J.Crew magazine

C L A S S I C S. W I T H A T W IST

â„–1

New York is an endless runway. richard haines

setting the scene. sharing our scouting snaps

the roof is on fire. what do you take with?

CLASSI C S. WI TH A TWI ST

â„–1

New York is an endless runway richard haines

setting the scene sharing our scouting snaps

CLA SSI C S. WI TH A TWI ST

â„–2

New York is an endless runway richard haines

setting the scene sharing our scouting snaps

the roof is on fire what do you take with you?

CL ASSIC S. WIT H A T W IST

â„–1

New York is an endless runway richard haines

setting the scene sharing our scouting snaps

the roof is on fire what do you take with you?

CLAS SI C S. WI TH A TWI ST

â„–1

New York is an endless runway richard haines

setting the scene sharing our scouting snaps

the roof is on fire what do you take with you?

C L A S S I C S. W I T H A T WIST

â„–1

New York is an endless runway richard haines

setting the scene sharing our scouting snaps

the roof is on fire what do you take with you?

Richard Haines

New York is an endless runway

12

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

artist we love //

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

13

// artist we love

next morning I FOUND MYSELF IN cartoon BOX UNDER THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE Richard Haines’ diary Ces rempora ecaera simolor ehento ipitatatur?

Tempossimus ma sum am facil eaquos ende vel ipsuntiissin eatio quo cum d

How does the rising cost of raw materials, such as cotton, affect your design?

When we’re selecting fabrics, we are conscious of what we’re doing and we think about the overall line. We’ve actually gone out and secured cotton. We’ve taken more strategic positions with some of our vendors.

One of the things that Mickey really instilled in us was to design it, create it and then look at it and say, “How much would you pay for that? What is that worth?” Instead of saying, “I want you to design a $48 T‑shirt,” which is not very inspiring.

You might question, why is a J. Crew shoe $225? Well, we want you to understand why it’s $225. For the quality and the level of detail and materials we put in it, it is actually an in‑ credible price because we don’t have a double markup struc‑ ture the way another department store might. We’re not just sort of going to the lowest common denominator and saying, “Commodity prices are going up. We are going to make eve‑ rything cheaper.”

What about the collection resulted in softer sales last fall?

Was sick of ruffles and so were we. There are always cycles where things sort of ebb and flow and all of a sudden that thing that you loved you now hate and that thing that you hated you now love. You’ve got to just keep moving forward.

How do you keep basic items, such as T‑shirts and jeans, exciting?

One of the things that I think is unique about what we do is the way that we present the clothes. Sometimes it’s a little kooky — sometimes it’s too kooky — but it’s this idea that you can make it your own. Wearing that stripe with that stripe with that check with that belt. We’re not saying you have to walk down the street like that, but what we are saying is you can have fun with it.

How do you take that thing that is a staple in somebody’s wardrobe and help them reinvent it? For instance, we have a “Jackie” cardigan. It’s a twin set, it’s classic. When we get to the catalog, how do you make that thing look new? You show it with shorts, maybe you show it with a bathing suit, maybe you show it with high-waisted skirt, maybe you show it with a skinny pant.

At a very base level, there is a lot of effort that goes into quarterly earnings calls. It will be nice to not have that quar‑ terly distraction. I don’t think it’s going to change much for us, other than that.

14

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

How do you design for both trade-down luxury customers and younger aspirational shoppers?

That’s actually always been the goal, to provide clothing that anyone can wear. This is a J. Crew double-faced cash‑ mere sweatshirt [points to what she is wearing.] I got one for my mother. My mother does not wear it like I do, with silk sweatpants and spiky heels. There’s a girl in the office who wears it upstairs. She’s so classic, in crisp white shirt, perfect little trousers and loafers.

We strive to provide a high-low in the core things that we do, like a chino. What’s going to make that chino feel really luxe? Do we throw a little sequin jacket over it and a little tank top? It’s really about how we make the line feel complete and rich as opposed to sort of thinking about a specific person.

Last year, you were inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America, led by fashion heavyweights Diane von Furstenberg and Vogue Editor Anna Wintour. What has that been like?

Interestingly enough, she [Ms. Wintour] and Diane have been incredibly welcoming. Shocking, not because of anything other than the image that’s out there — I just had no idea of what to expect. I mean, it’s Diane von Furstenberg, she’s a legend. She’s been painted by Andy Warhol and hung out in Studio 54 and I mean has the best legs I’ve ever seen. And Anna Wintour? It’s like — oh my god.

