J.Crew Collection Video {what's that song?}

On Thursday, J.Crew updated their website with new arrivals (refer to the "J.Crew Updates Website with New Arrivals!" post). On the homepage, there is a new Collection video which features a model wearing several outfits while dancing. Since then a lot of JCAs have been wondering about the music playing behind the Collection video on J.Crew's homepage.

A big "thanks!" to Kumi (in this post) who shared with us the following insight:

Loveprints- I did a little research, as I really love the song. I found that the text in the song didn't come up with anything on the web linking it to a song or singer. The first lyric is "je ne me laisserai pas seduire" and then some stuff and then "je ne ferai pas l'amour". It's kind of an anti-love song. So I e-mailed J.Crew and here is the response (my e-mail question is in the latter part of this entry):

Hi Kumi,

Wish I had a better answer for you but it's an original song we composed for the Collection Video. It doesn't have a name. I'm sorry for any disappointment.

If there is anything else I can help you with, please feel free to contact me directly. I've provided my contact information below for your convenience.

Best,
Jennifer

The video & song are cute. I thought it was clever how the outfits incorporated one item from the previous outfit. :) However, I enjoyed the videos (e.g. Rome, Patagonia, Paris) from previous years a bit more. (Maybe it's an unfair comparison since the other videos included amazing locales.)

What are your thoughts on the song? Do you like the Collection video? :)

J.Crew Video: Handbag's Day In Rome

I so want to be on holiday in Italy right now...

I can't believe I am writing this, but I am jealous of a handbag. I mean, it has a better vacation than I will this summer. ;)

J.Crew Video: When In Rome...

Remember Rome? I do, I do! There are a series of "behind the catalog" videos from the production company J.Crew hired, called Alarming Pictures (click here for their YouTube channel).

Perfect to watch on a lazy Summer afternoon. Charming music, vibrant colors, and such happy faces... I love it all!

I also plan on posting the other catalog/videos for the next few days because they are awesome! (Let's stretch out the walk down memory lane.) :)

J.Crew Email: Exclusively yours: a behind-the-scenes peek at Fall

"Thanks!" to many of you, including Desert Flower, Marietta, & AnneG, who shared the following email this morning.

The email is a clever marketing video that features a sneak peek into the Fall 2010 collection. To watch the video, click HERE or play the video below.

Love the video! I always enjoy watching the steps to create such an event. The preparation involved is fascinating! Is it just me, or does anyone else not like Jenna's "favorite outfit" too? (Her outfit choice is also shown in the email's image.) Where would you wear that too? (I should add, that I do like Jenna. I think she is adorable.)

The JCAs have seen previews of the Fall 2010 Collection for sometime (refer to the April 2nd "J.Crew's Fall Preview Is Here!" post). In that post, several links were posted with reviews & images on J.Crew's Fall line:

For the ladies, check out:

• Habitually Chic blog (click here)
• Fashionista (click here)
• Style.com (click here)
• NY Mag's The Cut (click here)
• InStyle's What's Right Now (click here)
• NBC New York's The Thread (click here)
• StyleList (click here)
• Black Book Mag (click here)

For the gentlemen, check out:

• Pursuit Aesthetic blog (click here)
• Secret Forts blog (click here)

What are your thoughts on the Fall 2010 Collection? Do you like the video J.Crew released? Would you like to see more videos from J.Crew?

WSJ Declares Drexler as "The Retail Therapist"

As mentioned in Thursday's "J.Crew CEO Mickey Drexler Is On Top" post, the Wall Street Journal has an in-depth article on J.Crew's Mickey Drexler.

A big "thanks!" again to Raina for letting us know about it on Thursday & for sharing the video below from Racked (click here). Another big "thanks!" to Suzy (in this post) who let us know that the article is available online today! :) The following is an excerpt of the article (click here to read it in its entirety).

