sandra, who shared the following event with us: J.Crew is hosting a Crewcuts Trunk Show in Bethesda, MD.

Even more exciting... Jenny Cooper, head of Crewcuts design, will attend to share her styling tips for kids! To attend this special event, please RSVP by calling (301) 365-2000.

For the event's days/hours:

Tuesday, September 18th (10am - 9pm)
Wednesday, September 19th (10am - 9pm)

The location for the event is:

J.Crew Store
7101 Democracy Blvd.
Bethesda, MD

Will you be attending this event? If so, please share with us the details of this trunk show. :)

J.Crew Jenny Cooper in Parenting Magazine!

A big "thanks!" to mp who spotted J.Crew's Jenny Cooper, head designer for Crewcuts, in the September issue of Parenting Magazine. The article features "a day in the life of" and reads: "On the move with Jenny Cooper".

There is an interesting entry for 4PM: "meet with the knit team to review sketches for Summer 2013. We're all loving the pops of neon". It is always amazing to me how retailers plan next year's collection. Anticipating trends is a tricky business! I am also surprised to see that neon is a trend that is sticking around. Not sure if I am a fan of the bright brights...

Did you catch the article in Parenting Magazine with Jenny Cooper? Are you a fan of Crewcuts? Do you like the neon trend? Excited or disappointed to see it will be a part of next Summer's clothing collection?

Crewcuts Designer Jenny Cooper Shares Top Picks for Spring

Crewcuts Designer (and mom of two) Jenny Cooper gives her top picks for Spring over at the Tada! Shop (click here to read in its entirety).The following is also shared:

The List | Jenny Cooper, J.Crew
Crewcuts by J.Crew is amazing at turning a basic look into something extra special with a touch of sparkly shoes or colored laces. Jenny Cooper, Head of Crewcuts Design, and mom of two boys is not only the creative mind behind the line but a diligent product researcher. She learns from "her two dumplings" what works and what doesn't, like if a waist is too small or a button is in the wrong place. "They are both admittedly very different so they often react in opposite ways." Fans of color and extra soft knits, her boys are to thank for these new introductions into the line. She also draws inspiration from everything around her in the "adult world" whether from her background in women's fashion to her travels to the "amazing talented people she works with."

What are your thoughts on Jenny's picks? Do you own any of the items she selected? If so, please share! :)

J.Crew Offers a DIY Class {crewcuts style}

The Crewcuts section (click here) of J.Crew offers something a bit different to parents... a do-it-yourself (DIY) tutorial!

Crewcuts Designer Jenny Cooper shares five of her favorite tips to personalize various pieces from the Crewcuts line. They are the following:

We totally went crazy doodling stars, hearts and critters on our rivet chinos. Then we studded one pocket (with a bedazzler) for a little rebel-cool flair.

A little scrap of cheerful yellow fabric inspired us to reinvent our favorite cashmere cardi. We stitched it into multilayered fabric flowers and sewed on a few mini bouquets. (Side note: Also try bits of ribbon or snip up a favorite top she's grown out of.)

All it takes is that zig-zag setting on the sewing machine and some colorful thread. Add a few bits of fun yellow fabric and voila.

Ok. this took forever but ended up looking really precious. We found a stash of colorful beads and used them to stitch fun designs, like flowers on a vine and a bright starburst on our striped anklets.

We heart hot pink and orange. So we grabbed a fabric pen in each color, picked up our white ruffled seesaw dress, and went dot, dot, dot...

I have to admit the DIY for a cardigan is a super cute idea! Although, I won't be using a cashmere cardigan like the tip does! ;)

What are your thoughts on the tips? Do you like this DIY marketing concept? Do you think J.Crew should incorporate an adult version? :)