J.Crew & Jenna Lyons

So, I think everyone will agree that J.Crew has gone from bourgeois blah to “oh my fu#%ing god, where is that from.” I remember when it was little more than a few basic patterns (not the types of patterns they’re famous for now) in a few muted colors. Now it’s a neon-ed, polka-dotted, sequined, cashmiracle – metallic shellacked and tied up in a pretty pink leather bow. Case in point: FENTON/FALLON for J.Crew – a line of insanely desirable jewelries that could bring out the conspicuous consumption devil in anyone. I can’t imagine two more on-point creatives – Dana Lorenz (F/F) and Jenna Lyons (J.Crew) – to collaborate and combobulate.

images via jcrew.com

all via jcrew.com

Jenna definitely had something (if not everything) to do with the J.Crew catalogs that I hold just a dearly as all my fashion magazines. If anything, they are almost more reliable for beautifully styled pages (including the hair and makeup) that I keep for inspiration. Jenna’s Parsons classmate, Derek Lam, said it perfectly, “Jenna brings a fashion editor’s eye to an accessible brand.” She really does. Sure the fabrics are beautiful… all those colors and textures whipped up into a frazzled perfection. And yes, the prices are much more reasonable than those of the high-end brands dominating Vogue editorials. But the presentation – the presentation is insanely curated. Even the storefronts look editorial-esque with the cheery mannequins layered in texture and bubbly copy in a chic combination of serif and sans serif fonts.

Jenna Lyons in store and in office, below.

More Jenna: Her muses, musings and how she built her empire.

Check out this video: Behind The Design with Jenna Lyons.