Jenna Lyons
Jenna Lyons is an American fashion designer and business personality. Lyons has been the creative director and president for J.Crew since 2008 and 2010, respectively.[1] Lyons has been referred to as the "Woman Who Dresses America".[2]
Early life
Lyons was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to Palos Verdes, California when she was four.[3] Here, she grew up being subjected to heavy bullying, due to her gawkiness and health issues.[4] She suffered from incontinentia pigmenti, a genetic disorder which scarred her skin, caused her hair to fall out in patches, and caused her teeth to be malformed, which is the reason she still wears dentures to this day.[2]
Much of Lyons' outlooks and interests stem from her childhood experiences. About her childhood, she states that her genetic condition "made me introverted, but it was also the reason I loved fashion, because it can change who you are and how you feel, and that can be magical."[3] Her mother was a piano teacher who encouraged her to get involved creatively, leading to her interest in fashion.[4] She loved to rebel against her school uniform,[1] and she learned to sew in seventh grade, which granted her more confidence.[2] One of her personal motivations for success stems from witnessing her parents' divorce and having to never rely on a man to get by.[4] Due to her interest and talent for fashion, Lyons attended Parsons and graduated in 1990.[4]
Personal life
Lyons was married to artist Vincent Mazeau for nine years, with whom she had a son, Beckett. In the early 2010s, however, the couple divorced and sold their Brooklyn town home. In 2012, she publicly acknowledged her relationship with Courtney Crangi, and she now lives in Tribeca with her son, Beckett.[2]
J.Crew
Early work
Fresh out of Parsons, Lyons landed her first job at J.Crew when she was 21.[1] She began as an assistant designer in men's wear,[2] and her first assignment was redesigning men's rugby shirts for the company. She began to work her way up, and by 2003 she was J.Crew's Vice President of Women's Design.[4]
Creative director and president
When current CEO and chairman Millard Drexler was hired in 2003, he and Lyons began to form a close relationship.[2] The two were key players in helping J.Crew triple its revenue from just short of $690 million in 2003 to just shy of $2 billion in 2011.[3] In 2008, Drexler appointed Lyons the executive creative director, and in 2010 he appointed her president as well. Lyons says her holding both of these roles says, "no financial decision weighs heavier than a creative decision. They are equal."[4] In this role, Lyons oversees the over one hundred designers of J.Crew and directs the layouts, designs, and looks for the J.Crew catalog, or as the company calls it, its Style Guide.[1]
Branding
Lyons has crafted the brand and style of J.Crew around her trademark style.[3] She focuses on high quality products, and she encourages her staff to take risks in their designing and work, just as she does. While the company lacked a consistent brand across all platforms before she stepped into her role, the brand is now truly cohesive, with branding strategies matching from Style Guide to storefront. She has made J.Crew a tastemaker in the industry,[4] though Lyons herself does not like to refer to herself as a tastemaker.[5]
Style guide controversy
Part of this shift in branding was in their Style Guide. Lyons wanted it to have the feel of a fashion magazine, and the amount of editorial content increased drastically.[4] This included a section entitled "Jenna's Picks" that looked at her opinions and revealed more about her everyday life. While this contributed to her fame, it also led to controversy when she was featured painting her then 3-year-old son's toenails hot pink. Though Beckett requested it to be done, some called this act "an attack on masculinity."[2] Others, however, viewed it as a breaking from gender norms. Despite it gaining national attention, such as being featured on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart where it was labeled "Toemaggedon", both Lyons and J.Crew declined to comment.[5]
Awards and accolades
Lyons has received many awards for her work, including being one of Glamour Magazine's 2012 Women of the Year. She also holds a much revered position on the Council of Fashion Designers of America Board of Directors.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "A Day in the Life of Jenna Lyons", The Oprah Winfrey Show
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 David Colman, "Jenna Lyons, the Woman Who Dresses America", The New York Times
- 1 2 3 4 Sarah Harris, "The creative force behind J.Crew", The Guardian
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Danielle Sacks, "How Jenna Lyons Transformed J. Crew Into a Cult Brand", Fast Company
- 1 2 Molly Young, "How J. Crew's Jenna Lyons Became the Most Unlikely of Tastemakers", New York Magazine