Mickey Drexler: Retail Therapist
By Tina Gaudoin
June 10, 2010

It was Steve Jobs who informed Millard “Mickey” Drexler that he was about to be fired from Gap, a company he had taken from $400 million in annual revenues to $14 billion and from 450 stores to more than 2,000 in the span of 19 years. “Steve, who was on the board, called and told me the night before,” Drexler says, recalling their May 2002 conversation. He knew it was coming. Although he’d been celebrated in the media for years as the “merchant prince”—the man who had the answer to the curious riddle of retail (just how do you get a customer to buy more than one pair of jeans?)—Gap’s growth had stalled in the two and a half years leading up to his firing: Same-store sales had dropped by double digits every quarter between 2000 and 2002 and the stock had plummeted 75 percent.

...The Wasp privilege–meets-street-smart-kid vibe has become Drexler’s calling card. At Gap he turned the wearing of khakis into an art form (who can forget the Ernest Hemingway wears khakis campaign?), and now at J. Crew he is spinning sequins, combat pants and cashmere into a raging success story. In 2005, the company turned its first profit in five years, and between 2003 and 2008 revenues rose 107 percent. In 2006, Drexler presided over a very successful IPO. In 2009, revenues ($1.57 billion) exceeded pre-recession levels and same-store sales climbed 11 percent. Profits jumped 40 percent. When Drexler took up the reins in 2003, J. Crew had $609 million in debt and 196 stores. Today, it has 321 stores, less than $50 million in debt and $298 million cash on hand.

The first family are fans: All four wore the brand during last year’s inauguration festivities. Though he won’t discuss his most famous customers (“We respect their privacy”), he does admit to checking sales figures after Oprah wore, and waxed lyrical about, the company’s shoes this spring during a segment with executive creative director Jenna Lyons. He was also pretty happy when the Queen of Media admitted to her 5.6 million viewers: “When I saw the first lady, even before she became first lady, wearing J. Crew—full disclosure here—I bought some J. Crew stock. And that was a very good decision.” (The stock has risen 119 percent since Michelle Obama appeared on “The Tonight Show” in a yellow J. Crew ensemble in fall 2008 and 132 percent since Drexler took the company public.)

So what drives Mickey Drexler? A man so obsessed and passionate about his job, the customer and the product that he personally answers shoppers’ emails and telephone calls, makes split-second decisions about entire lines based on “a gut feel,” talks to his 695-strong team constantly via an elaborate intercom system and treats routine store visits (of which he makes at least five per week) as a holiday: “They don’t count as work.”

...“Whether you have wealth or not is irrelevant when it comes to appreciating quality—even if you can’t afford it, you can respect it,” Drexler says to an assembled team of designers, buyers and merchants before they begin their fall 2010 holiday presentation for “the boss,” who, coincidentally, is a disciple of The Boss and quotes from him often, telling everyone today, “We practice every day, as Bruce says.” The atmosphere at J. Crew’s headquarters in downtown New York is a heady mix of adrenaline and nervous anticipation. Fake snow flutters behind fake cabin windows and somewhere a vague cinnamon scent emanates, desperately evoking the spirit of December on this unseasonably warm spring day in April. ...

...“The customer can tell you a lot,” Drexler says. “They can give you feedback on fit and specs on operational issues even, but they can’t tell you what’s coming down the road. For that, you are always listening and learning, but when it comes to the fashion part, it’s having a certain creativity; it’s getting a sense of how the world changes.” It’s also having keen business acumen, something TPG Capital co-founder James Coulter, who joined J. Crew’s board at the time of his firm’s acquisition, sees as being overlooked in Drexler. “So much is written about him as a merchant. Rarely does anyone write about the power of him as a businessman. He has to lead all the way from the drawing of the piece of clothing to the checkout of it at the store.” ...

Love, love, love this article! It is super fascinating to read about Mickey Drexler's story with J.Crew and all the events leading up to their recent success. And the video is just as awesome!

What are your thoughts on the article & video? Do you like Mickey Drexler more or less after reading this article? Any points you found particularly interesting or note-worthy? If so, please share! :)

The A-Team? Nope, the J-Team!

