The Woman Behind J.Crew’s Revival: OLYMPIA GAYOT
@olympiamarie
Foreword:
The other day, I was at a New York Fashion Week show and bumped into the one and only Olympia Gayot. And I do mean bumped into. As the crowd of editors and influencers shuffled out of the venue, I happened to stand directly in front of the Creative Director of J.Crew. A little flustered and starstruck, I embarrassingly blurted out that I’ve written a profile on her for this website, which, if she googled her name, would show up on the first or second line on Google.
Then I remembered how outdated this article was (I did write it four years ago), and the thought of her reading this out-of-touch story had my cheeks flushing. So here I am, writing a part 2 to “The Woman Behind J.Crew’s Revival.” If you see this, Olympia, I hope it does you better justice.
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It’s no secret that J.Crew had a massive comeback in recent years, and it’s all thanks to one woman: Olympia Gayot. In my work as a fashion writer, it’s practically considered taboo not to feature something from J.Crew in our shopping stories. But, I admit: When I was younger, I deemed the preppy styles “not for me.” As much as I liked the overall concept of J.Crew, a closer look at each garment revealed elements I did not particularly enjoy (think plastic brooches stitched on a striped shirt or an awkward placement of a tacky button).
Gayot took over in 2020 once J.Crew filed for bankruptcy. She is to be credited for its revival, making J.Crew better than it ever was.
Gayot is everything J.Crew needed. She is the embodiment of the J.Crew woman herself (and has amassed over 200k followers on Instagram with her effortless mirror selfies). As a designer for the brand back in 2010, she already understood the blueprint of the label. What you find now are the classic Americana styles we love oh-so much. Timeless designs, like cable knit sweaters, blazers, and impeccably tailored pants are all to be found at reasonable prices at J.Crew. None of that trying-too-hard, and all of that effortlessly chic. While maintaining true to the label’s DNA and branding, she has brought sophistication and feminine strength back, and we absolutely are here for it.
She revived and unlocked J.Crew’s full potential, and then some.
You need to see the stunning pieces for yourself, really. Because if bad-ass-working-woman-who-vacations-in-Sicily-and-juggles-two-kids-like-it’s-nothing is the look you’re going for, then you need to shop at J.Crew. Here are some of my favorite pieces:
$278
$119.50
$119.50
