MAGAZINE
KRISTY KAUROVA
THE ART OF IKAT
4 FULL PAGES OF HOT NEW ITEMS
Letter from the
Editor
MAGAZINE
As the editor of J.Crew’s exclusive lifestyle magazine, I welcome you to our very first issue. I am so excited to be able to offer you privileged information about upcoming promotions and an in depth look at our new products. J. Crew originally started out selling through beautiful glossy magazine pages but we have become so much more since then. J. Crew magazine is giving us a chance to go back to our roots by keeping in touch with the same sophistication and beauty of our original catalog. However this publication is not just a way to look through our amazing items but a piece of artwork as well. In this issue you will find colorful pages representing our product as well as informative insights of the fashion world here at J. Crew. We will go through reviews of recent collection and give you the skinny of new trends. In a Q&A we learn insider information from a previous J. Crew manager of over 14 years. After that we will finish off by showing brand new collections of product you won't be able to wait to get your hands on. So, come take a look through our very own J. Crew magazine and let us know your thoughts @jcrew on Twitter.
Chief Editor Chantelle Wood
ON MODEL: Wide brim beach hat c8130 Indigo bandana c8033 Sleeveless embroidery sunburst dress c6150
Two Fish, Blue Fish
Flippin’ Cute
One-piece in minnows $52.50 Nylon/spandex Titanium c4208
Speedo Snorkel set $22 Pink 04869
The
Livin’is Easy -especially when she’s this cute. Today might be the day she has her outfit picked out before you.
Tide-Dyed Indigo tie-dye shift $59.50 Cotton Indigo c5517
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Banana Believe It Glitter Banana Bag $59.50 Glitter coated cotton Gold hologram c6527
Knotty Kid Ruffle striped romper $59.50 Poly Vivid ink/ivory b9002
Starstruck Interview by Chantelle Wood
We sit and chat with James Hackathorn who had been a J. Crew manager for close to 15 years. Now he gives us great managerial advice, fashion tips, and what it's like meeting celebrities. Wisdom is seldom gain through any other way then experience. All the schooling in the world could never truly prepare you for what life has in store. James has worked at J.Crew's from New York to Washington and has learned a thing or two in between. As I wait at the coffee shop for him, he sends me emijis reassuring me he will be arriving soon. Working your way up through fashion is a stressful process but before we even sit down for the interview he reminds me that growing up doesn’t mean you have to lose your sense of humor. As he comes through the door he embraces me with a joyful hug. James interview me when I first applied to work at J.Crew and now it's my turn to interview him.
James Hackathorn
What’s one of the hardest thing about being a manager? The hardest part is staying motivated. A manager's job is to motivate their team. You need to figured out what motivation each individual needs. Every person is going to be a little different in terms of intensity. Some people you need to be a cheerleader with, positive reinforcement. They are self-starter, driven. I would say my management style is different then most, I am not quick with praise. This makes people strive to impress me because when I do say praise, it really means something and I think there is value in that. When I say it, it comes from the heart and I really mean it.
Have you meet the CEO of J. Crew? I actually picked him up from the airport and drove him to the Factory store [in Washington]. That was in 2005 right after we opened. It was quite the experience. Mickey is quite the celebrity in fashion. He's called the Retail Prince. I always like to joke he followed me to J. Crew because I left Gap and he left shortly after.
I heard he's got a really great personality. Yeah, he's really passionate. He really likes to talk to customers and wants to know what the front lines are doing. It’s not unheard of for him to reach out to customers and speak to them directly. But more importantly he would talk to the sale associates. If they got a customer compliment over the weekend on Monday he would call them and tell them they did a great job. He's really refreshing in terms of keeping people motivated.
Do you have any funny customer stories? Which one is your favorite?
Miller wearing J.Crew
A favorite story of my is when Wentworth Miller [Lead actor from Prison Break] came into my store in Dallas, TX when I was running the location for J. Crew. It was winter and he had a big puffy coat on and glasses and a hat. I didn't recognize him but I was a fan of the show. He took off his sunglasses and proceeded to walk around the store. Then I realized who he was. I was kinda starstruck but I told my team to treat him like a normal person and to not freak out or ask him for an autograph, just let him shop and be human for however long he was there. I always thought they would want to feel like a normal person too. He ended up being in the store for an hour. His pile of clothes was growing tremendously and during my conversation with him I found those were items he was purchasing to wear on the show. He ended up spending right around $1,200. While I was ringing him up I casually asked him if he was filming in town and created some dialogue around that to let him know I knew who he was. After he left the store and I saw him look at the receipt and I realised " oh no, I forgot to add the discount!". Right then he turns back around and comes back in and I had to re-ring it and I blamed it on being starstruck.