A big "thanks!" to Gem Twin who shared the following article & video about J.Crew's Creative-Team over at Details (click here).

Tastemakers: The J.Crew Team
Jenna Lyons, Frank Muytjens, and Andy Spade on the American classics they can't live without
Photograph by Rebecca Greenfield
June 2010

On the one hand, little has changed for J.Crew since it published its first mail-order catalog in 1983: It's still the go-to purveyor of preppy staples. On the other hand, the brand has grown into a $1.6 billion enterprise and spawned a slew of copycats. All of which provides the company's brain trust—executive creative director Jenna Lyons, head of men's design Frank Muytjens, and collaborator Andy Spade—with the challenge of keeping the label at once classic and ahead of the pack. We asked this trio of style arbiters to weigh in on what to wear, eat, and do this summer.

Alden for J. Crew white suede bucks: "They're completely masculine and elegant. They go great with shorts or jeans, and they will look even better with age."—Frank Muytjens

Lemon and beer: "Adding lemon and ice to a beer makes for the most refreshing summer drink you can have."—Jenna Lyons

Straw hat: "I wore one when I was a lifeguard and just never took it off."—Andy Spade

Vintage army tent: "In my back yard in the country, I'm putting up an old canvas tent that I bought on eBay. When it gets too warm in the house, I'll spend some summer nights camping in my own yard—that's my way of roughing it."—Frank Muytjens

California Baby sunscreen: "It's the only sunblock that doesn't wear off."—Jenna Lyons

Bermuda shorts: "They're part of my summer uniform—always have been and always will be. Those really short shorts are for roller skaters."—Andy Spade

Saint James striped T-shirt customized for J.Crew by Mister Freedom: "Saint James is based in France and is known for its classic Breton striped sailor shirts. Christophe Loiron of the vintage Los Angeles shop Mister Freedom added graphics to them. We call it the tri-laboration: It's like Picasso meeting Jacques Cousteau."—Frank Muytjens

Barbecued ribs: "My husband, Vince, does the best barbecue: He makes dry-rubbed baby back ribs, applewood smoked for four hours in his Stump's Smoker and finished with a North Carolina barbecue sauce. There's nothing better. It's the perfect summer meal, especially because I don't have to do anything."—Jenna Lyons

New Balance running shoes: "I'm tired of the crazy-colored-sneaker trend. New Balance is like Switzerland—neutral. They're also semi-orthopedic and allow me to run on the beach without getting much sand in my shoes."—Andy Spade

Philip Johnson's Glass House in Connecticut: "It's such an iconic, quietly powerful place, and it is now open to the public. I can't wait to be able to actually walk in it."—Frank Muytjens

Polaroid camera: "I love capturing a moment with friends and then being able to let them take some pictures home. It's the perfect memento from a great weekend."—Jenna Lyons

Classic books: "Even if you're not at the beach, you can instantly get away in a really good vintage bookstore. I love losing track of time in one. They keep me inspired."—Frank Muytjens

I give credit to Jenna for wearing those sequin pants again. Why? Because she truly shops her closet and I actually like that message. It's great to see a piece of clothing being worn in various ways, to get the most value out of it. As for the $650 sequin pants (only 4 in production!) ...it's a pass for me. ;)

What are your thoughts on the article? Are there any quotes you found particularly interesting? If so, please share. :)

Video of Jenna Lyons on Oprah!

The Huffington Post has the video of Jenna Lyons appearing on Oprah yesterday as well as an article (click here to read the article in its entirety) . Enjoy!

Jenna Lyons 'Oprah' Appearance: J. Crew's Creative Director Reveals A Day In Her Life, Talks Michelle Obama & Tips
By Anya Strzemien
April 21, 2010

J.Crew's Creative Director Jenna Lyons--the brains behind the brand's recent makeover and enormous popularity--appeared on Oprah's 'Dream Jobs' episode on Wednesday. Lyons discussed landing her dream job, Michelle Obama, and her tips for dressing with panache.