You’ve been spotted this season at shows by Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung and Derek Lam. What do you look for at New York Fashion Week?

By going to shows, I get to step out of my daily job and fantasize about fashion; the hair, the culture, the makeup, the music, the styling and the energy. That in itself is inspirational.

How does the rising cost of raw materials, such as cotton, affect your design?

When we’re selecting fabrics, we are conscious of what we’re doing and we think about the overall line. We’ve actually gone out and secured cotton. We’ve taken more strategic positions with some of our vendors. One of the things that Mickey re‑ ally instilled in us was to design it, create it and then look at it and say, “How much would you pay for that? What is that worth?” Instead of saying, “I want you to design a $48 T‑shirt,” which is not very inspiring.

You might question, why is a J. Crew shoe $225? Well, we want you to understand why it’s $225. For the quality and the

artist we love //

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

15

// artist we love

to the catalog, how do you make that thing look new? You show it with shorts, maybe you show it with a bathing suit, maybe you show it with high-waisted skirt, maybe you show it with a skinny pant.

At a very base level, there is a lot of effort that goes into quarterly earnings calls. It will be nice to not have that quar‑ terly distraction. I don’t think it’s going to change much for us, other than that.

Ces rempora ecaera simolor ehento ipitatatur?

Tempossimus ma sum am facil eaquos ende vel ipsuntiissin eatio quo cum d

How do you design for both trade-down luxury customers and younger aspirational shoppers?

That’s actually always been the goal, to provide clothing that anyone can wear. This is a J. Crew double-faced cashmere sweatshirt [points to what she is wearing.] I got one for my mother. My mother does not wear it like I do, with silk sweat‑ pants and spiky heels. There’s a girl in the office who wears it upstairs. She’s so classic, in crisp white shirt, perfect little trousers and loafers.

We strive to provide a high-low in the core things that we do, like a chino. What’s going to make that chino feel really luxe? Do we throw a little sequin jacket over it and a little tank top? It’s really about how we make the line feel complete and rich as opposed to sort of thinking about a specific person.

Last year, you were inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America, led by fashion heavyweights Diane von Furstenberg and Vogue Editor Anna Wintour. What has that been like?

Interestingly enough, she [Ms. Wintour] and Diane have been incredibly welcoming. Shocking, not because of anything other than the image that’s out there — I just had no idea of what to expect. I mean, it’s Diane von Furstenberg, she’s a legend. She’s been painted by Andy Warhol and hung out in Studio 54 and I mean has the best legs I’ve ever seen. And Anna Wintour? It’s like — oh my god.

You’ve been spotted this season at shows by Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung and Derek Lam. What do you look for at New York Fashion Week?

By going to shows, I get to step out of my daily job and fantasize about fashion; the hair, the culture, the makeup, the music, the styling and the energy. That in itself is inspirational.

How does the rising cost of raw materials, such as cotton, affect your design?

When we’re selecting fabrics, we are conscious of what we’re doing and we think about the overall line. We’ve actually gone out and secured cotton. We’ve taken more strategic positions with some of our vendors.

One of the things that Mickey really instilled in us was to design it, create it and then look at it and say, “How much would you pay for that?

What is that worth?” Instead of saying, “I want you to design a $48 T‑shirt,” which is not very inspiring. You might question, why is a J. Crew shoe $225? Well, we want you to understand why it’s $225. For the quality and the level of detail and materials we put in it, it is actually an incred‑ ible price because we don’t have a double markup structure the way another department store might. We’re not just sort of going to the lowest common denominator and say‑ ing, “Commodity prices are going up. We are going to make everything cheaper.”

What about the collection resulted in softer sales last fall?

Was sick of ruffles and so were we. There are always cycles where things sort of ebb and flow and all of a sudden that thing that you loved you now hate and that thing that you hated you now love. You’ve got to just keep moving forward.

16

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

How do you keep basic items, such as T‑shirts and jeans, exciting?

One of the things that I think is unique about what we do is the way that we present the clothes. Sometimes it’s a little kooky — sometimes it’s too kooky — but it’s this idea that you can make it your own. Wearing that stripe with that stripe with that check with that belt. We’re not saying you have to walk down the street like that, but what we are saying is you can have fun with it.

How do you take that thing that is a staple in somebody’s wardrobe and help them reinvent it? For instance, we have a “Jackie” cardigan. It’s a twin set, it’s classic. When we get to the catalog, how do you make that thing look new? You show it with shorts, maybe you show it with a bathing suit, maybe you show it with high-waisted skirt, maybe you show it with a skinny pant.

