One of the starting points for J.Crew womenswear design director Olympia Gayot was this sense of timeless heritage as she set about designing a new spring collection. “This year is actually our 40th anniversary,” she tells me via email. For the future,” she continues. “For Spring ’23, I delved into the archives of old catalogues from decades past, from the coastal romance of the ’80s and ’90s to the urban-centric tailoring and minimalist fabrics we were then known for in the 2010s.”
While combining the clean nature of early J.Crew with the minimalism of later decades may seem like an impossible task, Gayot has done just that, taking minimal, vintage silhouettes and presenting them in a range of vibrant colours such as sea foam green and red – the key colours for Spring 2023 trend – and luxurious textures. “I’ve been using the term ‘casual theatre’ to describe the mood of the collection lately,” she says. “We’ve taken iconic, wearable, tried-and-tested authentic pieces like camisoles, polo shirts and bias-cut dresses and put them into fabrics like gold sequins and high-shine viscose. The effect is relaxed but moody. ”
Looking back at the brand’s history, Gayot points to perennial highlights for Spring 2023, such as the iconic chinos and bold leopard prints. The collection’s overall palette incorporates a more fashionable colour palette while also paying homage to iconic J.Crew styling sensibilities, such as wearing colour from head to toe.
The trick is to take historical brand codes – chinos and leopard – and make them feel fresh to the modern J.Crew shopper. Traditional trench coats, cashmere sweaters and button-down shirts become tailored. A fitted blazer now comes with slightly padded shoulders. “When I broke it all down, the team and I worked hard to rebuild the codes into modern, wearable items that could be worn together as a suit or broken into separate pieces that could be mixed with the woman’s own clothes,” she says.
Speaking about her favourite pieces in the collection, Gayot noted that she likes the variety of practical tailored suits as well as the more dramatic pieces. “I appreciate clothes that are built to last, that are easy to wear and style, and that have a strong point of view and sharp cuts,” she told me.
Keep scrolling to shop a selection of items from J.Crews spring collection, as well as some of my hand-picked favourites that I can’t stop thinking about.
