I found this great article in Vogue from 2006 where the author interview Jenna Lyons, the head designer at J.Crew. It offers great insight as to why the clothes at J.Crew work for so many different kinds of people. They have a great head designer!
Measure of success; As J.Crew’s fashion visionary, Jenna Lyons has dressed millions of American women by appreciating the value of proportions
by Mark Holgate
Early in December, while New York is still deep in a post-Thanksgiving daze, the J.Crew design team is feverishly thinking about the future. It is their big day to unveil their vision of fall 2006 to J.Crew’s Mr. Big, Millard “Mickey” Drexler. “Jenna, Jenna, where are you?” hollers Drexler. Out of the melee of publicists, buyers, marketing executives, and one guy whose job it is to capture all this on a camcorder steps Jenna Lyons, senior vice president of women’s design, who at six feet is way taller than just about everyone else in the room. She quickly goes through the collection’s key pieces-ruffled striped shirts, skinny gilt-button cardigans, nipped-waist polka-dot dresses-before the assembled multitude squeezes into a corridor that Drexler dubs “a trip down Wedding Lane.” On show are the latest versions of the bridal looks that Lyons has helped turn into one of J.Crew’s more lucrative successes of recent times. Drexler leaps onto a display stand and grapples with a mannequin, lifting up a pale-pink cashmere shell to get a better look at the proportions of a floor-length taffeta skirt, the waistband of which is near level with his chest. “Hey, Jenna!” he shouts out, simultaneously playing to the crowd and affectionately teasing Lyons. “This is where the waist sits? Well, I suppose that’s where your waist sits!”
I have been eyeing up the the Metallic Giraffe Day Coat ever since its arrival onto the website. The coat is available online only so I can not try it on in the stores.
Because it is only August, I can not justify ordering it yet, even with the free shipping code. For now, I can only admire it on the website through the pictures they have posted.
$425.00, Item 96171
So what do you think of the coat? Do you love it enough to purchase at the store or would you just leave it on the website?
The last article is posted below. I just wonder if the “inconvenience is so unacceptable,” why they don’t consider taking the site down while they fix the problems? There’s no sense in angering customers when they place orders for items they will not receive.
NEW YORK – J.Crew Group Inc., the clothing retailer run by former Gap Inc. chief executive Millard Drexler, has apologized to customers, asking shoppers to excuse problems with Internet and phone orders in the past few weeks.
“We know we’ve let you down,” Drexler and president Tracy Gardner said in the apology, sent to customers by e-mail yesterday and posted on the company’s Internet site. J.Crew is making “enhancements” to its site and call center and “unfortunately, encountered some bumps along the way,” they wrote.
“We’ve made some mistakes (too many in our mind),” the executives wrote. “Please bear with us as we work through these issues.”
The retailer’s website wasn’t accessible as of 1:47 p.m. and showed a “Be back soon” note. As of 2:30 p.m., the site worked and had the apology note on the home page.
On Wall Street, J.Crew, a men’s and women’s clothing retailer known for khaki shorts, chinos, and cashmere sweaters, fell $1.11, or 3.7 percent, to $28.98. The stock has dropped 40 percent this year through yesterday.
In the first quarter, Internet and catalog sales made up 30 percent, or $100.9 million, of New York-based J.Crew’s total revenue.
A recent upgrade to search and zoom functions online has caused some issues when shoppers place orders, J.Crew spokeswoman Margot Fooshee said in an e-mail, without elaborating.
“In our eyes, any inconvenience to our customers is unacceptable,” she said.
As retailers start gearing up for the fall and holiday seasons, it could be a good idea to buy their stock while they are selling low. The fall and winter seasons are usually when retailers do their best causing the stock price to rise. After reading this article, I might consider purchasing some J.Crew stock. What do you think?
The current economic climate in the U.S. is a sore spot for retailers, forcing many to make tough business decisions. In the face of this challenge, J. Crew(NYSE: JCG) seems set on some serious strategizing this year.
J. Crew has it made?
According to The Associated Press, J. Crew CFO Jim Scully spoke about the company’s nascent Madewell concept at the Wachovia Nantucket Equity Conference. The retailer will reach a “‘go or no go’ decision” on Madewell in the second half of this year, and Scully vowed that the concept won’t lose $15 million a year going forward. (That’s the amount J. Crew will lose in fiscal 2008 as it invests in Madewell stores and its new e-commerce site.) If it’s a “go,” Scully said, a ramp-up of Madewell wouldn’t occur until 2010, given real estate issues.
Madewell was launched in 2006, and it’s thus far had a conservative rollout, remaining firmly in R&D territory. According to last quarter’s J. Crew conference call, it caters to hip younger women, although some teens shop there, too.
There were eight total Madewell stores last quarter, and J. Crew plans two new ones in 2008. Madewell offers lower price points than its J. Crew concept, which might spell trouble for companies like Gap(NYSE: GPS), Abercrombie & Fitch(NYSE: ANF), and American Eagle Outfitters(NYSE: AEO) if J. Crew pursues an expansion. The new e-commerce site could theoretically threaten rivals, too, since its reach extends beyond a mere geographical footprint.
Some rivals may hope Madewell’s growth will be a “no go,” but I doubt they’ll be so lucky. After all, last quarter J. Crew said it was pleased with the concept’s performance. Management also mentioned that it’s particularly happy with Madewell’s performance in the $100 jeans business, even though that hardly seems like an ideal pursuit at present.
In other news, J. Crew’s expanding its yoga apparel — possibly bad news for lululemon athletica(Nasdaq: LULU), prAna (which Liz Claiborne(NYSE: LIZ) decided to sell several months ago), and VF’s (NYSE: VFC) Lucy — and testing jewelry.
This video gives great insight into the designing at J.Crew. The fit model used is a healthy looking woman, unlike many models in the industry. She’s in a great position. She gets to speak to the design team directly about the fit, style and shape of the different items she is fitted for. I can only wish they would hear my concerns from time to time.
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Retail stocks rose early Monday, with an analyst upgrade lifting shares of clothing retailer J Crew Group Inc.
Citigroup dropped its sell rating on J Crew (JCG):
JCG32.15, +1.77, +5.8%) , upgrading the company to hold. In a research note, analyst Kimberly Greenberger said J Crew’s improving sales and conservative profit forecast for the second quarter could lead to “slight” earnings upside.
J.Crew, which faced slowing sales in April and May, has pegged earnings between 31 cents and 33 cents a share. Its stock rose 1.7% to $32.65 in early trading. The shares are down 32% so far this year, compared with a 13% decline for the S&P Retail Index.
I wonder how the the arrival of the Fall Collection will translate for them. Their stock did really well at the end of last year.