In this first clip, Lyons walks viewers through a day in her life, which looks every bit as enviable as you'd imagine. Starting with her closet. ...

Then, naturally, Lyons and Oprah got around to talking about the first lady, J.Crew's most famous customer. Mrs. Obama famously wore a J. Crew ensemble on The Tonight Show during Sarah Palin's $150,000 wardrobe scandal.

Oprah admitted "When I saw the first lady, even before she became the first lady, wearing J. Crew--full disclosure here--I went and bought some J.Crew stock. And that was a very good decision."

Lyons also shared her tips on putting together a fabulous outfit.

What are your thoughts on the video? Is there anything you found particularly interesting?

J.Crew Video: Daddy Day {adorableness!}

"Thanks!" to audball (in this post) who shared the following video with us.

The video features a crewcuts wearing daughter being doted on by her J.Crew loving dad. It's so charming, you can't help but watch the video a few times and smile. Cute, cute, cute! And the tag line "everyday is a special occasion" is a fantastic message.

What are your thoughts on the video? Do you like the concept? Would you like to see more of these videos from J.Crew?

J.Crew's Mickey Drexler Talks On Retailers' Comeback

There is an article (with video) over at CNBC (click here) where J.Crew's CEO, Mickey Drexler, discusses the current state of the retail industry.

J.Crew CEO: Retailers Have Come Back, Not Consumers
By Christina Cheddar Berk
April 8, 2010

A record jump in monthly retail sales has some cheering the comeback of the consumer, but J.Crew CEO Millard "Mickey" Drexler isn't impressed. "I don't talk about the comeback of the consumer," Drexler told CNBC in an interview. "...I talk about the comeback of great retailers, or of good retailers."

According to Thomson Reuters, retail same-store sales rose 9.1 percent in March, the biggest gain since the company began tracking those numbers in 2000.

Drexler said he doesn't think last month's sales are as good as they first appear. He explained that March 2009 was "the easiest month in the history of the retail world" to compete against, as sales were depressed last year by the "tsunami recession." The timing of Easter, which occurred a week earlier this year than last, also helped bolster results. "We look at 20 retail companies in our industry, and there is just a handful that are ahead on a two-year basis," Drexler said.

Like a growing number of retailers, Drexler's company doesn't report monthly same-store sales. However, under Drexler's leadership, J.Crew [JCG 46.75 -0.10 (-0.21%) ] has improved its performance. Last month, the retailer swung into the black in its fiscal fourth quarter and posted full-year earnings that surpassed pre-recession levels.

Drexler said the key to J. Crew's success has been to sell items that "cannot be sold anyplace else." According to Drexler, retail sales are improving not because the consumer is coming back, but because those retailers are taking market share from others.

"The consumer either shops value, or they shop emotionally, or it's both," he said. He also thinks the Internet has made competition more fierce because consumers research prices and know a product's true value.

I couldn't agree more with the last line. Thanks to blogs (like those listed on the JCA Blog Roll Call) and product reviews on company e-commerce sites (like Anthropologie), I always do a bit of research before any purchase online.

Also, I laughed a bit at the line that "the consumer either shops value, or they shop emotionally, or it's both". Doesn't that cover about everyone? ;)

What are your thoughts on the article & video? Disagree or agree with any of the points mentioned? Do you think customers shop either on value, emotionally, or both? :)

Lucky Magazine Shares Jenna's Shopping Secrets

Over at J.Crew's Facebook page (click here), they shared with us a video from Lucky Magazine (click here). According to J.Crew:

Check out this behind the scenes video with Jenna (our creative director) sharing her shopping secrets with Andrea Linett (Lucky Magazine’s creative director)

It is another behind-the-scenes look with J.Crew's Creative Director. Jenna Lyons discusses lots of topics, including what items she likes to buy over and over again. One thing that interested me, that she likes to shop alone. Frankly, I do too! Overall, it is a fun watch. :)

P.S. Is wearing all-denim the latest trend? If so, I am going to have to "sit out" on that one. ;)

