Ever since J. Crew landed a spot in the NYFW line-up a year ago, the brand has out-grown its mall-centric reputation, earning the respect of industry insiders with its “just right” blend of signature menswear-inspired styles and flirty, high-glam pieces. And the brand has done it again for spring/summer 2015.
True to form, this collection saw oversize menswear shirts layered over gilded sequin pencil skirts, perfectly tucked (and half-tucked) button-downs, and a sophisticated mish-mash of prints.But what sets the collection apart is the inspiration drawn from indigenous artisans in Latin America—and womenswear designer Tom Mora’s trip to Ibiza.
“Latin America was really something I wanted to riff on—that’s where we got the ikats, the beautiful stripes, the colors—that was the starting point,” Mora tells InStyle. “And then I went to Ibiza, and I was blown away by its contrast as a relaxation destination and as a city with this energetic pulse.”
To translate that contrast into clothing, Mora says he focused on three “super important notes: ease, comfort, and slouch,” with a sprinkling of high-shine, iridescent glamour, which actually originated from an obsession with the aurora borealis. “We really love the idea of a shine that keeps shifting colors; it’s something that felt right.”
Despite the global inspirations, the pieces still felt remarkably on brand. “All the pieces are easy to wear,” Mora says. “What we do here is only ever a suggestion of how to put clothes together. What’s great, people take them and do their own thing.
And that’s what I love, and I think that’s why people love J. Crew.”Click ahead to see all the major moments from backstage at J. Crew.