He actually ended up being a long term customer. Another fond memory was we had these prison stripe boxers at one time and he bought every one I had in the store and I had to order 50 more for him. He had bought it for the entire team of Prison Break and gave them out as Christmas gag gifts. What's the one thing everyone in customer service should keep in mind? Well, the golden rule is to treat other as you would like to be treated. Don't do that. Treat others as they wish to be treated. Some people want more service than others. Some people are more fashion forward and know what their style is and exactly what they are looking for. They want to come in and get it and get gone. They don't want us to meddle in their lives. If it's the third person in the store they told they don't want help, that could really set someone off. There are also cultural things. If I greet them and they don't say hello back to me, I should not take offense to it. You need to cater your approach to your audience. Some people are going to need more attention. Other people have no clue and it's their first time in. What tip do you think every guy should keep in mind while shopping? Two things for guys: guys get stuck and become very comfortable in their fashion. I can recall numerous times when a guy comes in with his wife and we get him into something completely different, and it blew him away. So get out there and try new things. That’s the first tip I would give anyone; guy or girl. The second thing is everyone has their niche, the one piece that defines them. Find out what that is. That piece can transition with you. It's all about how you market yourself. ♌
Knotical Lomellina Tie-Front Underwire One Piece $125 Nylon/Spandex Fuchsia b8131
A Shore Thing Matte Underwire Bikini Top $54 Polyamide/Elastane Pagoda blue a0500
My Stripe Striped Bikini Bottom $44 Polyamide/elastane Ivory/navy c3204
Wild One Jungle Underwire Bikini Top $62 Polyamide/elastane Green/yellow multi c3994
Good Day Sunshine Italian Matte Bikini Bottom $44 Polyamide/elastane Fresh kiwi a0488
Life In Color ___ Whether you're a beach bum or a water baby, these “hello, there� colors are sure to turn some heads.
Schoolboy Billykirk Schoolboy satchel $375 Leather Golden brown 34005
Labor Day Alden White suede oxfords $541 Suede with leather interior Bisque c5093
Back in the U.S.A. ___
From sea to shining sea, this collection features items handcrafted in the land of the free, for a little something more homemade.
Key of F Smathers & Brandson Flag key fob $28.50 Cotton, leather, nickel-plated brass American flag c8052
Broad Stripes Hats Off Ebbets Field Flannels Bismarck Churchills ball cap $49.50 Cotton twill Navy 08339
English linen tie in stripe $69.50 Linen/cotton Old barn 39909
Hands on Tie-Dye A print can make or break an outfit and in the case of our lovely ikats, it breaks the boundaries of the conveyor-belt fabric prints. Because this print is all handmade there is a human element that really gives it life. When you know the story behind the fabric of a dress you wear, you feel a connection to it; so here’s our little story behind the ikat print. This unique style of dyeing fabric is well known in Indonesia but the print you see in our ikat dress is from Bhoodan Pochampally (that’s in India.) The process the artisans go to color the silk is similar to tie-dye in the way the fabric is tightly knotted so that when it is dyed those parts stay the original color. However unlike tie-dyed project you did as a kid, the fabric is dyed before it becomes woven.
Where the real talent comes in is when the artist repeats the pattern by picking up the tied threads and weaving the shuttle–essentially a large needle that carries the threads going in the opposite direction–and completing the pattern.
Pretty cool, right? When the vertical and horizontal threads meet, the pattern starts to form and the colors are created. Wonderfully simple patterns or complicated designs can be made using this style of dyeing, but either way it’s stunning.The end result is a truly unique piece that no machine can reproduce.
Bottom of the Sea Slim Chambray shirt $88 Cotton Indigo 03066
Sign the Check Wallace & Barnes Worker suit $298 Cotton Indigo c4685
Aloha Payday Cotton tie $69.50 Cotton Hudson navy c5926
Short of it Wallace & Barnes Suit short $158 Cotton Indigo blue c4699
Be a Sport Ludlow sportcoat $188 Cotton Blue/grey c5000
Adjust Your Sails _____
Who says summer has to be left at the beach? Bring it along with these easy business casual looks.
Mod About the 60’s Trend Report:
Aw, the sixties are back again
with all of its wonderful crochet and sexy, yet, high necklines. The little mod dress was seen all over the runways and now we’ll show you how to bring it to your wardrobe. But don’t worry, we’ll keep this trend fresh (unlike your grandmas old furs) with on point styling.
The sixties were a time of free spirit and self expression–something everyone can appreciate–but it was also a time of great style. Let’s look back at what they were wearing then and how it has inspired designers of today. Back then hemlines would fall anywhere between mid-thigh to just below the knee, as shown in the picture to the upper right. But no mention of sixties fashion would be complete without talking about Twiggy. The young fashion model that was not only the face of fashion, but the face of an entire generation. Crochet was all the rage, everything from needle-point lace, to chunky florals. Let’s not forget those sharp geometric designs, that somehow worked so perfectly with the needle work.
Now that our history lesson is done, let’s get to the fun part: your new outfit.
When I think of sophisticated fun, the dress to the left was the first to come to my mind.
Crazy prints that gossip glamour? Count me in. If you’re looking for something a little more refined, try our sleeveless polynesian dress. It comes in a pretty black and white floral, you flower child. Finally we have the lace. Here’s a lovely little number that's covered with it, so you can show off your inner hippie. Let it be.
MAGAZINE