What are your thoughts on the video? Do you like the tidbits that Jenna shared with us? Was there anything that struck you as interesting or note-worthy? :)

Sidenote: There is also an article interviewing J.Crew's Menswear Designer Frank Muytjens, over at Hells Kitchen (click here to read). Unfortunately, it is not in English. However, there are lots of great images. Also, if you happen to have the latest Firefox (it's an Internet Browser)... then click on the "Translate" button to translate the entire page into English. It does a pretty decent job too! :)

Behind the Scenes with Frank

"Thanks!" to Ross, Fidel, & J.Crew Guy In Canada, who shared the following behind-the-scenes video of J.Crew Men’s Designer Frank Muytjens. As mentioned in previous posts, he was recently recognized as one of GQ magazine's Best American Menswear Designers 2010.

From the GQ site (click here):

Behind the Scenes: J.Crew
By GQ
Video by Gordon Steiner
March 11, 2010

The last in our series of studio visits, today our video features menswear designer Frank Muytjens, a 2010 Best New Designer in America finalist whose updated looks revitalized the no-longer-just-preppy J.Crew.

What are your thoughts on the video? Do you like the direction that Frank is taking the Men's Collection at J.Crew?

Madewell News: How It's Doing & Alexa Chung

Over at Lucky (click here), there is a video of Alexa Chung (at the launch of her line for Madewell during Fashion Week) being interviewed. She is asked several questions, including what is her inspiration & what kind of girl would buy her clothes.

On a related note... J.Crew's CEO Mickey Drexler had a lot to report about Madewell's performance during the last quarter & last fiscal year. Some highlights from the StreetInsider article (click here for its entirety) include the following:

• ...approximately $13 million in losses associated with Madewell, which includes expenses for our e-commerce launch and is essentially flat to 2009, excluding one-time costs related to store closures and impairment charges...
  
• ...We look at the penetration of the J.Crew brand, and Madewell has a potential, and I didn't mention anything about Madewell, because until we see it start to contribute earnings. It's not going to be on top of our we're so excited list. But in the meantime the indication is good. ...
  
• ...Well, we've had an interesting experience with Madewell and we've been kind of very cautious, which again I'm glad to say. We are seeing now every indication that our people like it a lot, customers like it a lot day-by-day. We are going online this summer, and we're pretty pleased about what that looks like. Again, we have a conservative sales plan, but we are - we're actually going to be looking at more stores for 2011, we're going to be a bit more ambitious about that than we've been. But it's - we've seen a lot more consistency in our performance there over the last six months, I'm really happy to say. If you go into our stores today, I think you'll see an assortment that's much more reflective of - starting a new company is really complicated. It's not an exercise that I would recommend to most, although some of us have been there successfully and not successfully, I think, so we're actually committed. We hired Alexa Chung, who - Alexa's been pretty unknown, but for us a muse of sorts for the Madewell brand. So, I think we're really - I don't want to be too optimistic, but we're spending a lot of time in the stores. We're looking at the customers, we're getting a lot of buzz and if you ask frankly a lot of women you know who shop in Madewell, you're going to see a lot more loyalty, higher traffic, a better conversion and price points. And we're becoming quite famous for our boots, our denim, our accessories, our scarves and it's actually nice to see. So I guess more to come in the next three months in terms of reporting. ...
  

It's interesting that Madewell is still under-performing expectations. If I am not mistaken, Madewell has lost money every year since its been under J.Crew's umbrella. I also heard too many times to count now how Madewell was going online (with a fully functioning e-commerce site), to only postpone it. I understand that Madewell is Mickey's baby, and he will do what he can to make it successful like J.Crew. However, I wonder how long investors will continue to support the Madewell brand if it continues to lose money.

Are you a fan of the "Alexa Chung for Madewell" Collection? Did you like (or dislike) her responses in the video? Also, what are your thoughts on Madewell's future? :)

J.Crew's Drexler Talks Fashion with Charlie Rose

Over at RatsOnParade's I LOVE J.CREW blog, there is a great post (refer to her "Mickey Drexler on TV: Charlie Rose 2/19/2010" post) about a recent appearance of J.Crew's CEO Mickey Drexler on Charlie Rose (click here for the video & transcript).