At a very base level, there is a lot of effort that goes into quarterly earnings calls. It will be nice to not have that quar‑ terly distraction. I don’t think it’s going to change much for us, other than that.

How do you design for both trade-down luxury customers and younger aspirational shoppers?

That’s actually always been the goal, to provide clothing that anyone can wear. This is a J. Crew double-faced cash‑ mere sweatshirt [points to what she is wearing.] I got one for my mother. My mother does not wear it like I do, with silk sweatpants and spiky heels. There’s a girl in the office who wears it upstairs. She’s so classic, in crisp white shirt, perfect little trousers and loafers.

We strive to provide a high-low in the core things that we do, like a chino. What’s going to make that chino feel really luxe? Do we throw a little sequin jacket over it and a little tank top? It’s really about how we make the line feel complete and rich as opposed to sort of thinking about a specific person.

Last year, you were inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America, led by fashion heavyweights Diane von Furstenberg and Vogue Editor Anna Wintour. What has that been like?

Interestingly enough, she [Ms. Wintour] and Diane have been incredibly welcoming. Shocking, not because of anything other than the image that’s out there — I just had no idea of what to expect. I mean, it’s Diane von Furstenberg, she’s a legend. She’s been painted by Andy Warhol and hung out in Studio 54 and I mean has the best legs I’ve ever seen. And Anna Wintour? It’s like — oh my god.

You’ve been spotted this season at shows by Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung and Derek Lam. What do you look for at New York Fashion Week?

By going to shows, I get to step out of my daily job and fantasize about fashion; the hair, the culture, the makeup, the music, the styling and the energy. That in itself is inspirational.

You’ve been spotted this season at shows by Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung and Derek Lam. What do you look for at New York Fashion Week?

By going to shows, I get to step out of my daily job and fantasize about fashion; the hair, the culture, the makeup, the music, the styling and the energy. That in itself is inspirational the quality and the level of detail and materials we put in it, it is actually an incredible price.

artist we love //

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

17

// alarm

1.

2.

Alexa Chung, our guest-designer take with her

1 3.

4.

5.

6.

J.Crew wellies

2 Old book

7.

3 Madewell blouse

8.

9.

10.

4 My mom’s photo

11.

5 Winsor & Newton brushes

6

THE ROOF IS ON FIRE. WHAT DO YOU TAKE WITH YOU‚ alexa?

We’ve all pondered this conundrum at one point or another. And if you’re me, your mother would pose this question to you when she thought you cared too much about some material thing—like, say, a favorite sweater that was stolen and demolished by your younger sister. (It went something like, “Why are you so upset? Is that the sweater you want to be wearing if the house were on fire, Heather?”) We’ve all pondered this conundrum at one point or another.

And if you’re me, your mother would pose this question to you when she thought you cared too much about some material thing—like, say, a favorite sweater that was stolen and demolished by your younger sister. (It went something like, We’ve all pondered this conundrum at one point or another. And if you’re me, your mother would pose this question to you when she thought you cared too much about some material thing—like, say, a favorite sweater that was stolen and demolished by your younger sister. (It went something like,

18

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

Grandfather’s axe

7 House keys

8 Old book

9 My Moleskines

10 IPhone, of course

11 Burt’s bees lip balm

alps p h oto s h o ot

By going to shows, I get to step out of my daily job and fantasize about fashion; the hair, the culture, the makeup, the music, the styling and the energy.

That in itself is inspirational.

on location //

Our lovely Mona wears Doublecloth Maggie coat, Troubadour glasses and Vinnie dress

Phillip wears double breasted Stanley coat and Waverly chino in bright rhubarb, of course

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

23

// on location

Our lovely Mona wears Doublecloth Maggie coat, Troubadour glasses and Vinnie dress

Phillip wears double breasted Stanley coat and Waverly chino in bright rhubarb, of course

24

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

on location //

Our lovely Mona wears Doublecloth Maggie coat, Troubadour glasses and Vinnie dress

Phillip wears double breasted Stanley coat and Waverly chino in bright rhubarb, of course

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

27

Cashmere scarf

$98

stay warm we know what keeps you warm, when it’s cold outside

28

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

// things

Stadium-cloth boulevard trench

$325

Toscana shearling trapper hat

Cashmere gloves

$198

$58 Wide handenameled bangle

$35

Sperry Top-Sider速 Shearwater boots

Hacking jacket

$138

$298 Invitation clutch in suede

Slim boy jean in beach comb wash

$118

$98

Cambridge cable turtleneck sweater

$98

j.crew magazine

AUTUMN 2011

29