Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Op Ed | Does Anyone Care Who Designs J.Crew? The Answer Is Complicated

J.Crew has been burned by relying too heavily on a creative who courted fashion insiders. But then, it has also been burned by not having a creative who courted fashion insiders. Has the brand finally found a happy medium?

J.Crew has two high-profiles designers in Olympia Gayot and Brendon Babenzien. (Courtesy)

Maggie Bullock

08 March 2023

Jenna Lyons’ didn’t become a sensation because the public just happened to stumble behind the scenes of J.Crew, and discover a designer with (inarguably) great style and a larger-than-life personality. Circa 2007, the question of whether or not to introduce consumers to J.Crew’s then little-known creative director was a subject of debate within the upper tiers of the company.

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The J.Crew Comeback Starts Now

With its new menswear collection under creative director Brendon Babenzien, the retailer has its best shot in years at returning to the fashion zeitgeist.

Op-Ed | Why Brendon Babenzien Makes Sense at J.Crew

More than a design update, the American brand needs a clear set of values to make its preppy basics stand apart from competitors much like the values Babenzien has brought to his label Noah, argues Jonathan D. Cohen.

The Debrief | Inside the Gap and J.Crew Comeback Attempts

BoF’s Cathaleen Chen and Marc Bain join Lauren Sherman to talk about retailers’ big hires, hopes and plans for bringing their brands back to life.

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Is Quince Really Worth $10 Billion?

From $50 cashmere to Dom Pérignon champagne, the everything store for the aspirationally bougie is outrunning the ghosts of DTC past.

Why Strong Retail Sales Aren’t Leading to More Retail Jobs

A disappointing US employment report surprised economists and investors, but was old news for the apparel sector, where the labour market has stagnated for years.

BoF Masterclass | The State of Fashion 2026

Join us on Tuesday, March 17 at 15:00 GMT / 10:00 EST for the next BoF Professional Masterclass on The State of Fashion 2026.

Pete Nordstrom on the Enduring Power of Retail’s ‘Best Mousetrap’ | The BoF Podcast

Nordstrom’s co-CEO and president joins Imran Amed to discuss the retailer’s 125-year history, why he believes the department store model still works and how taking the company private is shaping the company’s next chapter.

This Week: The Oscars Bring Red Carpet Season to a Close; Lululemon Adrift

The 98th Academy Awards, and Vanity Fair’s revamped after-party, bring luxury brands’ red-carpet strategies to a crescendo. Plus, Lululemon reports quarterly results with the CEO job still vacant.

The Season That Was: Signals From Fashion’s Front Lines

From the impact of the war in the Middle East to the future of Saks to the Kering conundrum, Imran Amed shares his intel and insight from the trenches of the latest ‘fashion month.’

Lanvin Deputy CEO Siddhartha Shukla Exits Brand

Owner Lanvin Group said it is ‘fully committed’ to the French label’s development under creative director Peter Copping, with CEO Andy Lew in charge of management.

The Designers and Brands That Defined the Season | The BoF Podcast

In a post-fashion month debrief, BoF founder Imran Amed and editor-at-large Tim Blanks assess how the biggest houses are bedding in under new creative leadership at Chanel, Gucci, Dior and more.

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