The Charlie Rose episode took "a look into the world of fashion" with guests Cathy Horyn (of The New York Times), Narciso Rodriguez (designer), Roberta Myers (Editor-in-Chief of ELLE), and of course Millard Drexler, (CEO of J.Crew). A lot of great questions were asked of the guests. The following are some responses from Mr. Drexler that I found interesting:

• I live a very narrow life in the world of J.Crew and Madewell.
• I sometimes think we’re in a different business. We design, we develop, we create and we very much evolve. It is kind of sharpening the edge, it’s getting rid of the older, bringing in the new, but it’s a business first and foremost, and in our business it’s a true partnership between design and merchandising as investments in clothes. Because without the profit, the sales, the growth, it’s not a lot of fun, especially if you are a public company.
• And you know, I also look at it, because I’m in a different world. It’s not a design world. I look at the prices and I look at what the real people pay in the world. We’re talking here about, and I didn’t want to be the biggest. I think better is better, not bigger is better.
• Madewell tends to skew younger than J.Crew, but I like timeless because I think a great product will wear well on a young person, and by the way what is going on today is all the young kids are not shopping their mother’s closets any more, they are shopping their father’s closets. So I, you know.
• ...our best-selling men’s shoe, the Macalister -- we lowered it to size five now because we sell one-third to women. Instead of just to men. Our washed shirts, J.Crew, our buttoned down washed shirts, we went to extra small this season.
  

What are your thoughts on the interview? Were there any pieces of information that you found particularly interesting? :)

J.Crew's Jenna Lyons Talks Trends

A big "thanks!" to HDNB, Carla, & Chris, who shared with us the following news/ video. The video (found at this Facebook page) is from American Express at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

It features J.Crew's Creative Director Jenna Lyons who is talking about trends. Jenna Lyons talks about "borrowing from the boys" and "boyfriend inspired styles" this season. She also suggests the best items for guys to get is the Ludlow suit. She even shows us a "behind the scenes" look at where the graphic tees get made.

What are your thoughts on Jenna's advice? Do you disagree or agree with any of her suggestions for styling?

Note: I tried to share the video from the Facebook page, but it wouldn't let me. I am not 100% sure if the following video I made works. Apologies in advance for any issues with the video. :)

J.Crew's Look Behind the Design with Frank Muytjens & {Ask} Jack

As mentioned in the January 30th "J.Crew's Look Behind the Design with Jenna Lyons" post, J.Crew's latest website update with new Spring arrivals has provided all sorts of behind the scenes look.

"Thanks!" to HDNB (behind the great Hotdish & Bars blog) who let us know that there is another short video (under 3 minutes) showing the "behind the design" of the latest Spring & Summer 2010 collection for Men.

The video (click here to view it) features J.Crew's Head of Men's Design Frank Muytjens & Men's Stylist Jack O’Connor (also known from the "Jack Knows Best" marketing campaign), and their inspirations for the latest collection.

I love these behind the scenes peeks and how J.Crew puts it altogether. :)

What are your thoughts on the video? Are there any points or scenes that you found particularly interesting? Do you care (or not care) for these "behind the scene" looks?

J.Crew's Look Behind the Design with Jenna Lyons

J.Crew's latest website update with new Spring arrivals has provided all sorts of behind the scenes look, including a short video (just under 3 minutes) showing the "behind the design" of the latest Spring & Summer 2010 collection.

The video (click here to view it) features J.Crew's Creative Director Jenna Lyons, apparently referred to by others as "Commander in Chic", and her inspirations for the latest collection.

There is something fun about getting to see how J.Crew puts together their outfits & photo shoots. :)

What are your thoughts on the video? Are there any points or scenes that you found particularly interesting? Do you care (or not care) for these "behind the scene" looks?