For any brand to succeed, it needs to balance artistic creativity with commercial success and J.Crew Group accomplishes that through collaborative teamwork.
Olympia Gayot, creative director and head of design, J.Crew women’s and kids, and Libby Wadle, chief executive officer of J.Crew Group, emphasized the importance of constant communication and collaboration, from the day-to-day responsibilities to the longer-range strategic planning inherent in the business. The two spoke with WWD deputy editor Kathy Lee on “Building an Iconic American Brand” at the fifth annual WWD x FN x Beauty Inc Women In Power event Sept. 8 at The Glasshouse in New York City.
“First and foremost, I think what I knew J.Crew did at its best was more about creativity first and storytelling, and that was always our differentiator,” Wadle said. “Also, just putting product first and really identifying other signature, iconic items and leaning into those things.”
Wadle also spoke about how new ownership in 2020 after the firm’s bankruptcy provided a “clean slate” for the brand. The CEO’s history with the brand includes having her “dog-eared” catalogue with her at college, as well as buying her first interview suit at J.Crew.
As for balancing creativity with the commercial element, Wadle said: “We think about it a lot. We talk about it a lot, and we have to do it right because we both want to deliver a business while we’re here, and we want the brand to be really successful.”
Wadle also has some distinct view points about the role of the customer. “Everyone talks about putting the customer at the center of things.…I think what’s important for us is to remember the customer shouldn’t always tell you what to do. You need a layer to inspire a customer and to move her forward, to move him forward,” she said. “We’re here to deliver something beautiful and inspiring.”
Discussions on product offerings have included looking at a style for men’s, such as the rollneck sweater, and imagining what it should look like on women. She also spoke about bringing back the catalogue, a key part of the storytelling process.
Gayot said that as the designer, she’s involved in the design process from concept to every single step after that, including working on the catalogue. The foundation for the brand was already in place, she said, noting that attention to quality, style and storytelling helped put all the pieces together.
“You have to embrace what exists already and really hero it because that’s what everybody loves about it,” Gayot said.
The chief women’s designer said J.Crew already had “brand codes” that were important, such as leather and straw and other durables. With many legacy items similar to what’s on the runway today, she began exploring how to make something from before that was “looking a little snoozy” and modernizing it so it “explodes” as a category. One example was bags.
“We designed 100 different bags, and some were colored, some had pearls, and some were super classic. And it started [with] seeing something that’s basic, exploding it, and getting it really exciting for your customer,” Gayot explained.
The head designer also pointed out a factoid that has given her and Wadle the advantage in moving the brand forward into the new era — they are also J.Crew customers, as well as students of the brand.
As for art versus commerce, that’s where a constant flow of dialogue between the two remains important. “It’s a constant dialogue about what I want to do, if she thinks its right, how I react to it.…We’re always trying to move the customer forward and provide inspiration and excitement,” Gayot said. “But we’re also having conversations about what we need, what they [the customers] need, and what they want.”
“Libby is very passionate. She’s great to shop with. She likes to try new things,” Gayot said. “She’s just really bold in that she goes for it.”
That kind of “What do you think?” collaboration is how the two can “balance beautiful commercial pieces and then some exciting pieces to get customers engage,” Gayot said.