J.Crew - Fashion Company Profile
J.Crew is the New York specialty retailer that began as a catalog in 1983 - now the private J.Crew Group of J.Crew, J.Crew Factory and Madewell, majority-owned by Anchorage Capital Group since the group emerged from Chapter 11 in September 2020.
Company Snapshot
- Status
- Operating - a multi-brand, multi-channel specialty retailer selling women's, men's and children's apparel, shoes and accessories
- Type
- Private - J.Crew Group, Inc., majority-owned by Anchorage Capital Group since the company emerged from Chapter 11 in September 2020
- Headquarters
- New York City, New York, United States (225 Liberty Street)
- Founded
- 1947, as Popular Merchandise, Inc.; the J.Crew brand launched with its first catalog in 1983
Company Profile
As a retail group itself, J.Crew carries no Amazon/eBay shop box here - its own sites, linked above, are the destinations. The group filed Chapter 11 on May 4, 2020 (as Chinos Holdings) and emerged that September after equitizing about $1.6 billion of debt, with Anchorage Capital as majority owner; its brands today are J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, crewcuts and Madewell, the denim brand introduced in 2006. The earlier record - the Drexler era, the line extensions, the Canadian opening and the 2015 operating summary, with its photograph - is kept in full on the history page.
A leadership date anchors the middle of the story. In 2003, Millard Drexler - known as Mickey Drexler - joined J.Crew as chairman and CEO, pushing service, quality and innovation to the next level, and the filing, written while he was still in charge over a decade later, credits that push throughout. Under his leadership the company partnered with the finest global fabric mills and craftsmen, and with iconic brands such as Jack Purcell, Timex, Thomas Mason and Red Wing, to name just a few - a sourcing story told through mills and heritage labels rather than through price.
J.Crew History
The earlier record for this company - its history, past brand line-ups, figures and photographs from the periods described - is kept on a separate page for historical reference.
J.Crew History & Historical Profile →Common Questions
Who owns J.Crew now?
Anchorage Capital Group is the majority owner of the private J.Crew Group, having become majority owner when the company emerged from Chapter 11 in September 2020.
What brands does J.Crew Group operate?
J.Crew, J.Crew Factory (and Mercantile), the crewcuts children's line and Madewell, its denim-focused sister brand.
When did J.Crew start?
The company traces to Popular Merchandise, Inc. in 1947; the J.Crew brand itself debuted in 1983 with the mailing of its first catalog, opening its first flagship store six years later at New York's South Street Seaport.
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